What is Young Life?

High School Campaigners

"What do you do?"

I get this question a lot. It is usually followed by, "What is Young Life?"

If you look at the mission statement of Young Life, "Introducing adolescents to Christ, and helping them grow in their faith," it seems pretty straight forward... Young Life seems to be like any other youth ministry. We are trying to share Jesus with kids, and help them develop and grow in relationship with him.

To a very large degree, this is correct. We are like most church youth groups. We try to develop an atmosphere that is attractive to kids, and will foster their growth in Jesus.

But, at the same time, we are different than most local church youth groups.

We primarily seek the lost sheep that don't seem to have a flock, or have wondered away from home. We are going after the kids that aren't going to one of the many amazing youth groups that are all over South Orange County.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells a few stories of lost things. He tells the story of a lost sheep, and then a story of a woman who lost a coin, followed by the story of a father who loses a son. In the first two stories, the shepherd and the woman drop everything they are doing and seek after what they have lost. Jesus says that the shepherd would leave 99 sheep to just find the one that got lost.

Young Life is this shepherd. We are a part of the arm of the Church that goes out from the pen in search of the lost sheep. We do not have a building, and when we go out doing Young Life, we are leaving the flock behind in search of sheep that have gotten lost, or even sheep that just never seem to have found home. We go to these sheep, meet them where they are, earn their trust by showing them that we like them just the way they are, and then begin to bring them home through a loving and caring relationship.

This takes a lot of time, and, often times, it doesn't look pretty, doesn't look flashy, and can be incredibly hard work. More times than not, it might not be much to look at, there might not be a huge crowd, flashy program, or loud music. Sometimes it might just look like someone surfing with someone else, or getting coffee, or going to a movie, or weird adults showing up at freshman games. It can be exhausting and can test the patience of even the best leaders... but just like in the stories Jesus told, when we get to bring one of these sheep home... ITS TIME TO PARTY!

So, what do I do in Young Life? I get to search for God's lost sheep, his kids that seem to have wondered away, and begin the journey back home with them... even if it takes years, and even when its costly.

Please email me if you would like to be a part of this search and rescue mission! We are currently looking for leaders for all our clubs. There are opportunities to work with middle school students, high school students, and special needs kids.

Marco WyldLife

Ladera WyldLife Bonfire

Ladera WyldLife

October in Young Life South County!

South County rolling hard at the all Orange County YL skate night!

October was a great month for South County Young Life!

We started with an all Orange County Skate Party, and ended with an epic Halloween club. 

Pie in the face trivia: USA vs Canada

We started having "normal" clubs this month and saw the group grow in size every week in October. We had 14 kids at our first club of the month, and had 25 at Halloween club. We have seen more kids from both Ladera Ranch, and San Juan come out, and we have kids from SJHHS, Tesoro, Dana Hills, SM, and J Serra coming on a regular basis.

Juan with a HUGE smile!

Clubs have been super fun. We typically have three games, a raffle, and a talk about Jesus.

It has been incredible to watch kids let go and have a blast doing everything from trying to smash balloons tied to their feet, to racing to see who can unravel two rolls of TP the fastest.

While these games get crazy, and it may seem chaotic, they have a purpose. Games show kids that we want them to have fun. They show kids that we care about them by showing we spent time trying to plan something they would enjoy. The crazier the game, often times, the more accepted kids feel, and the more they are ready to trust us.

Club can get a bit crazy at times!

Club is also a time to just be with our high school friends. We do a lot of hanging out in Young Life because we believe that one of the greatest gifts we have to give our young friends is our time. We come to club early and leave late, often giving kids rides home, or meeting with them after. When leaders spend time with kids, they let them know they are valuable. We let them know that we think they matter, and that we think they are worth spending time with.

Mummy wars at the Halloween Club.

The last thing we do at club is the talk. We have the opportunity to share about Jesus. This is, without a doubt, my favorite part of club.

This month I have gotten the privilege of giving the talks. I believe, with all my being, that Jesus loves every single kid that comes to Young Life. I believe he loves each of them, the way they are right now. I love getting to share with them stories from the Bible where Jesus loved people, and made things new, better, and more full.

