Relationships Fall 2019

Remembering presidents Bill Starr and Denny Rydberg » 2

Faces of the Ukraine » 11

Excelling as a Capernaum leader and Special Olympian! » 15

Fall 2019 | Vol. 33 Issue 2

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CONTENTS | FALL 2019

13 A LONG, BOLD MISSION 3 SHINING STARR 5 A RACE WELL RUN OF THE 11 FACES UKRAINE

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 2 9 10 22

From the President Young Life Lite In It With Kids Young Life Spoken Here

ABOUT THE COVER

A LEADER OF ALL ABILITIES

In Young Life, we don’t send kids to camp; we go with them! Leaders who spend all year caring for kids back home take these friends to camp and share the amazing experience with them. Here’s Jerry, on Young Life staff in Puerto Rico, and his friend, 14-year-old Marcelo, during their week at Saranac Village in Upstate New York. Their smiles say it all.

15 17 CONVERGENCE AND 19 EMPOWERED EMPOWERING

Photo courtesy of Gerardo “Jerry” Guerra.

is a publication of Young Life, a mission devoted to introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.

Relationships magazine is published three times a year (spring, fall and winter) by Young Life.

Publisher/President

Designers

Newt Crenshaw Terry Swenson

Joshua Chan Liz Knepper Autumn Komzik Diné Wiedey

Senior Editor

Art Director

Executive Editor

Jeff Chesemore

Isaac Watkins

Coordinator

App Developer

Donna McKenzie

Copy Editor If you’re receiving duplicate copies or would like to switch over to the electronic version, please contact the Young Life Mission Assistance team at 877-438-9572. We can also help you with a change of address or giving information.

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Jessica Williams

Contributing Photographers Eva McGuire Jeff McWhorter

Joann Oh

Young Life is a Charter Member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

younglife.org P.O. Box 520 Colorado Springs CO 80901 Support Young Life at giving.younglife.org/kids

FROM THE PRESIDENT

HEAVEN'S GAIN The spring of 2019 has been one of significant loss for the ministry of Young Life.

On March 31, we lost our second president, Bill Starr, at the age of 93.

On May 16, we lost our fifth president, Denny Rydberg, at the age of 74.

Our earthly loss has been heaven’s gain. Bill and Denny were gifts from God to the mission of Young Life, and are now in the presence of our Lord Jesus. Before Bill’s passing, we had only said goodbye to one of our former presidents — our founder, Jim Rayburn — and that was nearly 50 years ago.

What a gift it was to be with all the living presidents at our board of trustees meeting in the fall of 2017.

Young Life presidents in 2017. From left to right: Bill Starr, Ted Johnson, Bob Mitchell, Denny Rydberg, Hal Merwald, Newt Crenshaw and Doug Burleigh.

I am deeply grateful to the Lord for these two wonderful leaders who served our mission so well. Paul tells us in Romans 13:1,4 that “there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God … (as) God’s servant(s) for your good” (ESV).

Both Bill and Denny worked with all of their hearts, “as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” They now, with great assurance, have received “an inheritance from the Lord as a reward” (Colossians 3:23–24, NIV).

It is my prayer that every staff person, every leader, every committee member, every friend

and servant of God in Young Life, will look at their lives and draw encouragement and inspiration to fight the good fight and keep the faith.

In the past weeks, I have had a strong sense that both Bill and Denny have been able to say to the Father, just like Jesus did while He was among us: “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do” (John 17:4, ESV).

As I am sure Bill and Denny would have wanted, let’s be full of faith and courage as we seek to “reach and teach” all kinds of young people in communities around the world. What a privilege it is to walk in their large footsteps.

What a privilege it is to serve our good and gracious Lord in the mission of Young Life!

I will close with this quote I recently read from Reinhold Niebuhr — theologian and ethicist from the middle of last century — which should cause us all to stay connected to our shared past, and with an eye to our collective future: “Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of history; therefore we must be saved by faith.

Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love.”

Newt Crenshaw Young Life President Our tributes to Bill and Denny follow ...

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Shining

Starr

Bob Mitchell, Tom Raley, Bill Starr and Tom Bade at Malibu Club — 1953.

Celebrating the historic tenure of the mission’s second president.

By Jeff Chesemore

In late March, Young Life said goodbye to Bill Starr (January 26, 1926 – March 31, 2019), a humble leader with an uncompromising heart for Jesus and kids. Among his many achievements, Bill came up with the idea of the local area committee, a godsend to every staff person and volunteer leader. He also helped with the transition of Young Life going from a first-generation to second-generation mission. Finally, he will be most remembered as the man who guided the mission through the racial unrest of the 1960s, a time that threatened to tear Young Life apart.

From Commissioned Officer to Committee Architect

Bill Starr joined the Navy in 1943, served in World War II and became the youngest commissioned officer in the U.S. Armed Forces. When the war ended, he enrolled at Wheaton College, during which time he met two people who would change the course of his life: Ruth Glittenberg and Jim Rayburn. The former eventually became Mrs. Bill Starr. The latter became his boss.

Bill’s introduction to Young Life came during a leadership meeting at Wheaton; he began leading at a local high school there, and came on staff in Portland, Oregon, in 1949.

There he devised the plan to have local adults support the work in their own areas. He recruited eight couples from eight local churches to form the first Young Life committee. The idea quickly took off across the nation. This not only gave more ownership to local areas, but also eventually freed up Rayburn from trying to raise the mission’s entire budget.

Our Joshua

From 1956 through 1964, Bill served as the Midwestern regional director over 10 states. The position helped prepare him for his most prominent (and challenging) role: president of Young Life. The moment was captured in Made for This: The Young Life Story: To follow a charismatic leader is one challenge. To follow the founder of the mission and the only “boss” the staff had ever known, was quite another.

Bill Starr knew this. “Of course, it’s daunting, following a man like Jim Rayburn. Here’s a man who I had the utmost admiration for; he was like a father to me. In that sense, it was a very daunting and awesome responsibility.”

But, like Joshua before him, Bill followed the Moses-sized footprints of Rayburn with a firm belief that it was God who had placed him in this position.

