Michael Brooks
Young Life is an international Christian youth organization that offers week-long summer camps with the stated goal of evangelizing to teenagers. The organization was founded in 1941 by a Presbyterian minister and is currently present in over 100 countries worldwide. Young Life has been described as a non-denominational ministry, and its staff and volunteers include both Protestants and Catholics. While it is not specifically a Catholic organization, Young Life has established partnerships with Catholic dioceses and parishes, aiming to connect Catholic youths with their parishes and encourage them to practice their faith.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of organization | Young Life is a non-profit, non-denominational, evangelization organization. |
| Religious affiliation | Young Life is a Christian organization, founded by a Presbyterian minister. |
| Target audience | Young Life targets middle school, high school, and college students. |
| Activities | Young Life organizes camps, bible studies, praise-and-worship nights, and other activities to engage students and help them grow in their faith. |
| Catholic relations | Young Life has established partnerships with Catholic dioceses and parishes, and has a Catholic relations office and a national liaison to the Catholic Church. |
| LGBTQ+ inclusion | Young Life allows LGBTQ+ students to participate in activities but does not allow them to hold volunteer or leadership positions. |
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What You'll Learn
Young Life's Catholic partnerships
Young Life is an international Christian youth organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1941 by Presbyterian minister Jim Rayburn and currently operates in over 100 countries worldwide. The organization is focused on two major projects: outreach and accompaniment for teens and young adults. Young Life promotes authentic friendship between youths and mentors, aiming to help adolescents grow in their faith through camps, Bible studies, praise-and-worship nights, and other activities.
While Young Life is non-denominational, it has established partnerships with Catholic dioceses and organizations. The first partnership began in 2015 with the Diocese of Brownsville, and in December 2017, the Archdiocese of Portland also signed a memorandum of understanding with Young Life. These partnerships aim to connect Catholic youths with their parishes and encourage them to practice their faith. Young Life has a Catholic relations office, which was opened in 2012, and a national liaison to the Catholic Church, Michael Havercamp. Havercamp emphasizes that Young Life highly respects the Catholic Church and is not looking to draw teens away from their parishes. Instead, the organization seeks to become a tool for the Church to aid in evangelization and encourage Catholic kids to enter more faithfully into parish life.
Young Life's staff and volunteers include both Protestants and Catholics, and the organization has expressed interest in incorporating more Catholics as leaders. While some Catholics have expressed concerns about the organization's approach, others have noted that Young Life has made strides in seeking to understand Catholic theology and practice. Overall, Young Life's Catholic partnerships aim to support and encourage Catholic youths in their faith journey while respecting the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church.
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Young Life's mission
Young Life is a Christian youth organization that was founded in 1941 by Presbyterian minister Jim Rayburn in Gainesville, Texas. It is a non-profit, non-denominational ministry with a mission to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. Young Life operates in over 100 countries worldwide, with a particular presence in the United States, where it has over 3,400 staff and 40,000 volunteers. The organization provides role models, safe activities, and a sense of significance to middle school, high school, and college students.
The organization's goal is to help students grow in their faith, regardless of their religious or cultural traditions. Mentors are urged to pray for the students, provide opportunities for them to become more involved in church, share advice, and work alongside the students in acts of charity. Young Life is not affiliated with any particular denomination and has both Protestant and Catholic staff and volunteers who subscribe to its Statement of Faith. The organization respects the separation of church and state and complies with the law in this regard.
Young Life has recently partnered with Catholic dioceses and parishes to specifically minister to Catholic teens and encourage their participation in parish life. These partnerships aim to normalize evangelization as a central part of being Catholic and to aid Catholics in their evangelization efforts. Young Life's national liaison to the Catholic Church, Michael Havercamp, has stated that the organization's goal is not to drive Catholics away from their faith but to encourage Catholic youth to enter more faithfully into parish life.
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Young Life's history
Young Life is an international Christian youth organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was founded in 1941 by Jim Rayburn, a Presbyterian seminary student in Gainesville, Texas, with the aim of evangelizing to high school students who showed no interest in Christianity. Rayburn began hosting a weekly club that featured a skit or two and a simple message about Jesus. Young Life continues to use weekly clubs as a basis for teaching and fellowship, and the ministry also sponsors week-long camps and wilderness adventures.
The vision for Young Life began in the early 1930s when an elderly woman, Clara Frasher, recruited a group of her friends to pray for the teenagers attending Gainesville High School in Texas. Six years later, in the spring of 1939, Rayburn started a chapter of the Miracle Book Club in Gainesville and worked with local pastor Clyde Kennedy. Like Frasher and her prayer circle, Kennedy was concerned about the town's teenagers, who showed no interest in engaging with traditional church programs.
In the late 1940s, Young Life began using both paid staff and volunteers. The organization operates using the 5 C's of contact work, club, campaigners, camp, and committee. Contact work, which involves spending time with kids on their turf and developing a relational style of outreach, has been at the heart of Young Life's mission since its early days.
Young Life operates globally and has partnerships with various organizations, including Fuller Theological Seminary and other seminaries. The organization has 26 camps in total, with 6 located outside the United States, including in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, Armenia, and France. In addition to regular summer camps, Young Life also operates 6 "adventure" camps and two "discipleship focus" camps. The largest of these camps is the Washington Family Ranch in Antelope, Oregon.
