RelationshipsSPRING 2012

An up-close look at the Young Life Celebration. pg. 3 Jonah Werner: A voice of hope and help to kids and adults. pg. 11 The “anatomy” of a Young Life committee. pg. 15

CONTENTS

From the PresidentYoung Life LiteIn Your Own WordsFrom the GrapevineParting Shots

EVERY ISSUE

SPRING 2012

THE ASC2012 YOUNG LIFE CELEBRATIONA look at four joyous days spent commemorating what God is doing throughout the mission.

FEATURE

ABOUT THE COVERJoy flowed freely at the Young Life Celebration in Orlando, Fla. Mike “Ash” Ashburn, special assistant to the president, temporarily became special assistant to Michael Crofton, a Young Life Capernaum friend, who captured hearts through his story and humor. In perhaps the shortest club talk ever, Michael shared the Gospel in four poignant lines: “Jesus suffered. He died for you. On the third day, He arose. He wants to be in your heart.”Photo by Kellie Warren-Underwood

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LOVE AT WORK IN A LANDFILLYoung Life Military kids provide (and receive) hope as they care for a hurting villiage.

8FORGING BONDS IN BALTIMORE

A Young Life leader’s call to connect “coaches” with “players.” 9

THE ANATOMY OF COMMITTEE

WORTH THE WAIT

RECLAIMING A LOST ART

The form and function of volunteer committees that support local ministry.

One teen’s slow and simple journey to Christ, and the leader who showed the way.

Young Life College at the University of Minnesota.

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For more on the Celebration from Denny Rydberg and others, check out pages 2-5!

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YOUNG LIFE GAVE ME A VOICE

An interview with singer/songwriter/speaker Jonah Werner. 11

AMAZING!

FROM THE PRESIDENT

The best seats I ever had at a basketball game were during the years I coached middle-school kids. Courtside. Up close to the action. But in February, I had seats almost as good.

A friend invited me to one of the great rivalries in college hoops: Duke vs. North Carolina at the “Dean Dome” in Chapel Hill. He already had four good seats and he had been given four more great ones — courtside, just a few feet away from where Dick Vitale and the rest of the ESPN crew were sitting. Eight of us went to the game. Four had the great seats for the first half; four had those seats for the second. The outcome of the game, for any of you interested, was a one-point win for Duke on literally a last-second three-point shot by a cool freshman guard over a 7-foot senior that left the home-team fans stunned. Amazing!

I say “amazing” but it wouldn’t be amazing to you if you didn’t see the game from my viewpoint. It might have been “pretty amazing” if you had watched on television. And it could have been “semi-amazing” if you had listened to the broadcast on the radio. It would have been “somewhat amazing” if you had viewed the highlights a few minutes after the game and “slightly interesting” if you read the report the next morning in the paper or online. But you would have had to be there to really understand how amazing it was.

So now I’m going to do the impossible. I’m going to tell you about an amazing series of events that occurred in Florida in January and most of you weren’t there. I’m hoping you might catch my enthusiasm. It all began with a weeklong training event that involved three important classes taking place in St. Augustine: New Staff Training, with 178 bright and enthusiastic new recruits; Winter Training (222 strong), for those in their first two years on staff studying in one of two seminary classes —Pastoral Counseling or Systematic Theology; and Area Director School (101 men and women), for those who had finished two years on staff and were taking the next step in their Young Life journeys. We value both training and seminary education highly in our mission and these staff members were seriously engaged in becoming better equipped to minister to adolescents.

When the training sessions were over, the action moved to Orlando for our “once every four years” Young Life Celebration (formerly known as the All Staff Conference), with nearly 4,000 in

attendance. We invited some volunteers and committee people to represent the 35,000 volunteers in our mission. We invited 200 investors to represent the 175,000 people who give yearly to the work. But the vast majority of the 4,000 were staff and spouses, and we tried to give them the best four days of their lives. It was “truly amazing” to have the halls and meeting rooms filled with men and women who were committed to the same thing:

introducing kids to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. About 1,500 came in a few days early to attend one of our pre-conferences (International, Urban and Multicultural, Small Towns, Young Life Capernaum, Young Life Military, Young Life College, and YoungLives). Then the rest arrived and the celebration began! On the first morning, we kicked it off with the presentation of the flags of the nations. Seventy-seven countries were represented where we are currently doing Young Life, plus another 13 countries where we will soon be reaching out to kids. So 90 flags were marched to the front and placed for the

duration of the conference by representatives from each of these countries. That in itself was enough to take your breath away and bring tears to your eyes. As the days continued, we were inspired by two speakers

from outside the mission — Tim Keller and Francis Chan — and informed and inspired by fellow staffers. We listened to stories of kids. We prayed together. We laughed uproariously (including a bit of stand-up comedy by a lover of Young Life, Jeff Foxworthy). We worshipped. We attended seminars. We played. We rested. We spent time meeting new and old friends and sharing what God had been doing in our lives and in the lives of kids. And by the time the four days were over and the 90 flags recessed, we were ready to go forward, recommitted to pursue kids for Jesus’ sake and passionate about our initiative to reach two million kids a year by 2016.