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Bill, a World War II veteran who had served on Young Life staff for fifteen years, was only thirty-eight when the board of directors asked him to assume the role of associate executive director and general manager of Young Life.

The age factor did not deter him, though. “Leadership was natural to me. God had, for some reason, put that gift in my life; because it was natural, it seemed to me ‘if that’s what God wanted, then that’s right.’”

Along with all the cultural pressures the mission was addressing at the national and local levels, Bill also faced the much-needed task of steering and stabilizing the mission. In 1964, the mission had outgrown the structure that had been in effect since 1941.

Bill and the board set about to transform Young Life from a pioneering model, based on one man’s vision of management, to a corporate one, a challenging transition to say the least. The new president understood the growing pains that might ensue. “I think there’s a constant tension—in the ‘freewheeling, allow the spirit of God to direct’ (whatever that looks like), over against ‘how do we organize for mission effectiveness?’”

Bill brought a new degree of organization and professionalism to the work. From these efforts he also helped start the benefits and retirement program that blessed thousands of staff over the years.

One Gospel, One Mission

During his 13-year presidency, Bill’s greatest achievement was navigating Young Life through the ’60s and ’70s, sticking to his firmly held conviction, no matter the amount of opposition, that the mission must include both suburban and urban ministry.

“There was a push by many in the mission to make urban and suburban two separate organizations,” Bill said. “They thought, ‘Well, God taught us how to work with middle-class kids. Why not just do that — we know how to do that.’ That to me was a denial of the gospel; the oneness of Christ’s body. How could we talk about the gospel and talk separation like this? To me it was incompatible theologically.

We had to fight to keep it all together; it was not right to separate it. America was becoming more pluralistic all the time. It’s one mission.

It’s one gospel.”

Under Bill’s direction, Young Life’s leadership discussed this theme in the July 1968 edition of Focus on Youth. No Young Life publication, before or since, has received the response this issue did. Years later, Bill reflected on the era:

Bill Starr served as president from 1964 to 1977.

“Dr. Martin Luther King appeared on the American scene in a big way in the ’60s, preaching about the sin of racism. Many white churches and leaders from all walks of life joined in to be a part of the marches and demonstrations led by Dr. King and other black leaders. Many Christian organizations were shamefully quiet. Young Life was working in a number of urban areas out east with some very outstanding black leaders. We decided it was past time to declare our position. Young Life had needed a vehicle to express our convictions on a number of issues, so we developed a magazine called Focus on Youth. A group of us gathered in Colorado Springs to put together a focus issue on our support of the Civil Rights Movement. We titled this issue, ‘I’m Not a Problem, I’m a Man.’ It created quite a stir — eight Young Life areas closed and let their staff go.

We, at the same time, grew 12 new areas and raised thousands more dollars. It was another learning experience. If we do what our Lord asks us to do, He blesses us way beyond what we might expect Him to do! From that experience, we were able to add another whole division — Urban Ministries.”

Final Years and Legacy

After serving as president, Bill moved into other presidential positions: overseeing the Young Life Foundation, and then outside the mission in various non-profit organizations.

Bob Reeverts, 44-year staff veteran, recognized Bill’s giftedness as a spiritual leader: “You had a natural respect for Bill. For many of us younger people coming up at that time, Bill could articulate the compassion of Christ in a new and different dimension than Jim had communicated, and that impacted our lives so much. He was another one in Young Life, who through his articulation of the gospel, enlarged the mission’s understanding of our Lord.”

Ruth preceded Bill in death in 1995, after 46 years of marriage. Four years later, he married Deanna Sylte-Lucas, one of the original Sylte Sisters, a musical group from the 1950s who often played at Young Life camps.

Bill Starr was, above all, a man who loved Jesus and wanted kids everywhere to know and love Him too.

Focus on Youth magazine, July 1968 — a defining moment in the mission’s history.

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A RACE

WELL RUN

How God used this servant leader to take Christ’s love to every kid, everywhere, for eternity.

By Terry Swenson

Denny and Marilyn Rydberg

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On May 16, Denny Rydberg lost his battle with cancer and, to use a favorite phrase of his, “was graduated to glory.” It was the end of a journey he and his wife, Marilyn, had traveled in relative privacy for a little over a year, supported by the fervent prayers of family and friends. Now, the mission he led for more than 23 years grieves a stunning loss, recounts the impact of a remarkable man and draws on the faith for which he was a steadfast champion.

A Mission Remembers

Into the vacuum created by Denny’s passing came stories — accounts not so much of his accomplishments or impact, but of his faithfulness in prayer and love for those with whom he served. In opening remarks at his memorial service at Seattle’s University Presbyterian Church (UPC), Young Life trustee Susan Hutchison said: “We are fond of saying in Young Life that ‘some people are Jesus with skin on.’ And that was certainly Denny. He had an extraordinary capacity to love us. His ability to keep track of us and our families was due to his amazing memory and big heart.”

In gatherings to reflect and remember Denny, in social media posts and doubtless in private conversations, we shared stories of a phone call or email from Denny simply saying, “Mar and I prayed for you today,” or, “This is the day each week when we pray for you and your family.”

A Pastoral Leader

Before Denny joined Young Life as the mission’s fifth president, he and Marilyn led The Inn, a robust ministry to young adults at UPC. One of thousands impacted by that ministry, Mike Gaffney, Young Life’s senior vice president for the Asia/Pacific Division, spoke about Denny as a pastor: “He always had a hand on your back — affirming who you were but also gently encouraging you to take the next step in life and leadership. As I look back I realize what a profound role he had in shaping who I have become, as a husband, father and leader.”

Bringing this pastoral heart to his role with Young Life, Denny was an encourager first. But he was also a visionary leader. When asked whether his priority for Young Life was excellence in ministry or growth, he responded, “I’m into both.” Indeed he set a high bar for everything that happened in the mission, from excellence in camping to effective local ministry. He also brought focus to a mission in need of strong leadership.

A Unifying Force

The following excerpts from Made for This: The Young Life Story detail the early days and what Denny faced entering the mission: On April 23, 1993, the Board of Trustees unanimously approved the appointment of the mission’s fifth president: Dennis I. Rydberg.