Young Life has a stated goal of introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. The organization is non-denominational and is open to Catholics as well as Protestants. Young Life has a ministry specifically focused on developing staff and volunteers to minister to Catholic teens and work alongside Catholic parishes, schools, and universities.
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Young Life's activities
Young Life is an international Christian youth organization that offers various activities for teenagers and young adults, including those with disabilities. The organization has a presence in middle schools, high schools, and colleges, aiming to engage with young people and share the message of Jesus Christ. Here are some details about Young Life's activities:
- Summer Camps: Young Life is well known for its summer camps, which are held in 18 American states and several other countries, including Canada, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, Armenia, and France. These camps provide a fun and adventurous experience for teenagers, often involving outdoor activities such as backpacking and camping.
- YoungLives: This branch of Young Life specifically supports pregnant and parenting teens through mentorship and community-building. YoungLives clubs offer a space for parenting teenagers to connect, offering childcare support and various activities. These clubs often engage in Bible study, group outings, life-skill instruction, and camp experiences.
- Capernaum: Capernaum is a dedicated program within Young Life for students and young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It provides opportunities for fun, adventure, friendship, and personal growth while building self-esteem through club activities, camps, and other exciting experiences.
- Multiethnic Ministry: Young Life's Multiethnic ministry focuses on serving kids of color and under-resourced communities. They organize multiethnic camp weeks and adapt their ministry work to fit the unique needs of the diverse communities they serve.
- WyldLife: WyldLife is specifically designed for middle school students, recognizing the profound emotional and physical changes they are going through. WyldLife leaders aim to model and express God's love by learning students' names, listening to their stories, and encouraging their desire for fun, adventure, and purpose.
- Discipleship Focus Camps: In addition to the typical summer camps, Young Life operates discipleship focus camps. These camps offer a ten-week-long work/study program for college students, providing a more in-depth exploration of faith and service.
While Young Life has a Catholic Relations ministry that works alongside Catholic parishes, schools, and universities, it is not exclusively a Catholic organization. The focus of Young Life is to engage with young people from a variety of backgrounds and denominations, sharing the message of Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.
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Young Life's criticism
Young Life is an international Christian youth organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It was started in 1941 by Presbyterian minister Jim Rayburn and is currently led by president and CEO Newt Crenshaw. The organization offers week-long summer camps with the stated goal of evangelizing to teenagers. Young Life operates globally and has a presence in schools, colleges, and universities.
While Young Life has been praised for its efforts to reach and minister to Catholic teens, it has also faced several criticisms and controversies over the years. Here are some of the main points of criticism:
LGBTQ+ Policies
Young Life has faced significant backlash and criticism over its policies regarding LGBTQ+ individuals. The organization has been criticized for not allowing LGBTQ+ individuals to serve as leaders or take on volunteer roles. This stance has led to a viral movement with the hashtag #DoBetterYoungLife, where thousands of people shared stories of exclusion and heartbreak during their time in the youth ministry. In response to the criticism, Young Life announced the creation of a council to review stories and recommend courses of action. However, the council's work and members remain secretive, and there is skepticism about whether the organization will make significant changes to its conservative theology.
Theological Concerns
Some critics, including former staffers and supporters, have expressed concerns about Young Life's theological positions and practices. One point of contention is the organization's "non-negotiables" proclamation, which outlines a step-by-step process for teaching youth about Christianity. This proclamation has been characterized by some as a shift towards a corporate-driven fundamentalism and a potential departure from traditional evangelical approaches. Jeff McSwain, a former Young Life leader, publicly disagreed with the organization's presentation of the concept of sin, and his paper "Jesus Is the Gospel" critiqued Young Life's traditional approach as harsh and theologically unsound.
Cult of Personality
There are concerns that Young Life relies too heavily on the cult of personality of its leaders, engaging kids at a superficial level. This criticism suggests that the organization prioritizes the charisma and influence of its leaders over deeper theological engagement.
Sexual Misconduct and Racial Discrimination Allegations
In 2021, Young Life was under investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly failing to protect its employees against sexual misconduct and racial discrimination. There have been reports of sexual abuse and harassment within the organization, with one alleged victim sharing that she informed multiple people about the harassment, only to be dismissed and told that it was "God's plan" for her.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Young Life is a non-denominational, evangelical Christian youth organization. However, it has been partnering with Catholic dioceses and parishes to connect Catholic youth with their parishes. Young Life also has a Catholic relations office and a national liaison to the Catholic Church.
Young Life's goal is to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. It provides role models, safe activities, and a sense of significance to middle school, high school, and college students.
Young Life organizes week-long summer camps, wilderness adventures, and weekly clubs for teaching and fellowship. It also publishes a quarterly magazine. The central Young Life activity during the school year is a weekly gathering, usually in private homes, that involves music, games, and a brief talk by one of the leaders.
Young Life is open to students of all religious and cultural traditions. LGBTQ students can participate in Young Life activities but are not allowed to take on volunteer or leadership roles.
Some Catholics view Young Life positively, seeing it as a tool to aid in evangelization and encourage Catholic youth to practice their faith. However, others have expressed concerns about its focus on the "cult of personality" and its engagement of kids at a superficial level.
