FAITH &Fellowship

With Dr. Whitney Mascorro, Young Life Parent

The mantra of young life is simple. Go to the teens - where they are - and teach them about Jesus. It is a very simple concept. And yet - not so simple to implement. You seeteens are busy. They run in cliques. They are always looking at their phones. They are smarter than all of us. And they certainly don’t want to be around adults!

But at the same time - teens are lost. They are lonely. They are confused. And they are bullied. All while trying to develop self-esteem. Their relationships are superficial, and often they have nowhere to turn.

Young Life’s mission is vital. These are the most transformative years. These are the years that teens will turn towards or turn away from Christianity. They are so vulnerable yet so inquisitive at this age, searching for the truth. But without personal relationships, they will often not find it.

adults who come into their territory and just be with them. And that’s not an easy job. Our young life leader, David Bartel, is like a missionary. I can’t imagine it’s easy to walk into a room filled with teenagers and just sit with them. But over time, they trust him. And with that trust and that bond, they start to be intrigued about this Savior he keeps speaking about. He is the hands and the feet of Jesus to them. And they get it.

You want to know the best part? Young Life does not discriminate between the kids whose parents go to church, the kids who have money or play sports or make good grades or make the best choices. It is a mission to reach all kids. Right where they are. And reaching all kids is constantly at the forefront of conversations.

Young life is a mission devoted to teaching teens about Jesus. Across the country, actually across the world, it achieves this mission using the same basic principles. Show up. Go where the kids are. Build relationships. Create fun experiences (like camp or clubs). Introduce the Gospel. Do this while working alongside the community to reach as many kids as possible. Then help these kids find a church that will help support them during their walk with Christ.

And you know what? It works. Time and time again. It saves lives. It transforms teens.

Turns out kids enjoy adults that are interested in them. They like adults that are there for them and listen to them. They like

Thanks to a handful of leaders in Jim Ned, Young Life was brought to our own community. It means so much to have a steady all-in leader and volunteers right here in Jim Ned. Now weekly clubs (games and worship) and Bible studies happen right here in our neighborhood. We send our own group to camps and host our own community events. Our Young Life committee is made up of people with our own small town needs in mind. And it allows our community to buy in - through hosting, donating and praying for this organization and the kids it serves. I may be biased because I have teenagers, but I think Young Life is the single most important organization. When you are a parent, the most important thing to you is knowing your kid has a relationship with God. Period. That’s all that really matters. And at Young Life Jim Ned - we want that for all parents and all kids.

Young Life Jim Ned cannot survive without community support. If you are interested in learning more about this organization, please find us on instagram, facebook, jimnedvalley.younglife.org, or email at jimnedyounglife@gmail.com.