Although Denny Rydberg was an unknown to the majority of staff and volunteers within the mission, the forty-eight-year-old from Washington state had quite the résumé: youth director at First Presbyterian in Tacoma, the director of Christian education at First Presbyterian in San Diego, one of the founders and vice presidents of Youth Specialties, director of operations for Inspirational Films, the editor of the Christian humor magazine, The Wittenburg Door, speaker, consultant, author of ten books, and then finally director of university ministries, a position he shared with his wife, Marilyn, at University Presbyterian Church in Seattle.

Prior to this position, Marilyn had also served as the national women’s coordinator for Campus Crusade, spoken on more than one hundred college campuses and put Campus Crusade’s training together. The Rydbergs knew ministry, but could Denny Rydberg be expected to lead a mission of men and women, so unfamiliar with him, and he with them? Could this man, or any outsider for that matter, grasp the Young Life culture?

“Denny had to face an awful lot of people who didn’t believe an outsider could come in and run Young Life, and if he did, for sure he would ruin it and it would become just a big church youth group,” Greg Kinberg, Young Life’s chief operating officer, explained. “He quickly startled them. He really did have a fix on contact work, relating to kids who don’t know Christ, winning the right to be heard, building bridges of friendship. In that sense he was a real gift.”

Continued on page 7

Denny Rydberg with kids in California, 2011.

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Continued from page 6 In his memorial comments, John Vicary, executive vice president of U.S. ministries, spoke of Denny’s unifying hand on a mission in need of strong leadership: “He brought us back to the vision God had always had for us. When Denny became president 26 years ago, we were not a unified mission. We were divided by theologies and personalities and Denny came and quickly called us to a vision so much bigger than ourselves ... Every kid, Everywhere, for Eternity and we couldn’t argue. We had to set aside our petty differences and join him in the calling God had always had for this mission.”

An Unfolding Legacy

The fruit of that single-minded focus on introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith has been abundant: during Denny’s tenure (1993–2016) Young Life’s global presence expanded from 25 to 101 countries; the staff grew from 1,700 to 4,900; the number of camps increased from 16 to 30. Furthermore, over that time many faithful and new supporters responded to Denny’s

vision, fueling a growth in contributions from $35.1 million to $251.4 million.

Lacking the perspective of time, the full impact of Denny Rydberg’s leadership of Young Life is difficult to measure. The numbers above and the accomplishments listed on the opposite page speak volumes, of course. They do not do justice, however, to the individual lives changed under his leadership. In the last months of his presidency, Denny received the following email from a high school junior.

“Dear Mr. Rydberg, Before a couple days ago, I’ll admit I didn’t know Young Life even had a president, much less who you were. My Young Life leaders have told me about you, and how you’ll be retiring this year. I’m one of the millions and something kids who’ve been reborn since you took office.

Like any broken thing though, it still has cracks when it’s fixed, and I struggle with stress and fighting off depression every day. But it’s because of Jonathan and my other leaders that I’m fixed at all. I tell you this because without everything you did in your years as president

In July 2014, Denny joined hundreds of Africans and Americans who walked nearly 1,400 kilometers across Tanzania, praying for God to break chains, release His presence and power, raise up leaders and open doors for ministry.

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SOME MILESTONES FROM A 23-YEAR PRESIDENCY MISSIONWIDE MINISTRIES AND INITIATIVES BEGUN • Recruiting, Training and Deploying (RTD) • Small Towns/Rural ministry officially begins • WyldLife and Young Life College became official, missionwide “lifestage” ministries • Teacher Staff Initiative • Latino Student Staff Initiative • Reaching a World of Kids (RWOK) • Developing Global Leaders • Office of Alumni and Friends • Campership Legacy Fund • Women’s Leadership Network CAMPS ACQUIRED/BUILT • • • • Deanna (Sylte) Starr and Bill Starr with Denny Rydberg, Young Life All Staff Conference 2008.

to expand Young Life, there would be no Young Life here, no Jonathan the Young Life leader, and no renewed me. It’s because of my leaders and you that my future looks bright, and I want to thank you.”

Thank You, Denny

As the longest serving president, Denny Rydberg left this mission better than he found it — he was indeed the leader Young Life needed “for such a time as this.”

We continue to pray for Marilyn, the entire family and the many around the world who had the pleasure of knowing Denny Rydberg.

Crooked Creek Ranch (Colorado) Lost Canyon (Arizona) SharpTop Cove (Georgia) Washington Family Ranch – Canyon (Oregon) • Pico Escondido (Dominican Republic) • Timber Wolf Lake (Michigan) • Clearwater Cove (Missouri) • Carolina Point (North Carolina)

• Washington Family Ranch – Creekside (Oregon) • Cairn Brae (Scotland) • Pioneer (Armenia) • Wild Ridge property (West Virginia) • Tudor Farms (Maryland) • Haiti (Haiti)

Any milestone reached was not based on me. It was because of the grace and favor of the Lord leading a team of thousands of people — staff, volunteer leaders, donors, committee people, students.”

— Denny Rydberg 8

YOUNG LIFE LITE

By Stacy Windahl

pregnant moms, consecutive days,

Labor Day(s) Left to right: Joel with mom, Jasmine; Holden with mom, Ali; C.J. with mom, Mimi; and Cooper with mom, Haley.

“

Through relationships formed at Young Life, these young mothers were walked into the arms of YoungLives, which offered a safe place of acceptance and support created especially for them and their children."

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Young Life leaders take the Great Commission seriously. They go. They go to football fields, coffee shops, school musicals and cafeterias.

And in North Dallas, Texas, two YoungLives leaders went further, going into labor with two of their teen moms. In November 2017, four women — two YoungLives leaders and two teen moms — went into labor and delivered four healthy baby boys in four consecutive days!

Nearly two years after that unforgettable week, the four moms and their sons enjoy friendship, mom-to-mom and son-to-son, as they continue to go, delivering the good news to more teen moms who need the love of Jesus.

Ali Smith is the YoungLives coordinator in North Dallas and Haley Burgess is a licensed counselor for adolescents and YoungLives mentor in the same area. Teen moms Jasmine and Mimi were students at different high schools when they met at YoungLives. But long before that, Mimi and Jasmine had come to know Young Life through leaders who answered the call to “go.” Jasmine sat at a table in the Jefferson High School cafeteria, and leader Clark Taylor would say hello to her as he visited with the guys at her table. A year later when he learned Jasmine had a toddler son, he called Smith knowing that Jasmine could be supported with a gospel love even better through YoungLives.