I wish you could have been there. It was amazing. And a bunch of us had front-row seats!

2 / SPRING 2012

Denny RydbergYoung Life President

For more on the Celebration from Denny Rydberg and others, check out pages 2-5!

“It was ‘truly amazing’ to have the halls and meeting rooms filled with men and women

who were committed to the same thing: introducing kids to Jesus Christ and helping

them grow in their faith.”

SPRING 2012 / 3

A CLOSER LOOK AT ASC2012 “This was one of the most overwhelming, exciting events in my life. I was also overwhelmed by the sheer size of the Celebration. Worshipping the Lord in song with a group of people five times the size of my community’s population

was a little taste of heaven. I felt the Word doing surgery on my heart as Francis Chan spoke and I was reminded that loving Jesus must be more important than ‘doing ministry.’ I loved meeting people from around the globe who share my passion for loving the lost, and seeing the flags of the nations entering the room brought tears of joy as I

realized the breadth and depth of how the Lord is using Young Life worldwide.” — Kim Kopp, administrative assistant, Galena, Alaska“

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“The Celebration profoundly inspired and challenged my wife, Melena, and me. We are so proud to be

associated with the mission of Young Life and amazed by the ways God is reaching all kinds of kids from all over the world with the Good News. Tim Keller’s statement that ‘all life-changing love

is sacrificial’ has lingered in our minds. We left wanting more of Christ, more of His people and more of Denny’s dance moves with Team Tito!”

— Todd Madonna, area director, West Chester, Pennsylvania“

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Left: Tony- and Grammy-award-winning artist, Heather Headley, brings the crowd to its feet with her rendition of “In Christ Alone.” Near right: lifting up requests in the prayer room; Far right: Francis Chan passionately shares on the importance of being in the Word; Below, center: the entire conference takes over SeaWorld for the evening.

Left to right: Leaders representing the 77 countries where we have Young Life, and the 13 countries where we soon will, proudly display their country flags in the opening procession; Ellie and Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors perform in concert; a Mears bus is revealed right before an entire convoy would transport all 3,945 attendees to SeaWorld; Daniel Sanders, Tim Toy and Shelley Sadler, a.k.a. “Team Tito,” dressed to the nines for their “off, off Broadway” number; the prayers of thousands eventually reveal a 32-foot-long prayer mosaic.

YOUNG LIFE CELEBRATION

4 / SPRING 2012

A CLOSER LOOK AT ASC2012

“This was an amazing week of hearing from the Lord, great worship and speakers, and seeing a ton of friends! I left the Celebration with John 15:11 on my heart: “These

things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”  I left feeling full ... overflowing. The worship was incredible! The presence of the Lord was so evident in our sessions! The speakers left people on fire for their

communities and communities we aren’t even a part of yet! They left me challenged to live the Word! Seeing friends and hearing of the Lord’s work around the world

was amazing! I left feeling a part of a mission that is bigger than I could have ever imagined. I loved seeing the leaders of this mission spirit-filled and laying out

the vision for what the Lord is doing. If I could imagine what the kingdom of God will look like, it would be this week!” 

 — Thomas Hale, chef, Rockbridge

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“The Celebration is one of the best reunions I’ve ever been to. We’re

just amazed and so honored to be included and get to be here with some of the people we respect

most in the world. I think Drew said it incredibly well last night, ‘How

different would the world be if these 4,000 people weren’t here?’“

— Ellie Holcomb, musician

“Thank you all for an excellent Young Life conference in Orlando.

I was blessed, encouraged, and strengthened by the messages and

seminars. It was my first time to come to the USA and meet different

people who do Young Life. This helped me so much and I thank the

organizers and do thank God. Be blessed.” — Patson Mpofu, Young Life

Zimbabwe director

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Top: Dr. Timothy Keller, speaks on the transforming message of the Gospel; Jeff Foxworthy “brings the funny” at SeaWorld; divisional dinners on the last night provide even more magical memories to take home.

