Young Life Montgomery County
Young Life’s mission: Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.
Young Life is an international, non-denominational Christian organization that operates at the local level, hence, Young Life Montgomery County. Young Life was launched in the early 1940s with the premise that leaders must “go where kids are at,” and hang out with them on their turf to earn the right to be heard with the Gospel. Leaders interact with young people at school activities, athletic events, or just about anywhere teenagers can be found so that they can initiate relationships and teach kids about having a relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus is the center of all Young Life does in multiple ways.
Young Life holds something called Club, a regular gathering of young people typically held in kids’ homes. They sing relevant songs, put on fun skits, and share the Gospel week by week in a way that is inviting and relates to kids’ daily lives and struggles. Young Life also offers Campaigners, for those who want to examine the Christian life more closely through Bible study. In these small groups, young people can question, pray, and have deeper discussions of personal concerns and decisions.
Young Life has a network of camps where kids can spend a week in the summer or a long weekend in the fall. Campers are promised to have the best week or weekend of their lives as they engage in high-action adventure, tons of outrageous fun, and concentrated interaction between leaders and kids. Each night, teens hear nore of the Gospel message and are then given time to process it with their leaders.
Young Life connects with middle school students through Wyldlife. This monthly Friday night event is run like Club but with activities and messages geared to 6th – 8th graders. Like Club, it is typically held in homes. Kids are also taken to Wyldlife camps in the summer or on fall weekends.
Young Life sees itself as a specialized arm of the church. When teens come into relationship with Jesus, Young Life leaders encourage and even help them find a church home where they will worship regularly (if they do not already have this connection with their family). Young Life is made possible through adults and churches. Each local Young Life area, typically described by the boundaries of a school districe, has its own committee of caring adults from area churches who believe in Young Life’s mission and want to reach out to area teens.
All kids are welcome at Young Life. Young Life Montco is led by Area Director Jeff Pearson who is based in Fort Washington and can be reached @ 845-239-3528.