Jesus brings life wherever he goes. Whatever he touches is made better, from turning water into wine, to making a crazy person sane, Jesus makes things better. He has the unique ability to fully restore anything to the way it was created to be. He does this with us as well. Jesus doesn't wait for us to clean ourselves up, or get our act together, or do something good before he loves us. Jesus loves us the way we are. He loves the people others don't love, and he loves the people others have forgotten. This is incredibly life giving to our high school friends. To know that God loves them regardless of the way they act, or how they feel about him. Realizing this brings freedom, the freedom to love, and the freedom from shame.

Luke sharing the Good News of Jesus' love.

Young Life is about helping kids meet Jesus and then growing their relationship with him... but first we just seek to show kids we care about them, and then, because Jesus did this for us, we love them no matter what.

Halloween Club was a blast.

First Young Life club of the year!

Getting ready for the first club of the year!

Last night was the first high school Young Life club of the year! We had around 40 kids from 4 different high schools come out ready to have a great time. While the leaders and I were excited, we had no idea of how many kids to expect. I was hoping for enough to make things exciting, but did not expect anything like what we had!

Shaving cream baseball... it might have gotten a little messy.

The night started with everyone hanging out around the fire as kids showed up. One of the highlights for me was watching the returning kids from last year come. They were so excited to see Josh and Micah. It was evident how deeply Josh and Micah cared for these kids last year. I pray that as we move into this year, and possibly some growth in numbers, the relational aspect continues in this same way. The foundation that Josh and Micah laid last year is great!

 

MVP pitcher, Jack Benjamin, and Sam... like I said, it got messy!

Once everyone seemed to have arrived, we played a game. Shaving cream baseball. Its basically a game of whiffle ball, but the ball is filled with shaving cream. It was awesome watching the ball explode every time it was hit, and Jack Benjamin was hilarious to watch as a pitcher. As the game came to a close we switched the ball out for water balloons filled with shaving cream and let kids take turns hitting them with the bats... and then it just turned into a bit of a shaving cream war... nothing says Young Life like people getting covered in shaving cream!

Now that's a fire!

Once the mayhem died down we had s'mores and hung out around the fire. We have a few new leaders, and then a couple leaders, myself included, who came up from WyldLife this year. It was great getting to see leaders and kids begin new relationships, and watching the new leaders jump right in with kids.

Some of the freshman kids looked a bit in shock. I don't know if they knew what they were getting into, but as they were leaving they said they couldn't wait for next week, and were excited to bring more of their friends.

Like we always say, Young Life is about relationships. It starts with leaders building relationships with kids, and then those leaders hopefully get to help kids begin and build their relationship with Jesus. Nights like these are all about making opportunities for leaders and kids to get to know each other. A relationship with my Young Life leader forever changed my life, and I pray that some of the relationships started last night will change some of the kids lives in a similar way!

At the end of the night I introduced all the leaders to the kids, and let them know what to expect for the rest of the year. We will be having club every Friday night. All the leaders shared how they are involved with Young Life because they want kids to see that Jesus loves them just the way they are. I got to share how we do this because we believe, with all our hearts, that Jesus came to give us life to the full. I also told them that we want them to come and feel like they belong even if they don't agree with us about Jesus. Young Life is for every kid, everywhere, for eternity. We will always seek to be a part of these kids' lives, even if they never want anything to do with Jesus.

Next week is the all Orange County Young Life roller skating party! Its going to be a great time for sure!

So much fun! Can't wait for the rest of the year!

WyldLife Eats the Menu!!

Matt and Charlie with each teams menu!

Fridays are for WyldLife in Ladera Ranch!

 

We had our first Friday night Club last night. The game we played was called Eat the Menu! It has become the annual kick-off event for Ladera Ranch WyldLife club.

 

Last night over 40 kids came to McDonalds ready eat some really delicious and healthy food (there may be a bit of sarcasm there)! We split up into three teams and ordered $250 worth of food. Each team had to race through the food and the team that finished first won.

 

While this event may seem crazy (it is) and it may be hard to understand the reasoning behind doing something like this, it goes a long way in helping us leaders earn the right to be heard. Having these events where kids are encouraged to do something way out of the norm, but still super fun, helps them to realize that we want them to have fun, be crazy kids, and be themselves. As they begin to see that we aren't trying to change them, and that we genuinely want to be their friends, they begin to trust us. As this happens we get to share Jesus' love with them... and they listen because they know we care about them, and we have earned the right.