1 mission4 days

3,945 participants2 hotels

1,999 hotel rooms used 1 bus parked in the

general session room72,000 square feet in the

general session room160 bus trips to and from SeaWorld

2,000 tiles in the Prayer Mosaic10,628 individual items sold

at The Young Life Store82,418 tweets on Twitter

(and still counting!)Countless memories

THE YOUNG LIFE CELEBRATION BY THE NUMBERS!

6 / SPRING 2012

Before there was club or a pie tin filled with shaving cream — before there were leaders in white vinyl jumpsuits and wigs — even before there was an

organization called Young Life, there was laughter. And in 1940, at Jim Rayburn’s tent meetings in Dallas, Texas, there was laughter, much of it erupting from Rayburn himself. Bob Mitchell, Young Life’s third president serving from 1977 to 1986, attended those first meetings led by Young Life’s founder and he remembers Rayburn’s humor as something that attracted him to the man and his message.

“It was a very serious time,” Mitchell recalled. “The country was entering a world war. Humor wasn’t part of the church — not part of the deal. Rayburn introduced something quite unusual. As a 13-year-old kid, that attracted me to Jim.” And so Mitchell and his friends sat transfixed, nearly afraid to laugh, as Rayburn described the wedding at Cana. “Do you know how you make wine?” Rayburn asked the crowd of a thousand. “Of course, none of us had a clue,” said Mitchell. And Rayburn went on to explain how Jesus turned brackish, Texas well-water into the finest wine people had ever tasted — without a vine, a vineyard, a press or even a grape. Rayburn used humor and absurdity in biblical accounts to introduce kids to the wonder of Jesus Christ.

Rayburn also loved a good joke, and his humor, unlike the situational humor familiar in Young Life today, derived from them. He loved his jokes so much he’d make himself laugh in the telling of them. Mitchell recalls people around Rayburn in fits of laughter, not because his joke was so funny, but because

they loved watching him laugh at his own story. To this day, Mitchell’s not sure if Rayburn ever knew how much they laughed over Rayburn enjoying his own humor.

But the humor that characterizes Young Life isn’t only because of Rayburn. “Scripture is full of humor,” Mitchell asserted. “Though Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, He wasn’t grim or grumpy. You know why we know that? Because kids wanted to be around Him.”

For more than 70 years of ministry, Young Life has loved a good joke or a skit, because humor breaks through

the defenses that hide kids’ hearts. Humor in Young Life is regarded as a powerful tool commanding respect. Humor can heal or harm. Cutting, cynical humor has no place in the mission. At its best, Young Life humor is never at the expense of the kids we seek to serve, but at the expense of ourselves.

What explains the willingness of grown men and women to wear lederhosen and wool knee-highs or platform boots and spandex? Really, what self-respecting adult does that? Only someone so certain of his God-given dignity that he would risk the derision of kids just to share a few moments of hilarity with them. And sometimes leaders crack themselves up in the process. But it’s more likely they crack

themselves open, laughing at their own foolishness with the hope that even one kid would glimpse the freedom of Christ’s love, and experience the laughter that theologian Karl Barth described, “as the closest thing to the grace of God.”

YOUNG LIFE LITEBy Stacy Windahl

“Scripture is full of humor. Though Jesus was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, He

wasn’t grim or grumpy. You know why we know that? Because kids wanted to be around Him.”

— Bob Mitchell, above right, former club kid, staff and president of Young Life

SPRING 2012 / 7

Our readers share their thoughts

IN YOUR OWN WORDS

Publisher/PresidentDenny Rydberg

Executive EditorTerry Swenson

Lead EditorJeff Chesemore

CoordinatorDonna McKenzie

Copy EditorJessica WilliamsLead DesignerJason O’Hara

IllustratorLuke FlowersContributing

PhotographerKellie Warren-

Underwood

Young Life is a Charter Member of the Evangelical Council for

Financial Accountability.

younglife.orgP.O. Box 520

Colorado Springs, CO 80901

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

If you’re receiving duplicate copies of Relationships 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 the change of address or giving information.

MY GREATEST GIFT STEPS OF FAITHIn December of 1955, I was brought to my first Young Life club at North Dallas High School. I was wearing a motorcycle jacket and boots, escorted by two football players sporting their North Dallas orange-and-white letter jackets. The room became silent as everyone

turned to see who was coming in. I was very nervous and embarrassed. After the usual songs and club

minutes, the leader stood up and said, “Christmas is just about here. Tonight I’m going to talk to you about the gift that comes with the giver.” I thought, “That’s crazy. If someone is going to give me a gift, why do I have to take him home as well?” As the leader continued, I discovered the gift was Eternal Life and the Giver was Jesus Christ. You can’t have one without the other. He is my greatest gift.