About four miles away, Mimi was a freshman at Hillcrest High School known to a leader who understood that “go” sometimes entails “come” — come and stay with me until your life is more stable. When Mimi became pregnant this leader knew to call Smith, asking if Mimi might have the chance to attend YoungLives camp. (As these

baby boys become friends FOR life stories so often go, just one spot remained. Mimi went to camp.)

Through relationships formed at Young Life, these young mothers were walked into the arms of YoungLives, which offered a safe place of acceptance and support created especially for them and their children. Before long, the four expectant moms learned they could have their babies in the same month.

Mimi and Smith discovered they shared the exact same due date. But Smith knew that sharing due dates is a far cry from sharing the same experience or expectations. “It’s not glamorous being a teen mom,” said Smith.

“From a football field away you can see how hard life is for these girls. Over the past four years, 40% of the teenage mothers we’ve known have dropped out. For most of them, the reason is a lack of reliable childcare.”

Given those odds, it’s even more remarkable that Jasmine graduated from high school and holds down a demanding job. Mimi works full time at a local Walmart while pursuing certification in the direction of her goals. Both women lovingly co-parent with the fathers of their boys and both are active in YoungLives leadership — Jasmine in Bible studies and Mimi as a childcare worker, each extending to other young moms the gift they’d once received.

Almost two years after a four-day baby bonanza, after sharing due dates and pregnancy milestones, prenatal aches and ultrasounds, a birth experience and first birthday cakes, these four women now share something more: an authentic friendship. The kind of friendship that can last a lifetime because the God who commands us to go, very often makes our joy complete when we stay.

IN IT WITH KIDS! This is my Young Life leader, Kali Jakobi. I’ve been so blessed to have this girl in my life throughout high school. She’s never stopped pursuing me and has always been there for me. When I was a freshman, every single soccer game Kali was there; heck, she’s still at every game she possibly can go to. I remember the night I broke my foot and didn’t want to talk to anyone. Kali put me on her back and walked me all the way to my car.

Even now, whenever I get hurt on the field and go down, she is the first one there. But it makes my heart so happy knowing whether I’m struggling on or off the field, Kali will always be there running to be by my side. As a freshman I would never want to go to high school events if I didn’t know anyone going, so Kali would always come and take me wherever I needed to go. She always has a smile on her face and loves everyone; she’s the reason I’m closer to God and why I love Young Life so much.

— Riley, Lexington, Kentucky

Riley (right) and her leader, Kali.

Becki and her husband, Eddy.

I want to give a shout-out to an amazing committee member for Young Life Sebago up here in Maine! Her name is Becki Benson, and she’s the definition of a prayer warrior. She’s constantly focusing on ministry, and every single Wednesday she will text me along with each of the other leaders (not just a group chat, but individual messages!) meaningful Scripture.

She takes this time to check in with us and to ask what we need prayer for. I get excited for her text every single week and it means more than any of us leaders can say.

She’s also the mother of Kati King, who is amazing and has played such an integral part in Young Life Sebago. What a duo!

I hope this is helpful and reassuring that from committee, to staff, to leader, to student, God moves.

— Tommy Dahlborg, leader, Sebago, Maine

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faces of the

UKRAINE

“

I was invited to Young Life club by my classmates. This camp changed a lot inside of me, I met new people, learned more about God and made one of the most important decisions in my life: I opened my heart to God. At the camp, we were invited to spend 20 minutes with God. And it was cool. I repented, I asked Him to forgive all my sins and decided to change my life and live with God.” — Anya, from Khmelnytskyi

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BELOW ARE SOME THOUGHTS FROM KIDS IN THE UKRAINE AFTER RETURNING FROM YOUNG LIFE CAMP. THEIR SENTIMENTS ARE ECHOED THE WORLD OVER, AS KIDS EXPERIENCE LIFE-CHANGING ENCOUNTERS EVERY DAY.

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Once I came to Young Life club on Friday and it was the best day in the world.

Camp was the best week in the world, I did not think that this camp would change me so much.”

— Dasha, from Dunaivtsi

“

My impressions from the camp are incredibly cool; it opened my eyes and now I know what is most important to me in life — it’s God!” — Golyak, from Lviv

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A Long, Bold Mission Reflections on a five-decade calling.

By Jeff Chesemore

RD with kids at Timber Wolf Lake.

The same summer Neil Armstrong descended the lunar module to step foot on the moon, another man took “one small step” off a bus to quietly embark on his own epic adventure. This was also a giant leap for mankind, or “kidkind” if you will, when viewed through the lens of eternity.

In 1969, RD Wilkes introduced his first group of kids to the unforgettable experience of a week at Young Life camp. It was the first of 49 annual trips RD would take, and today thousands of kids can point to him as the one who walked alongside them during “the best week of their lives.”

Along with these yearly trips to camp, RD and his wife, Donna, have served on numerous summer assignments (an opportunity where staff spend a month at camp serving while leaders from other areas bring their kids to camp). When you combine both camp trips and monthly assignments, it’s a conservative estimate RD has spent at least two years of his life at a Young Life camp.

Of course camping, while a critical part of Young Life’s work with kids, represents but a fraction of time in a typical staff person’s year. A much larger piece is the day-in/day-out discipline of going to meet kids where they congregate; it’s the foundation upon which everything else rests — and an essential piece of RD’s calling.

“Last fall I came home and told Donna, ‘That’s 50 years in a row!’” RD said. “‘Donna asked, “Fifty years in a row of what?’ I said, ‘It’s 50 years in a row I’ve been at a high school the first week of classes!’”

Add to this the untold number of club

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and Campaigners meetings, one-on-one conversations with kids and volunteers, committee times, area banquets, basketball practice as a coach and on and on, and you have a couple expertly versed in the mission of Young Life. From their own introductions to Jesus in their high school clubs (he in Pittsburgh, she in Teaneck, New Jersey) to the present day, their Young Life footprint is profound.

