Ed Purgason said “yes” and was part of God’s movement in Africa. Every movement begins the same way — with a seed buried where no one sees it.  For Ed Purgason, one seed was his phone ringing in 1983: “Ed, this is Lou Mattia from The Church of the Apostles in Fairfax, Virginia. I’m calling…

Looking at the Last Supper, the cross, and the empty tomb to see what we might have missed. Easter doesn’t always get the same attention as Christmas — maybe because the Easter Bunny isn’t quite as cool as Santa, or because of how Christmas fits with other holidays, or let’s be honest: because Christmas has…

(Even when they push you away) For parents today, the greatest pressure isn’t necessarily the busyness, the endless practices, and appointments, but the vague and uneasy sense we could all be doing something more. After all, that’s what the influencers on social media are saying.  And, in our increasingly fragmented and digital society, our child’s…

Editor’s Note: This article speaks to the core of what makes a Young Life club truly successful. It’s a helpful inside look into our philosophy of people over program, and asking the questions about what ultimately matters in our relational ministry with adolescents. There’s a moment most leaders remember clearly. The room is full. The…

August 29, 1931 – December 19, 2025 By Jeff Chesemore, Kelianne Gros Louis, and Andrew Boyd For 94 years, Stan Voth lived in this world, but he was not of this world. His life represented a man who loved his Lord and Savior, and strove to know him intimately. In his last few remaining years,…

Young Life’s first club with kids with disabilities happened 40 years ago this month! Here’s the story of how the ministry began and many of the lessons the mission learned during the early years. Nick Palermo, front row, second from right, with his friends at Capernaum club in the fall of 1986. Who Are Those…

Any golf or tennis coach teaches the importance of follow-through in your swing; what you do after the ball is struck. Follow-through determines the trajectory of the ball and whether or not it lands in the desired location. Jesus stressed the importance of good follow-through at the end of the Sermon on the Mount when…

Young Life’s founder on making the gospel matter What follows is an excerpt from Jim Rayburn speaking at the Leadership Training Institute on August 27, 1950. Here he addresses young staff from Acts 17, where Paul addresses the Athenians about their “unknown god.” I wonder why it’s such a strange idea that we should be…

It’s a question you may be asking in your own life or that of your kids. It may be a quiet burn or an alarm you can’t seem to escape. The answers often aren’t as simple as we think. When you look back on your own life, the answer often changes from what? to who?…

I grew up not knowing Jesus. But through a beautiful and life-changing series of events, I came to know Jesus and found my heart for ministry with those with disabilities in my senior year of college.  When I started working with Young Life, I didn’t know the first thing about working alongside our friends with…

What Genesis teaches about dignity and agency. Creation Story The creation story flashes out of the first few chapters of the Bible, reframing for ancient minds how the earth was formed — not out of some battle between gods, but in a way that created structure and order in our world, and gave humans agency…

The weeks leading up to Easter offer a special opportunity to slow down, reflect, and draw closer to Jesus, especially in a noisy, fast world. For Young Life leaders, staff, and families across the community, Lent isn’t just about giving something up, it’s about leaning in. It’s a season to practice spiritual disciplines, wrestle with…