— Michael Escalante, North Dallas High, Class of 1958 (also area director for Young Life

Campaign, Mexico City, Mexico 1965 – 1966)

I just read a newsletter about a woman who sat on her steps listening to club at her home, and then years later her son became involved with Young Life. I loved this story so much and wanted to share that

it’s not just young people who sit on the stairs listening to club and learning to love the Lord. It’s also parents who are listening and come to Christ

through the clubs, or older siblings in the household who think Young Life is not their thing. While I’ve considered myself a Christian for most of my life, I’ve sat on those steps or hovered near the door listening for years since my daughter Brooks West (now Davidson) started in high school, and now is interning in Kent Island, Md. I’ve learned through Young Life new meanings of what a Christian is and how to approach those who do not know Christ. Young Life is a Godsend to even those of us who sit on steps and listen. — Peggy West, Fredericksburg, Va.

T-SHIRTS AND TEACHINGSI recently attended Lake Champion, and learned so much through the program. I even got a T-shirt with the logo, that’s how much I love it. I learned about God’s love for us, and what He did for us on the cross. I have accepted Jesus as my personal savior, and seeing that change in other people’s lives was amazing. I was so happy people went there not knowing who God is, and left knowing His purpose. We learned God not only loves us, but He is powerful. Power and love are two great things to have. Without love, Jesus wouldn’t show us how much He cares for us, and without power, we would have no direction. I am so happy and thankful, and I will spread the word by wearing my T-shirt, and teaching others about God’s amazing purpose. Thank you, Young Life.

— Adele Good, 17, Litiz, Pa.

8 / SPRING 2012

Last summer, high-school kids and leaders from Young Life’s Club Beyond ministry at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, joined 300 other kids from European military

installations for a weeklong service project in Romania. Dave Kanelos, community director for Young Life Military at Incirlik, said, “Our group worked in a very poor gypsy village called Pata Rat, built on a landfill where the gypsy (Roma) families make their living by picking recyclable materials from the landfill. Most of the families live in shacks surrounded by piles of garbage without running water or bathrooms inside.”

Amid these bleak surroundings, the team provided daily sports activities and Vacation Bible School for about 100 children. While language was a barrier, nothing could stop the students from sharing God’s love with the gypsy children. They connected with the children through songs and games, skits and food, laughs and hugs. The team also left the children with a physical symbol of the Lord’s love for them.

In the middle of the village, the team tore through the landfill to build the children a playground. “It was incredibly difficult to dig through the layers and layers of trash in order to pour cement foundations,” Kanelos said,

but watching the children swing and climb on the finished product made it all worth it. The playground became an oasis in the middle of this landfill-town.

The week in Romania was chock-full of teachable moments for the Incirlik kids. Realizing their own living conditions were something they took for granted, the teens’ hearts broke for the families living in Pata Rat. “This trip was a complete eye opener for me when I saw the conditions the people lived in,” Trevor, a 10th-grader said. “And my trust in God was boosted when He constantly responded to our prayers for the playground.”

Briana agreed. “This trip brought me closer to God and it made me want to stop complaining about where I live. These kids lived in a dump and seeing their faces light up when they knew they had a new playground was incredible.”    

The playground became a symbol of hope for everyone in the village that day. Quentin said, ”I could see all the little children’s eyes light up when a small diamond amongst the coal was built and they could play on a playground for the first time in their life.”

To learn more about Young Life’s ministry to military kids, go to younglife.org and click on Young Life Military.

Love at Work in a Landfill

By Jeff ChesemoreYOUNG LIFE MILITARY KIDS PROVIDE (AND RECEIVE) HOPE AS THEY CARE FOR A HURTING VILLAGE.

SPRING 2012 / 9

Arny Arnold, a man with a heart for

teenagers in the hardest parts of Baltimore, leads

kids through more than just the rapids

seen here.

Arny Arnold doesn’t have a whistle, clipboard or even a pair of polyester shorts.

He does, however, have a game plan. And the term “coach” most certainly applies.

The area director for Young Life Baltimore Urban — whose father just happened to play for legendary UCLA hoops coach John Wooden — Arnold is teaching young men in Baltimore’s inner city how to win at the game of life.

It was actually Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood, who convinced Arnold’s father to enroll in seminary after his dad came to Christ in a Bible study led by Campus Crusade for Christ Founder Bill Bright.