Launching

It was in the summer of 1968 at Frontier Ranch, while serving on work crew, that RD met Donna, who was there for leadership training. The two realized they would both be attending Albright College in the fall and became excited about working together to start Young Life there in the Reading, Pennsylvania, area. Once they arrived, they met up regularly to pray, recruited others to the team and within months launched Young Life at Wilson High School.

A romance blossomed and RD and Donna married in 1974; three children, Shawna, David and Michelle, soon followed.

RD came on Young Life staff the next year.

RD and Donna serving in the UK.

Anyone involved in ministry learns there’s an art to “juggling” family life with a job where there is always something to be done. “We struggle to balance out work and family like any couple does,” RD said, “but Donna has always had a huge heart for the mission, so there were never times where we were really in trouble.”

While RD has worn the “area director hat,” Donna has stood by his side, serving wherever needed, whether it be through leadership, administration, providing a welcoming environment in their home for leaders and kids, etc.

Discovery

Being on staff, however, doesn’t mean the Wilkes only spent their time with other Young Life people; in fact, being part of a larger community has been one of the keys to their longevity on staff. “There’s lots to be said about the wonderful fellowship you can have within the mission of Young Life,” Donna said. “But it’s significant to be with other people where you can talk about things other than Young Life. To remain healthy it’s important to take a break from the work and enjoy things that allow yourself to be refreshed.”

Of course, few people who come on staff can envision themselves continuing on a half century later, and RD and Donna are no exception. Admittedly they’ve had seasons where they questioned whether to continue with Young Life. What’s kept them in it, when most people don’t last a third of the time they have on staff? “We haven’t felt God call us out,” RD simply replied. “Back in the late ’70s, I had been on staff about five years. We were questioning whether we would stay with Young Life or look at seminaries or jobs. We were unsettled and thinking we might be moving on.”

While he was on a camp trip at Saranac, he had a revelation. He ran to the pay phone and called Donna and said, “Don’t worry about it. We’re not going anywhere.” So she asked what this was all about. He replied, “I can’t imagine finding anything to do that’s more important. If you’re the world’s premier brain surgeon, that of course would be important, but it wouldn’t be more important. So that’s been our marching orders: why would we go do something less significant?”

Another reason for the couple’s longevity can be found in their versatility. Serving in multiple areas over the years (see sidebar) has given them an education like no other.

They’ve worked with kids in typical suburban

communities, in the urban streets of Pittsburgh, the rural Appalachian mountains of Philippi, West Virginia, and the historic and ethnically diverse surroundings of Oxford, England. Their time in such a wide variety of cultural and socioeconomic situations made them aware of the needs of kids everywhere.

“The starting point for a kid in the city, suburbs and small towns is pretty much the same,” RD explained. “They’re kids who have grown away from seeing any relevance in God, the Christian faith or the Bible. On the outside they may look different, but on the inside the same kind of malaise has settled into their heart, the disinterest about the things of God. “Young Life people get terribly bothered by this reality and so they jump into it. We do what we do. We love kids. We go back and we go back and we go back. Gradually we see walls break down, we see God grant opportunities. Every Young Life person, no matter what venue it’s in, wants to share the majesty of Jesus to help kids see they can gain real life. At present they’ve barely even tasted it. It really is the same story, each Young Life staff person or volunteer leader just puts their own unique twist on it.”

A Half Century of Leading

Reading, PA 1969-80

Canton, Ohio 1980-89

Pittsburgh North Hills 1989-98

Tranquility

RD officially retired from Young Life staff in July. When asked what advice he’d pass along to those looking to serve long term in Young Life, RD emphasized the tremendous value in being an older area director in a community — or several communities — over time.

“That’s the transition in thinking people need to come to if they’re going to stay on staff for the long term. You still work with kids, but you also pour into volunteers, who multiply the kid work. Then they (the kids) go on Young Life staff, or become pastors or elders in their churches, or have influence in the business world. There aren’t many other professions where you can have as much of an impact on the Kingdom of God as in the area director role. It’s a position that affords you the opportunity to do great things.”

There’s a personal element there as well, continued RD. “If you want a relationship with the Lord that grows ever deeper and ever more personal across all your years, there’s no better way to gain that than to be a Young Life area director. The ongoing non-stop challenges associated with giving every kid in your little patch the best possible opportunity to meet Jesus and follow Him — combined with the continual encouragement to spiritual growth via the teaching and fellowship afforded within the Young Life mission — keep you on a path of daily vibrancy in your relationship with the Lord.”

Oxford, UK 1998-2000

Philippi, WV 2001-07

Pittsburgh East Hills 2007-19

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A LEADER One young woman’s zest for life leads to victories for her and the mission.

By Ned Erickson

Grace Seiboldt decorated in her Olympic medals.

Young Life is blessed with thousands upon thousands of amazing leaders doing noteworthy things both in and outside the mission. But every once in a while, a leader accomplishes something so special we simply can’t keep from celebrating it.

Meet Grace Seiboldt

She’s a 22-year-old phenom who recently returned from Abu Dhabi where she took home one gold and two silver medals in the Special Olympics World Games.

It’s been quite a year; in February, Seiboldt took part in the Olympic torch lighting ceremony at Soldier Field in Chicago (the location of the first Special Olympics). From there, the eternal flame traveled to Washington, D.C., where it boarded a plane (not sure how this passed TSA regulations) and flew to Abu Dhabi.

As part of the United States delegation, Seiboldt traveled there too. It was her first 15-hour flight, but she wasn’t scared. She was excited to be with her friends and meet swimmers from other countries (188 in all).

“My best memory of the World Games was staying at the Grand Hyatt Hotel with my swim teammates,” she said.

However, Seiboldt wasn’t there to simply

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enjoy the amenities; she had come to compete.

And compete she did: in the 50 meter, 100 meter, and 4x100 meter freestyle events, winning silver, gold and silver medals, respectively.

In her typical fashion, she was rather understated after she won. In response to an ESPN reporter’s question about her performance, she answered, after several seconds of complete silence, “I swam very fast.”

Her autism makes communication difficult.

It is particularly hard if she is asked something on the spot. “Repetition makes it easier for me.

