Young Life is
not a program. Young Life starts when adults are concerned
enough about kids to go to them,
on their turf and in their world. When they get there, authentic
friendships are formed. These relationships don’t happen overnight — they take
time, patience, trust and consistency.
So, Young Life leaders log many
hours with kids around the world. Leaders attend football practices in the
Minneapolis suburbs, mingle with teenagers at a mall in Stockholm and play
pick-up soccer with former child-soldiers in Liberia.
Leaders listen and learn what’s important to kids - joys,
triumphs, heartaches and setbacks.
Young Life hinges on the power of presence. Kids’ lives are
dramatically impacted when caring adults come alongside them, sharing God’s
love with them. Because their leader believes in them, they begin to see that their lives have great worth, meaning and purpose.
Everyone is welcome in Young Life! Our programs are custom-made for kids throughout their adolescent years.
- Young Life is the name of our organization and is also the term we use for our clubs with high school students.
- We call our middle school clubs WyldLife.
- The initiative for college and university students is called Young Life College.
- Young Life’s multicultural ministry, focuses on kids in diverse cultural communities and those in economically disadvantaged communities.
- We refer to our ministry to kids with disabilities as Capernaum
- YoungLives is our ministry to teen moms.
- In partnership with Military Community Youth Ministries, Young Life reaches military teens through Club Beyond.
- The Small Towns initiative brings Young Life to communities of fewer than 25,000 people.
A Time- Tested Approach: "The 5 C's" 
Young Life began with a few simple ideas about sharing
the truth of God’s love with adolescents. Those simple ideas have become
time-tested methods for reaching out to middle school, high school and college
students in friendship and hope.
Caring for Kids // Contact Work
Because kids don’t care how much you know till they know how
much you care, Young Life leaders show they care by going where kids are,
meeting them as they are, believing in who they can be. Within Young Life we
call the persistent going out into the world of kids “contact work.” (But kids
just call it friendship.)
A Party with a Purpose //
Club
What is it about Young Life club that makes it the best night of
the week for thousands of kids every week? We like to think of it as a party
with a purpose. It’s controlled chaos that’s almost impossible to describe, but
kids know it when they see it. And before the party ends, we share a simple
message about God’s love for them. After all, that’s what the celebration is
all about.
The Best Week of Their
Life // Camp
Kids consistently tell us that Young Life camp is the best week
of their life. That’s a rousing (and unsolicited) endorsement! But how else
would you describe a week where deep relationships are forged in the midst of
mind-boggling fun and where you experience and listen to what we believe is the
greatest love story ever told?
A Time to Question, Learn
and Grow // Campaigners
Campaigners is a weekly gathering for kids who wish to learn
more or grow in their faith through study, service and leadership. We invite
kids to actively follow Jesus Christ — and we’re with them for the long haul to
help them take those steps of faith with unconditional love. Along the way, we
encourage kids to celebrate their faith through participation in a local
congregation.
Adults Who Care // Committee
Young Life is making a difference in the lives of kids around
the world because we are supported by adults who care about kids in their
community. For every talented Young Life staff person there is a team of
dedicated leaders who works directly with kids. In each community, the local
“committee,” comprised of parents, Young Life alumni and civic leaders,
provides a foundation of financial, administrative and moral support for the
local Young Life team.