Sure that he would never follow his father’s footsteps into the ministry, Arnold nonetheless ended up becoming a youth pastor. After a decade in Florida, he moved to serve in a ministry in the Sandtown community in Baltimore in 1997.

Arnold was an occasional Young Life club kid in high school. As a youth pastor, he had patterned his ministry after the Young Life model. Upon arriving in Baltimore, Arnold and his pastor, a former Young Life staff person, began looking for someone to start Young Life in their community.

“It was a two-year process,” said Arnold, who came on staff in 2005. “A couple of people fell through. I was wanting it more and more. Finally, the pastor said, ‘Arny, why don’t you do it?’ I didn’t really fit the profile I was looking for, but I was open to it. I already had relationships with all these kids and the vision of

what needed to happen.” As Arnold began spending more time in the

neighborhood, he realized the kids’ needs were as large as Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

“Kids didn’t have the support systems in their lives to do things like pass classes and get jobs; there were just so many things they needed in addition to the Gospel message,” Arnold said. “I just felt like every one of these kids needed their own Young Life leader.”

Over the next year, Arnold set out to make that thought a reality.

“I said, ‘What if I ask 10 men that I know to commit to an intensive, long-term relationship with 10 kids? We’d set up a breakfast that helps that relationship start and blossom over time. That’s really how it started. We weren’t doing it more than a few weeks before I felt like, ‘Man, we‘re really on to something.’”

The breakfast club That original 10 Arnold was hoping for has turned into 70 coach-player tandems. Once a week, the “players” all meet up with their “coaches.” Arnold connected one such player, Josh — whose story of struggle and fatherlessness was an all-too-familiar tale — with a coach, a middle-aged successful businessman named George Santos.

The gathering usually takes place in the cafeteria of Morgan State University or Coppin State University, two of Baltimore’s famous historically black colleges.

A Young Life leader’s call to connect “coaches” with “players.”

Forging Bondsin Baltimore

By Chris Lassiter

10 / SPRING 2012

Arnold implemented three core principles that he tries to accomplish in each weekly breakfast club meeting.

The first is connecting. For the first 20 minutes, the coach and the player exchange high points and low points of the week over eggs and orange juice.

The second part of the weekly gathering is competition. This portion brings the Young Life-club feel to each meeting. Josh and his coach were always middle-of-the-pack in the competitions. But the contests were only partly about winning. It helped the two guys from completely different worlds forge a bond.

The final part of the meeting is contemplation. It’s the part of the meeting where the Gospel is shared through various means.

“We try to do something every week that allows the coach and the player to interact with each other deeper, beyond just fun and games,” Arnold said. “We want them to contemplate about life, about relationships, about God, and about who they are.”

Those Wednesday morning meetings quickly became a highlight of Josh’s week.

“It’s cool,” the Baltimore teen said. “We get together and talk about being leaders, what’s right and what’s wrong, and we talk about Christ.”

This unique approach is Young Life at its very core: contact work, fun and proclamation. The “breakfast club” is an example of Young Life remaining true to its mission while engaging kids in relevant and creative ways.

Different worlds come togetherThe Sandtown community in west Baltimore is often associated with former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and jazz greats Cab Calloway and Billie Holiday.

Unfortunately, it’s now more associated with the

problems that plague many of America’s inner cities. During the year Arnold was starting Urban Young Life

in Baltimore, the city recorded more than 10,000 violent crimes and 6,000 automobile thefts. Only Detroit recorded more murders.

This was the community that Josh — 13 at the time he first met Arnold — was trying to navigate. The television drama The Wire — based on life in inner-city Baltimore —

can’t begin to tell the full story.

“To be honest, it’s really tough here,” said Josh, now 17. “It’s worse than The Wire. It’s hard growing up here. People don’t really have much, and you’ve got to work to get yours.”

At first, the relationship between

Josh and Santos was a little awkward. With each passing breakfast, however, the relationship has grown closer than either guy ever thought possible.

“Our relationship is great,” Josh said. “In the beginning, it was kind of weird, ‘cause I didn’t really know him. Now, he’s like a father figure. He’s always there when I need him, like a father would be.”

Santos said getting involved with Baltimore Young Life Urban “was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made” and he’s not sure who benefits most from the relationship.

“He’s spent the night numerous times, and my kids know him,” Santos said of Josh. “Right now, he’s family. He’s really trying to do what is right. He’s been a great example to me.”

Santos heard a quote from a friend that summed up the work going on in Baltimore perfectly.

“If you change the trajectory of an ocean liner just two degrees, the landing point of that ship is radically different,” Santos recalled. “I hope that by hanging out with Josh once a week I’m able to have a big impact on his life.”