Because of my autism, my challenges are a little harder to overcome sometimes,” said Seiboldt, via email.

“I want people to understand that even though I have autism, if I work hard enough, I can do anything. Having an intellectual disability means I have to try harder to prove to people that I am as strong as any of my peers.”

Seiboldt doesn’t have to do much more to prove her mettle. After the Olympics, she returned home to a hero’s welcome. In April, the mayor of Naperville, Illinois, made a special proclamation, declaring April 16 Grace Seiboldt Day. This summer, she’ll be competing for her 13th gold medal in a row at the Special Olympics

State Championship. In addition to swimming, Seiboldt will also compete in unified soccer, basketball, softball, golf, volleyball, and track and field (where she earned a gold in the 800 meter at Districts).

In the fall, she’ll be attending the College of DuPage, Junior College Coach Program.

Oh, and she’ll also become a Young Life Capernaum leader!

All In!

Eli Margaron has been the Capernaum coordinator the last five years in Naperville and its surrounding areas. Club takes place every other week. “It’s a beautiful blend of kids, adult leaders, college leaders, high school leaders, able-bodied leaders and leaders of all abilities,” said Margaron.

Seiboldt has been an active participant since her freshman year in high school. “Grace really has a presence about her. She always has a smile on her face, always is willing to do whatever is happening. Her work ethic and willingness really stand out,” said Margaron.

Whether it’s the biweekly club or Bible study, Seiboldt doesn’t miss. She has attended multiple trips to Young Life’s Timber Wolf Lake camp in Michigan and Polar Bear weekend camps in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.

“My best memories about Young Life camp are staying in the cabin, playing games and basketball in the game room, playing in the beach, water inflatables, tubing, obstacle course, the hoedown, volleyball, go-karts, zip lining, doing the ropes course, going on the giant swing, having field day, hanging out with my friends and Bible study after dinner,” she said.

Seiboldt has also served on work crew and summer staff twice. “My best memories about work crew are doing housekeeping, emptying the garbage, going on runs, washing and folding laundry, folding towels, stripping beds, working with my new summer crewmates and welcoming all the new campers.”

“Grace really made an impact on her peers,” said Margaron. “Whether she is working or playing, she expresses joy in everything she does. She demonstrates that folks with special needs can do anything. She made such a positive impression on her summer staff coworkers that many decided to go back to their areas to become Capernaum leaders.”

Seiboldt didn’t stop training while serving at Young Life camp. In her free time, she ran with the summer staff and swam laps in Timber Wolf Lake!

Learning Through Leading

“It is beautiful to think that she started as a student in our program and has grown to become a leader,” said Margaron.

“In the beginning, I didn’t know I wanted to become a leader,” said Seiboldt, “but when Eli asked me, I said yes.

“I’m learning to see myself as a role model.

This is a new experience, and I am really looking forward to the future,” continued Seiboldt. “I hope people will see I am learning to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.”

“That is the story of Young Life Capernaum’s ministry. It is a place where everyone is included and everyone has an opportunity to grow and lead. We welcome the furthest out and then invite them to be a part of it,” said Margaron.

“Grace isn’t the only one. Students from Naperville have gone on to serve or even start Capernaum in other parts of the country,” she continued.

“The ministry of Capernaum is really doing the heart of what God wants, which is to see people for who they’re created to be in His image,” said Matt Margaron, Eli’s husband.

“We’re giving the community the opportunity to see people the way Jesus sees people.

“Grace is such a good example. She doesn’t see any limitation that can’t be overcome.

When she faces obstacles, she just bowls right through them. Because of her willingness, Grace can serve in any capacity in our mission.”

Margaron added, “It’s so important that we, as the body of Christ, make sure to offer the same opportunities and share the same experiences with every person, no matter who they are or what their ability is.”

Leadership of all abilities is what the Margarons like to call it. Grace Seiboldt certainly has a bunch of these — whether that be winning another gold or folding another towel. In the grand scheme of things, who knows which is more valuable?

It’s so important that we, as the body of Christ, make sure to offer the same opportunities and share the same experiences with every person, no matter who they are or what their ability is.”

— Eli Margaron

Ready to take on the track at Timber Wolf Lake.

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CONVERGENCE How God used time and relationships to bring two generations to Himself.

By Leslie Strader Jennifer (left) at Pioneer Plunge in 2001.

Sometimes, you’re given a glimpse. A flash of heaven through an earthly pinhole. Last summer, that flash came in the form of a 16-year-old girl who’d just given her life to Jesus at Young Life camp. And the glimpse was given to the couple who helped get her there.

But the story behind that story is what makes their view even bigger and brighter. The faith of this teenager was a miracle nearly two decades in the making. And it began with another 16-yearold girl who had a baby on the way, and decided to turn to her Young Life leader for help.

Walking Through Hard Decisions Kylee (in red) at SharpTop Cove in 2018.

Below: Jennifer (left).

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Thirty-four-year-old Jennifer Pruitt remembers being 16 at Bayshore High School in Bradenton, Florida. “I was a social butterfly,” she recalled. “I did well in school, and didn’t get in trouble. I had a job and liked hanging out with my friends. I was just a typical kid.”

By year’s end, she was also pregnant with no prospects of marrying the baby’s father and no real support at home. Young Life was a part of her social scene, but had also been faith-building for her.

“My relationship with God and the church really started with my relationships with my Young Life leaders,” Jennifer said. So she turned to Brigit Mustaine, the 22-year-old on Young Life staff in Bradenton whom Jennifer had met during her sophomore year.

“Jennifer had a great group of friends I was pretty close with,” Mustaine, now area director of Greater Lansing, Michigan, said. “She was involved and always at club. But our relationship changed once she was pregnant. She knew she could trust me, that I was someone she could walk through hard decisions with.”

Mustaine immediately connected her with a ministry called CareNet, a local pregnancy crisis center. They helped her with the practical needs a young, unwed mom experiences and encouraged her in her faith walk as well.

But Jennifer was still a teenager. And even with all the adult decisions she was facing, she

desperately wanted to go with her friends on the summer trip to Pioneer Plunge (Young Life’s adventure camp in North Carolina).

Being pregnant, there were physical constraints for Jennifer, Mustaine recalled, but money was the main obstacle.