 

The beauty of Young Life and WyldLife is relationship. Leaders build real friendships with kids and then enter into their lives in order to support, encourage, and love. When kids give us permission, we are quick to help direct kids towards better life decisions, build habits that will help them in the future, and introduce them to Jesus, helping them learn what it is like to have a real growing relationship with him.

 

So, while things like Eat the Menu may seem a bit strange... there are some deeper things happening amidst the chaos.

Team Turkey Sandwich getting crazy!

The desert queens doing work on the sweets!

Chomp chomp chomp...

When WyldLife takes over McDonalds!



The MVP of the night... you don't want to know how much her ate.

Pray With Us

Best Laid Plans

Plans often fall apart at the last minute.  In fact, most of my life has consisted of well laid strategies that survive only until the first hurdle, where they all go to pieces.  Working with high school students is a similar process of continuous ideas turned into programs which have to be adjusted constantly for the simple reality that teenagers are never consistent.  Small games get thrown out when twenty extra kids show up.  Large games are downsized when a single dramatic event at school causes everyone to stay home ‘sick’.  

On club night, we had well planned games, a meticulous order of events, and a prepared 10 minute talk on Jesus.  And yet, when the start time came and went, we had only a handful of students to show for it.  We tried to come up with an eleventh hour plan and came away with only one thought...we were all truly craving some slurpees.  So, without much thought, we announced that we would be going to get some delicious icy treats.  Almost on queue, car after car of students arrived  - twenty minutes late, of course.  Yet, everyone was so excited about slurpees that we had no choice but to push forward with our new adventure.  

Unfortunately, our first gas station choice had a machine that was out of commission, so it was with mere minutes left of club that we swung by 7-11, grabbed our delicious reward, and snapped a picture.  After that, it was over.  All of our planning had turned into a hide-and-seek game for a simple cup of flavoured ice.  And yet, the students had fun, we got to still talk about life in our car rides, and everyone had a great time.  After all, isn’t this what friends are for?  Spending time together and letting them know that we don’t just like them, but we love them.  

Move Me Like the Ocean- Kyle Reynolds

Kyle Reynolds is one of our awesome Wyldlife leaders. 

He is also a very talented musician. 

Kyle is leaving this next year to work on music full-time. 

Kyle recently wrote a song that was inspired by his Young Life story. 

I asked him to write up an explanation on how the song came about. Below is his response.....

"Young Life has been apart of my life ever since I can remember and I've recently been fortunate enough to start leading music at Young Life camps. After seeing so many kids lives changed last year while playing music at Oakbridge, whether it was during "Say So" or just talking to kids throughout the week and seeing the Lord totally change their hearts, I was inspired to write this song. This song is about the kid  who is sitting in the back of the club room. This song is about me, you, and the person who has decided to go all in regardless of what is ahead and what they've been through. I hope this song can be sung and listened to as a prayer asking God to move us like the ocean. I want to step out of my comfort zone and allow God to fill me up with His strength and courage; and not rely on my own. In the chorus it says Move Me Like the Ocean, Move Me Like the Ocean, I still have my doubts, but it's time to step out in the ocean. I think this is something we can wake up every morning and ask the Lord. Everyday we have the choice to step out in the ocean, the unknown, and trust the Lord. All we have to do is say yes."

The lyrics to the song are below along with a link to his iTunes account. 

This month proceeds from the song will go back to Young Life. So take a moment and check out Kyle.

MOVE ME LIKE THE OCEAN

I know there’s  more to this at least that’s what I’ve been told

I feel alone and I’m so sick of it I need a place to call home

Can we forgive our past, lets go and not look back

move me like the ocean

Ocean

without a doubt you’re pulling me out of the ocean

Clouded by racing thoughts, I feel so far away

Told myself I’m doing fine, but was that just another lie to say

Can we forgive our past, lets go and not look back

move me like the ocean

Ocean

without a doubt you’re pulling me out of the ocean

move me like the ocean

Ocean

without a doubt you’re pulling me out of the ocean

Move Me Like the Ocean

-Dave

High Rollers- American Idol Club

The last Wednesday in March has been known as our American Idol club for quite some time now. Each year our friends with special needs get to perform their favorite song for their friends and family. Each year this event is amazing! Our friends have an absolute ball and enjoy every moment of it. Here are a couple pics to give you an idea of the fun.