Arnold (back row, third from left) hanging with his friends at camp.

George Santos and Josh bond through the breakfast club.

Arnold (center in red shirt) and the Baltimore kids enjoying their time at Lake Champion.

“Kids didn’t have the support systems in their lives to do things like pass classes and

get jobs, there were just so many things they needed in addition to the Gospel

message. I just felt like every one of these kids needed their own Young Life leader.”

— Arny Arnold

onah Werner is a thoughtful, joyful, transparent artist who brings these qualities to his music. A world traveler who often plays in theaters and churches, he spends most of his time playing for kids in Young

Life. Since beginning his music career at Young Life’s Trail West in Colorado 15 years ago, he’s played 26 monthlong assignments (more than two years of his life) at Young Life camps, 25 work weeks and more than 150 weekend camps. For his passion, commitment, and faithfulness, Jonah Werner was honored with the Camp Musician Award at the Young Life Celebration in January. There, I sat down with him to hear more about his story, his ministry to kids and how he’s helping areas with their fund-raising needs.

Share about some of your Young Life history …In high school, I went to club at the Buena Vista (Colorado) roller rink, where we played old school Young Life games like “chubby bunny.” My heart was stirred, because this was the first time I equated Jesus with fun! Even though I grew up hearing this message, when my leader, Dave Gibson, told the story of Jesus, I would listen as if for the first time. I went to Woodleaf as a freshman where Marty Caldwell was speaking and Kevin Delaney was playing music. When Kevin sang, it connected with my heart in a way nothing ever had, and as Marty spoke, the message of Jesus knocked me over like a ton of bricks and I wanted Jesus in my life for real! I also went to Frontier Ranch as much as I could. I think my friends and I probably hold the record for most weekend work crews at Young Life camp! We were there every weekend of high school. We wanted a different life than this world we were living in.

When I interned at Trail West (Young Life’s family camp in Colorado) in 1997, the camp musician got sick and I said, “I’ll do it!” Somehow, by God’s mercy and grace, they gave me a chance. So I can say, “Young Life gave me a voice.” I sang that week and the rest of the summer and

it changed my life. Now I’m experiencing the good stuff of my family’s involvement in this beautiful thing. Young Life is now my wife Ruthie’s family as well. And to see my kids have Young Life people come alongside them is a dream come true. I still play ticketed shows and I tour after I release albums. I still play churches and I still lead worship, but ultimately I tell people my ministry and career is “playing music for high school kids.”

How do you earn the right to be heard with kids at camp unfamiliar with you or your music? Musicians are placed upon pedestals, but also dissected and criticized. My strategy with kids is just like any Young Life leader: to break down walls. With guys, I try to impress them early on with my guitar skills. With girls, I try to speak about the heart. But, the goal is to be vulnerable and share myself. By the end of the week, I hope they no longer see the flashiness, but just a kid like them. Someone who’s been hurt but also redeemed, and hopefully they’ll want to know that redemption.

Are there certain songs that particularly resonate with them? It’s always the songs that ask the deep questions and rarely songs that have the answers, because kids want to find the answers on their own. I have a song, “Rescue Me,” which basically says we’re all in need of rescue — is there anyone or anything out there that can rescue me? “All We Want is Love” resonates with kids and adults because that’s what we all want; when kids hear a song like that, it helps usher in the question, “Where can I find this love?”

Some other themes in your music are joy, searching, nature, playfulness. Why these themes? Those are all bullet points of my story. I care as much about being a storyteller as a technical guitar player, singer or lyricist, because we connect in story. Those themes are the part of my story I think also represent others’ stories

By Jeff Chesemore

SPRING 2012 / 11

J

and perhaps draw out Jesus. So for me, nature is a place where I see God and the evidence of God, which is why if you go to Malibu, all you have to do is sit there and you see God. It’s cool that you use the word “playfulness” because a lot of people don’t associate playfulness with God and the fact that Jesus wants me to be playful and have adventure. That makes me want to follow and know Him. I’m a little boy at heart. I was made to play. I want kids to know it’s OK to be a kid.