“This was an economically disadvantaged area; none of the eight girls who wanted to go could afford it,” Mustaine said. “So I reached out to some friends.”

This couple, who wished to be anonymous, were longtime Young Life supporters and volunteers, and well known for their generosity.

“Brigit would come to us when she had a situation where she needed help financially. If she needed it, we would help.”

Beating the Odds

Before long, all eight girls had scholarships for the weeklong wilderness experience. On the drive to camp through the Blue Ridge Mountains, Jennifer shared her situation with everyone. The other girls and leaders rallied around Jennifer and encouraged her all week long.

“I attribute a lot of my decisions about what kind of mom I wanted to be to the week with those people and their walk with God,” Jennifer said. “When you’re around people who are positive women of God, it makes you want to be that way too.”

Mustaine agreed: “That week was significant in her journey. It helped her choose how she was going to live with her child. Her friendships in Young Life are what made the difference. She didn’t want to be another statistic.”

That fall, Jennifer’s daughter — Kylee — was born. And Jennifer finished high school right on time with her friends the following May. Jennifer worked after graduating, eventually getting into the healthcare field. By the time Kylee was 10 years old, Jennifer had graduated from nursing school.

Mustaine moved away when Kylee was just over a year old, but the friends stayed in touch through the years.

“I’ve not been consistently in Jennifer’s life, but the Lord has,” Mustaine said. “She has come so far. She beat the odds. And the Lord has been carrying her through.”

Thanks to the grace of God through the ministry of Young Life, Jennifer’s story already has a happy ending. But it’s really only just begun.

Beyond a Happy Ending

A little more than a year ago, Young Life came to the East Manatee area where Jennifer and her family now live. When Young Life started at Lakewood Ranch High School during the 2017-18 school year, Jennifer’s “baby,” Kylee, was a sophomore — the same age Jennifer was when she first met Mustaine. And that summer, they were taking kids to SharpTop Cove in Georgia.

“When I found out Young Life was starting at my daughter’s school, there was no hesitation at all,” Jennifer said. “I wanted her there, and I wanted her to go to camp.”

Mustaine soon discovered through social media posts that Kylee was headed to camp and contacted Kelsey Cobb, a Young Life friend on staff in East Manatee.

“She (confirmed) Kylee was going to SharpTop,” Mustaine said, “and that the people who paid for Jennifer to go to Pioneer Plunge when she was pregnant were going to be adult guests the same week Kylee was there!”

Mustaine immediately contacted the couple and encouraged them to find Kylee while they were at SharpTop. The couple said they were hesitant to interrupt her camp experience that week. But God ended up giving them a front-row seat at the moment it mattered.

The couple connected with one of the East Manatee leaders and asked her to point Kylee out to them. She didn’t get a chance until the last day, when the entire camp gathered for the New Christian Walk.

“We were watching the kids throwing their rocks into the lake (to represent ridding themselves of the old life), and her leader caught my eye and pointed her out.”

The unborn baby who was growing inside her young mom at Pioneer Plunge was now a 16-year-old, throwing a rock into the lake at SharpTop Cove as a brand-new Christian. And the couple who made sure her mom made it to camp nearly 17 years before were there to see everything come full circle, as Kylee began her lifelong walk with Jesus.

“You sometimes wonder, ‘Does what I do count?’” the husband said. “And every now and then, God gives you a little glimpse to show you that you are making a difference. God’s plan is so much bigger than we know, and He’s going to use us in it if we make ourselves available. That’s enough for me.”

Jennifer said she was “amazed” at how all the events converged, and believes God uses people like Mustaine and her generous friends to bring His purposes together.

“God finds these amazing people and puts them in Young Life,” she said, “and they are just what all these kids need. They have a real impact on the person you want to be. God really is far bigger than any of us realize. And He’s always there, no matter what you’re going through.”

A few months ago, Mustaine, now 42, and Jennifer had lunch. It’d been years since they’d seen each other, but the memories — and the love — came flooding back, both feeling overwhelmed with gratitude for the journey they’d been on together.

“There’s such joy in being able to witness generations of people come to know the Lord through this ministry,” Mustaine said. “This is not the way I would have done it, and probably not the way Jennifer would have done it. But God had His hand on her and on Kylee all along, leading them to Him in a way I could not have imagined.”

Kylee (left) with a friend at SharpTop Cove.

Below: Jennifer (left) today, with her friend and leader, Brigit.

18

Empowering

By Jeff Chesemore

While helping the mission raise millions of dollars, Patti Stoetzner has also endured tragedy. Now she’s helping others walk through it too.

Patti Stoetzner’s introduction to Young Life was unique. Having recently moved to Houston, Texas, with her husband, Tom, and two kids, she met with a friend who was a recruiter for non-profits. She told Stoetzner about two jobs; one, a development director for a grief support organization, the other, a regional development role with Young Life.

While she had a background in both counseling and development, the decision was obvious.

“I was totally onboard with counseling and I knew nothing about Young Life. I said, ‘Give me the counseling contact.’”

The friend, however, wasn’t going to let her off that easy. Thinking Stoetzner and Young Life were a match made in heaven, she wouldn’t tell Stoetzner about the counseling job until after she interviewed with Young Life! “So she essentially blackmailed me!” Stoetzner laughed.

Still not convinced for herself, Stoetzner nevertheless interviewed with the mission. Meanwhile, to make sure Young Life was on the up and up, she sent her 16-year-old daughter to spy out the club at her high school.

“She came back and said, ‘You’ll love it, Mom; it’s right up your alley. ’” By the time interviewing was finished, she knew Young Life was where she wanted to be. She came on staff in 2000, at a time when there were no regional development directors in Texas. The Houston Region was just starting the Every Kid Endowment Campaign. She was told the plan had a 10-year, $10 million goal.

“The first thing I did was say, ‘You don’t do campaigns like that. We’re going to knock it down to $5 million in two years.’”

Within two years they raised the endowment. How? “Houston was blessed with very generous supporters,” she said, modestly.