-Dave

Ladera Ranch WyldLife: The Bonfire

Bryce and Riley showing Jackson and Matthew how to roast a hot dog!

Last night we had a bonfire to end all bonfires! Matthew Patrella came with a truck full of wood, and so many more kids came than I was expecting. It was a blast!

Always a good time hanging by a fire.

We started the evening just hanging on the beach. Some kids played whiffle ball, while another group started a football game, and still another group decided to go for a swim. Everywhere I looked kids were having fun with leaders. It was awesome.

Is there a better way to spend an evening?

After a while we started roasting hot dogs over the fire. Sometimes an open fire roasted hot dog just hits the spot, and Paden and Reese both agreed with me. I think Paden ate 5 and Reese had about 6. All the kids had fun making their hot dogs, and luckily, even though I was expecting 30 kids max, I bought enough for 50.

Ben, Jake, Henry, and Andrew decided to take a dip! Not too cold for them!

After the dogs we moved to s'mores. I love watching people gather around a fire, and so often really good conversations can happen as everyone is roasting marshmallows over a fire.

Drying off by the fire.

We ended the night playing a game called "cross the river." Its a super simple game but the kids love it, and it gives us leaders a chance to get to know them more.

Paden became a pro at roasting dogs!

Overall the night was a success. Sometimes all kids need is an evening where they get to be kids. It can be easy for me to think that I need to be talking about Jesus at everything we do, but I was reminded last night that pointing kids to Jesus involves much more than just talking about him. Hanging out with kids, getting to know them, letting them get to know you, and being with them even when things get kinda crazy points them to Jesus without using words. When we do that, we are acting like Jesus. He wants to be with us, he wants us to be with him, and he always stays close even when we go totally crazy… even when we make the worst decisions or completely ignore him. Showing kids Jesus' love is so much more than just talking about it.

That's why we do things like having bonfires, and letting kids run around like crazy middle schoolers on the beach!

The girls had a blast too… and that sunset was amazing!

Capernaum Loving Big Air

This month the High Rollers club enjoys March Madness as much as the next person. Although Capernaum does it a little different. This year our March Madness is trying out a few new things.

Week 1: Movie Night
Week 2: Big Air Trampoline Park
Week 3: Eating Dinner Together @ Bravo Burger
Week 4: American Idol Club

Below are some of the highlights from Big Air. For those who don't know what Big Air is, it's an indoor trampoline park that has many different things you can do (as seen below). The best thing I think was the giant dodgeball game we had to end the night. It was so great that everyone was playing and there was no time for pics, ha.

It was a super fun night that we will have to repeat again soon!!!

-Dave

Marco Club craziness

We had an awesome time last week at club. Filled with lots of funny games Like seeing who can drink the Coke the fastest through a giant straw working as a team it was hilarious, high-fives,and the word being brought by one of our leaders Kelly Martnick. Kelly spoke about his Zacheus and how God wants to be in each one of our lives no matter who we are or what we've done. It has been really fun having a bunch of new kids coming to check out what a wyldlife is all about and to see how much fun they're having and the connections that are growing with their leaders and their understanding of who Jesus Christ is and what he's done for them in their lives.

Ladera WyldLife: The Scavenger Hunt

This last Sunday we had a scavenger hunt all over Ladera Ranch. It was super fun and kids had to do all sorts of funny things. Some of the highlights were Shane Roberson doing a belly flop in the pool at  Avondale, Ben and Marlee conducting an aerobics class in a tanning salon, and Ethan, Matthew, Henry, Andrew, Tyler, and Jay acting out an earthquake in McDonalds! 

The night was a blast and the kids and leaders had a ton of fun being silly together and making memories!

Whole team on a slide: 100 points!

Whole team in a tree: 100 points!

Pyramid: 100 points!

Everyone jumping: 100 points!

Everyone on a school table: 100 points!

Honestly, not sure what this one was… 100 points!

Leap frog with whole team: 100 points!

Everyone in a boat: 200 points!

Picture with a firman next to a firetruck: 300 points!

Act out a disney scene in front of strangers: 300 points!

Shake hands with a man with a beard: 200 points!

Wash a stranger's dishes: 300 points!

Pizza party after!

So much fun!