Young Life as Mission Community
Young Life spans over 100 countries and a multitude of ethnicities and social backgrounds. For all of the things that our culture would seek to divide us on, Young Life manages to stay unified on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Collectively we exist to share the Good News with kids and help them grow in their faith.
Young Life is a mission community linked together globally with a shared mission and shared values. While Young Life’s mission is concrete, the methods we use are contextual — often unique to the place and time where we are doing ministry. This is true for direct ministry but also for how Young Life supports the ministry.
What Makes Young Life Unique
One of the things that makes Young Life truly unique from other ministries is its model for entrusting the local community of adults in each context (small town, suburban, urban, etc.) with providing for the ongoing support and sustainability of the mission in their town.
As adults, we get to say: “This is our town and these are our kids, and we want them to meet Jesus.” At our best, we do not “hire” Young Life to come in and save the kids in our town — instead, we partner with Young Life to deploy a tested methodology for going where kids are and earning the right to be heard.
Historically, this group of adults is called the Committee. In many ways, the Young Life Committee sets the tone for how the mission community expresses itself at a local level.
A Bigger Vision for the Committee
Have you considered that the number of people on your committee or the regularity with which you meet does not necessarily translate into a growing and healthy ministry? The best and most fulfilling Committee work happens outside of the monthly meeting.
What if your committee meeting was the best small group you had ever been a part of? What if it was primarily about worship, prayer, and celebrating the remarkable things God is doing in the hearts and lives of teenagers in YOUR town?
If your Committee has been reduced to only raising money or planning events, then perhaps it’s time to consider a bigger vision that better leverages the time and talents of the larger body of believers.
People inside and outside the mission frequently conflate having a local Young Life “Board” with a Young Life Committee. These are very different things. Boards have a place and are not inherently bad, but at its very best, the Young Life Committee connotes a spiritually vibrant and active community of Christ-followers who are completely committed to seeing kids meet Christ in their town.