Dreams Coming True

That success was a taste of things to come. Stoetzner moved from development projects in Texas to more missionwide fundraising. Consider just a few of the highlights in her 19-year Young Life résumé:

• • Patti with Gary Parsons, Former Soviet Union senior vice president, flanked by FSU regional directors, Stepa (far left) and Sergei (far right).

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• •

Field Development director for the Southern Division.

Oversaw construction and provided content for a Best Practices website, which areas all over the world could use to improve their local fundraising.

Assisted with Young Life’s Campership Legacy program, created to help first-time, unreached summer campers get to camp.

Trained local committees in the art of fundraising and development.

• •

Piloted a training project for adult guest hosts at camp to help them better engage with the guests.

Pioneered the Women’s Engagement and Philanthropy program.

“Patti is a very unique leader,” said Eric Scofield, Young Life’s chief development officer.

“She effuses ‘we can make this happen.’ We’ve worked together for 20 years and everything is possible. She carries this DNA that I imagine Young Life’s founder, Jim Rayburn, had … and I know Jesus has. Under Patti’s leadership we have seen so much fuel come into the mission which translates into thousands upon thousands of changed and impacted lives. She made it happen!”

Listen to Patti Stoetzner and you’ll hear words like connect, listen, pioneer, train and dream. But she’s also quick to add the insecurities she’s had to fight.

“Sometimes I feel like an imposter, playing a role I don’t think I can do. How in the world am I going to raise $5 million? And without the Lord I am an imposter. I need Him beside me.”

This need for the Lord was put to the ultimate test in 2014.

Dark Days

By Stoetzner’s 13th year on staff, the mission’s leadership knew her abilities well enough to ask her to take on a new challenge: raising funds for Pioneer, Young Life’s new camp in Armenia. She accepted, knowing Tom would soon retire and help her in the challenge. It was during the fall of that year, however, that Tom started suffering from severe depression.

“The depression was chemical in nature,” Stoetzner said. “He tried inpatient and outpatient treatment and fought it for six months.”

Ultimately, Tom succumbed to the depression and took his life in February 2014.

“Tom really tried his hardest,” Stoetzner said.

“Just as people die from cancer, people can die from depression.”

At this most devastating and fragile of times, Stoetzner didn’t let go of her lifeline.

“I had to fight to hold onto my faith ... ‘Really, God? Seriously? You’re doing this now? Right when we’re going to build a camp in Armenia and have this retirement together?’”

“The good thing is God didn’t give up on me.

Young Life didn’t give up on me either when I felt I shouldn’t be working because I was so disillusioned. I’m thankful for people like Gary Parsons [senior vice president for the Former Soviet Union] who said, ‘You are still the right person for this job. We can handle it. God can handle it.’” A turning point was when I found the Scripture, Psalm 68:5 (NIV): ‘A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.’ This vision of God defending me

when I felt so alone was powerful.”

“Patti is amazingly strong,” Scofield said. “I was there when she was experiencing some of her darkest days … and you could still see the glimmer of hope and, ‘it’s going to work,’ even in the storm.”

Over time, as she gradually found her bearings, she also discovered a new opportunity.

Through her own grieving process, the Lord laid on her heart the idea of caring for other widows.

“When you’re grieving, friends try their best but often don’t know what to do or say. I was curious how we, as a mission, were taking care of widows involved with our organization.

Research revealed we have approximately 4,000 widows among us in Young Life.

“I know our mission isn’t to widows, but this is a powerful chance to learn more; perhaps train our staff and volunteers, offer seminars on the challenges widows face and maybe even provide information to widows on where to go to get help. If we’re all about relationships like we say, we should at least see how we are relating to this group within our Young Life family.”

The Dance Continues

After 19 years on staff, the mother of two and grandmother of three retired on March 1; but her love for the mission will always keep her involved. “Young Life gave me the opportunity to do better.

And to get better.

“It’s been five years.

Every day you have to say, am I going to be productive today and find the joy, or do what my soul wants me to do, which is nothing?”

Houston Ca Every day, she said, is mpaign a journey of edging closer back to the Lord. “We’ll Pioneer Ca be healing the rest of our mpaign lives and learning to live with a disability, which is what you do when Established Women in you lose somebody you Philanthro love. The thing I know py for sure is you could avoid all this pain if Widows M insitry you didn’t love deeply.

That’s the tradeoff.

“Not to be goofy but it’s kind of like Garth Brooks’s song … ‘I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.’ Nobody wants to miss the dance with loved ones, the dance with the Lord. You buck up and say, yeah it’s going to hurt, but I’m not going to miss this dance.”

The dance continues for Stoetzner, and she’s happy to be on a journey to greater and deeper authenticity.

Patti's To-D

o List

20

EMBARK ON THE ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME! Young Life Into Africa 2020

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21

YOUNG LIFE SPOKEN HERE

YOUNG LIFE’S MISSION IN

GERMANY

EST. 1975

Germany is home to approximately 12 million adolescents and we’re developing leaders and reaching kids in three primary hubs: Bavaria, Württemberg and the Black Forest. We’ll continue to deepen our ministries in these significant locations, but we also hope to begin Young Life in eastern Germany over the next few years. We want to reach cities like Berlin, Leipzig, Dresden and Magdeburg. Our plan is to begin doing service camps in this former Eastern Bloc country as we bring young people from the west to serve with kids in the east. As we train new leaders in eastern Germany, Young Life will take root and bring hope to a place nearly forgotten for far too long.

We also have an official partnership with the German Lutheran Church, the national church of Germany. We’re working with the church’s youth department to train leaders in the philosophy of incarnational ministry: contact work, relationships, camp and club. This work is led by Area Developer Christoph Schneider who is everything you want in a leader!

One last encouragement — last week, our team leader in Lörrach, Nina Ricca, had 65 kids at her service club!

BY THE NUMBERS

368

Average Number in Campaigners

2,715

Kids Reached

185

Total Volunteers

22

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PAID Young Life

P.O. Box 520 Colorado Springs, CO 80901 ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

SERVING those who our SACRIFICE for country Young Life’s been hosting Military Family Camp for the last 12 summers and over 1,000 military families have attended on scholarship. These heroes and their families sacrificially serve our nation and here they can enjoy quality time together, away from the challenges of military life.

Please help more military families experience this transformational week together. Give online at:

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