“No one has ever cheered like this for RJ his entire life.” Kids long to be known. Kids long to be loved. Kids even long to be celebrated. When they sense they’re important – that they matter to those around them – they feel safe. And when they feel safe, they’re more likely to open…

Stress is unfortunately a normal and inevitable part of adolescence, but it might just be the worst it’s ever been for Generation Z. In The RELATE Project, we have found about a third of teens and young adults, particularly in the U.S. and the U.K., experience high levels of stress. This statistic is unsurprising considering…

Rediscovering our true identity as God’s children so we can guide our own Becoming a parent alters our identity. None of us come out the other side the same. You think of yourself differently, others see you differently — you have gained a new title. For some of us, our names seem to be erased…

Let’s face it, a lack of leaders is demoralizing. How many times have you thought, if we only had more leaders we could … Reach more kids at this school. Start a team to go to another school. Begin a new ministry like WyldLife. Or Capernaum. Or YoungLives. Or Young Life College. Or Young Life…

In his song, “Gather,” on the album of the same name, singer/songwriter and Young Life alum, Christopher Williams sings, To be known, to feel safe / To be honest and unafraid / To leave the past, run into hope / To find together we are not alone / I need you / You need me…

Life happens at the table. Eating a meal with others—whether elaborate or simple, fancy or ordinary—is one of the most human things we can do. Sharing a meal with a young person is one of the most Christ-like things we can do. So many beautiful moments in Jesus’ life happened at a table. He was,…

New ways to engage and reflect on God’s Word One of the most important ways we help others become more like Jesus is by introducing them to biblical truth and nurturing a hunger and love for God’s Word in their hearts and minds. As is often the case, step one is nurturing these things in…

Reflections on Young Life’s mini podcast, Words & Ways, Episode 19: Jesus and the Branches I recently listened to Young Life’s Words & Ways podcast, in an episode on John 15 where Jesus describes himself as a vine and his followers as branches. While I was already very familiar with this passage, the podcast revealed…

Mentoring opportunities are on the rise — with more and more people seeking a mentor who can not just help them succeed in the workplace, but live a better life. Mentors have “gone before” — and the right one has the wisdom and experience that can save you time, headaches, energy, and effort.  But how…

For years, deafness has been labeled a disability. But what if we shifted our perspective and saw it as a language barrier instead? This mindset is transforming lives in San Antonio, Texas, where Deaf Young Life has been thriving since the 1990s. A SEED PLANTED Emma Faye Rudkin lost her hearing at the age of…

“Someone has to tell the grown-ups what’s happening to us.” This was the plea of a high school sophomore who shared with me as we walked down a pathway at Washington Family Ranch – Canyon, a Young Life camp in Eastern Oregon. Someone has to tell the grown-ups what’s happening to us. Adolescents feeling misunderstood…

We asked Dr. Dale Bruner, “What passage of Scripture could you study for the rest of your life?” He answered with his “Mount Everest” of Scripture by diving into the meaning of Isaiah 53 — and you can do the same! THE MOUNT EVEREST OF SCRIPTURE Dale Brunner, theologian, author, Bible teacher, and longtime friend…