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Memorandum of Understanding
Young Life Area & Church Partnership Agreement — Template / Draft
Whereas [Church Name] and [Young Life Area Name] have both desired to extend gospel ministries into the city of [City], and
Whereas the partners have agreed to enter into a collaborative agreement in which [Church] will be adopting [School Name] as their local high school ministry outreach; and
Whereas the partners desire to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding setting forth the outline of the partnering relationship, ministry activity, and funding strategy…
Description of Partner Agencies
[Church Name]
Mission: [Church Mission Statement]
Vision: [Church Vision Statement]
Mission: [Church Mission Statement]
Vision: [Church Vision Statement]
[Young Life Area Name]
Mission: Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.
Vision: Every adolescent will have the opportunity to meet Jesus Christ and follow Him.
Mission: Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.
Vision: Every adolescent will have the opportunity to meet Jesus Christ and follow Him.
Roles & Responsibilities
[Church] will help provide:
- Physical ministry resources (meeting space, program/event space, etc.)
- Funding — aide the missional committee to help raise $5k–$15k for ministry
- Volunteer leaders from the congregation
- A Missional Committee of 5 Christian adults from the local community
Young Life will help provide:
- Background checks of all volunteer leaders
- Leadership training for all leaders
- Cultural Intelligence training for church leadership and volunteers
- Program costs for contact work
- Snow Camp and Summer Camps
Commitment to Partnership
The partners agree to engage in this partnership for a period of two (2) years, with annual written evaluations of progress and potential for continual partnership.
[Church Name] — Authorized Signature
Young Life [Area Name] — Authorized Signature
What This MOU Covers
This draft MOU is a template for any Young Life area seeking to formalize a partnership with a local church. It is designed to be customized — replace all bracketed placeholders with the names, details, and agreements specific to your area and church partner.
The Church Commits To…
- Physical ministry resources (meeting/event space)
- Financial support ($5k–$15k range for camp expenses and programming)
- Fundraising within the local church network
- Recruiting volunteer leaders from the congregation
- A Missional Committee of 5 local Christian adults (4–7 hrs/month)
Young Life Commits To…
- Background checks for all volunteer leaders
- Leadership training for all leaders
- Cultural Intelligence training for church leadership and volunteers
- Program costs for club and contact work
- Snow Camp and Summer Camp access
- Financial support alongside the church missional committee
Key Principles of a Healthy Partnership
Partnerships developed through this MOU model are built around five principles:
- Long-term commitment — with annual review of the MOU
- Mobilization — of church members into the community (those interested in youth work or mission community)
- Alternative funding structure — shared financial responsibility between YL and the church
- Fundamental ministry components — outreach and discipleship as the core focus
- Collaborative vision — to develop a sustainable outreach ministry together
Missional Committee Roles
The Missional Committee that forms around each school partnership typically consists of 5 Christian adults from the local community who commit to:
- Praying for ministry at the school
- Advocating to the church and their network on behalf of ministry (recruitment)
- 4–7 hours per month, including a monthly meeting
- Supporting local staff and volunteers
- Assisting in raising necessary funds
- Connecting local staff to potential prayer-partners, volunteers, staff, and donors
How to Use This Template
Click Open & Download Template above to open the document in Google Drive, where you can make a copy and edit it for your area. Replace all bracketed fields with your specific information:
- [Church Name] → Your partner church’s full name
- [Young Life Area Name] → Your area’s name
- [School Name] → The school where ministry will be focused
- [City] → Your community
- Update the Roles & Responsibilities section to reflect your actual agreed-upon commitments
- Have both parties sign and date the agreement
Reach out to your Area Director or the Regional Office if you have questions about adapting this template for your specific partnership context.