What’s involved in your upcoming service project in Thessaloniki, Greece? Students in international schools are required to volunteer for a week every year and Young Life engages these kids by offering a service project which meets the requirement. So, we take about 200 kids into a community that’s broken, usually war torn, often lifeless and hopeless. And we restore schools with bright yellow, red, green and blue paint, and we hold children and play soccer with them. We bring restoration to orphanages by taking the dingy floors out and putting in new ones. Ultimately, what students get to see is a glimmer of hope brought into hopeless lives. Then we ask the teens, “Where do you see hopelessness in your lives?” I love that it’s a twofold approach to ministry, where we can care for a community and then do Young Life club at night for the teens. Here we all see Jesus lived out every day and then we connect the dots at night. At first, many students go just to meet the requirement, but by the end, even these kids say it was the best week of their lives.

Please share more about your availability to serve Young Life areas at their banquets and fundraisers.Young Life is what drew me into God’s bigger story for my life. My goal is to see people drawn into God’s bigger story for their lives and realize their calling. I love to speak and sing at Young Life banquets, because I love adults. While they may have their career and family, I’m certain many have not found their place in God’s bigger story for their life. So God’s given me a heart to unabashedly and unapologetically champion people into that. I love to see walls come down and people inspired. My motto is, “Get people to do something.” If you want something that is a little out of the box and changes up the feel of your banquet, I come in as a professional musician and speaker saved through Young Life and I share my story, talk about the needs of the area and weave music in throughout. The change can be a shot in the arm for an area and the feedback is usually, “Wow, that was refreshing.”

To learn more about Jonah Werner’s music or to book him for your next banquet or fundraiser, you can go to his website, jonahwerner.com or email him at jonahwerner@gmail.com.

Jonah Werner is one of thousands of alumni still closely connected to Young Life. To visit the Alumni and Friends website, join, update your information and reconnect with your Young Life friends, go to alumniandfriends.younglife.org.

Werner plays guitar while being accompanied on percussion by his younger brother, Aaron, area director in Steamboat Springs, Colo.

12 / SPRING 2012

Werner embracing the role of “unnecessary villain” in the Young Life Celebration program.

SPRING 2012 / 13

A fruitful selection of stories from the field

FROM THE GRAPEVINE

On the night of Oct. 1, a friend texted me to ask if a boy named William was one of our Capernaum friends. I replied back with an excited “yes,” thinking she’d met William or his family somewhere, but her follow-up text said, “Check Channel 4 news; he’s been missing for close to three hours.” I immediately logged on to the news, called his mom, and alerted friends, family and Young Life leaders to be praying for William. But I was discontent. My husband, Christopher, was out of town, Hudson was sleeping soundly in his crib and I wanted to be walking the streets of Nashville looking for William. A couple on the local committee called and asked if they could come and stay with Hudson so I could look — it didn’t take long for me to answer.

Within 30 minutes, I joined the police, walking up and down streets, around buildings, in and out of restaurants, while exchanging texts and phone calls with a handful of our leaders. It wasn’t long before we realized there were literally hundreds of others doing the same thing ... all for a 14-year-old boy with Down Syndrome who had been lost in the dark streets of the Vanderbilt area for close to four hours.

We were coming around a building when I heard the voice of another Capernaum friend, Michael, screaming from his mom’s car. As they rode around with their top down, Michael’s voice echoed through the streets, “WIIIILLLLIAAMMMMMMM … WILLLLLLIIAAAMMMMM.” I couldn’t help but smile,

Calling Out for WilliamBy Suzanne Williams

William (left) and his loyal friend, Michael.

after seeing/hearing Michael’s love for his friend and realizing that maybe tonight Michael would learn he, too, is worth it; that if anything ever happened to him people would canvas the streets because he is loved that much. After five hours of searching, William was found! There was joy and celebration in the streets of Nashville unlike I’ve ever seen. Surrounding William and his family, there were

pastors, school principals, friends, family members, neighbors, college students, Young Life leaders, and folks who had never heard William’s name before 4:45 p.m. that evening, coming off the streets to celebrate that he had been found.

I drove home beaming from ear to ear, continually thanking Jesus that William was safe and home. I couldn’t help but think this night was another beautiful picture of the Gospel and what Young Life is all about. We hear about a kid in need, a kid who’s lost or a kid who’s lonely, and we drop everything to run and find that kid. We disregard cost, efficiency, time, other things on our to-do lists, the allure of throwing on a pair of sweats and watching a movie while hoping someone else will find that kid … to run out, canvas the streets, walk mile after mile, calling out their name

to show kids they are loved and worth every second of our time.

I’m thankful for those who continue to believe in the mission of Young Life and cheer us to run after lost kids who need to hear the voice of the One calling out their name. I’m so grateful ... and so is William.

June 3-9 OR June 9-15: Camp Buckner near Burnet, Texas

June 24-30: Michindoh near Hillsdale, Michigan

July 7-13: Washington Family Ranch near Antelope, Oregon

July 15-21: Lost Canyon near Williams, Arizona

Aug. 4-10: Lake Champion near Glen Spey, New York

or helping in other ways, go to younglives.younglife.org.

Young Life was flourishing at Flower Mound High School, located just north of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, and after a momentous experience at Young Life’s Crooked Creek Ranch (in Colorado) over the summer, local staff and kids were excited about what the fall had in store. Which is why it was difficult to understand when their dedicated leader stepped down from his teacher staff position.

Metro Director Scott Davis heard of the decision, and thought, “This must not be the year for Flower Mound High School Young Life.” Kids heard and decided to take initiative. At an annual pep rally before the first day of school, students gathered from local high schools. And rally is exactly what they did.

Over the next few weeks, students began praying. They asked local area staff to help them find leaders, on the condition that they (as students) would continue to bring more kids to club and generate enthusiasm. What began as a group of a few kids, blossomed into dozens. Just a few days later, 50 kids from Flower Mound High School showed up for an all-area club. In what staff now credit to prayer, a string of miracles and the determination of high-school students, the Lord has worked powerfully. Within one week, without any prompting, three adults

called staff member Dave Livengood and committed to leading at Flower Mound.

“It’s clear the Lord wanted this to happen,” said Davis, “And he used kids to accomplish it.” Team coordinator Jenn McDonald agreed. “Our kids are amazing. They wanted club. They made it happen, and they continue to make it their own.” With 10 student leaders also helping lead at “Flo Mo,” club has continued to thrive throughout the past months.

Most exciting for McDonald and area staff is what lies in the future. “I’m so excited about the diversity in our club, and the way the kids are getting to know one another. This has truly been a movement of the Spirit and kids.”

For Kids, By Kids By Leslie Montgomery

Flower Mound High School flag football teams show their pride.

14 / SPRING 2012

THE HEAD

THE HEART

THE STOMACH

THE HANDS

THE KNEES

SPRING 2012 / 15

Young LifeTheAnatomy

of

CommitteeThe form and function of volunteer committees that support local ministry.

By Stacy Windahl

Young Life is a complex organization that derives its vitality from a far-reaching network of committees supporting it at the local level. More than 11,000 adults around the world are organized in area committees. Each has a slightly different look, unique strengths — and a few quirks, but committees everywhere share a common purpose. There are many ways to describe Young Life committees and the work they do. One helpful analogy is that of the body.

The head Strategies for growth develop here. Under the leadership of a committee chairperson, a group of adults collaborates with the local and regional staff to introduce or sustain Young Life locally. The head is employed after engaging the knees. (See right.) High-functioning committees organize around the gifts and interests of those called to serve so members are not depleted by their involvement, but instead, energized and renewed.

Michael “Moose” Valliere, one of Young Life’s missionwide committee trainers, believes in asking committee members to write down what they would like to do. Equally important is their notation of what they do not want to do. Some people love to meet with donors, or speak in public. Others prefer to care for leaders or serve through prayer. “And then,” said Valliere, “we ask members to think through what serving in their particular sweet spot would look like. People want to know what their role is. They will rise to the occasion if we invite them to serve in a role they helped design.”

Valliere also stresses the importance of the committee chairperson. He says we too often choose that leader by default. Chairpersons should have passion, teachability and an understanding of the mission in order to encourage committees. “Young Life has been used by God to change the world. The vision I want them to have is this: In some small way God will use my gifts to impact someone who will one day impact their community and world.” Valliere said that helps members understand their piece of that puzzle.

16 / SPRING 2012

The hands Organized with strategies for growth, committees apply themselves to the work of supporting the mission. Often, the hands are wrapped around fundamental tools of the trade. Some committee members keep a hand on spreadsheets and calculators, mindful of the area budget and the ebb and flow of donations, while others have their hands on cell phones and calendars; planning, inviting, and welcoming parents and other interested adults to banquets, golf outings and other Young Life events. Still others stretch their hands out to the community, introducing Young Life and speaking on its behalf to friends, neighbors, area churches and schools.

Though hands of Young Life committee are rarely still, committee members like Debbie Miller in eastern Loudoun County, Va., wouldn’t have it any other way. “I have been involved in committee for the past two years caring for leaders, working on the banquet committee, and praying for kids and staff. Because I was touched by Young Life in high school, I want my own children and their friends to have the same opportunity. It is the best investment of my time outside the home.”

The stomachThe stomach is a vital organ to effective ministry. Young Life committees nourish the ministry by feeding its leaders. Offering encouragement by way of notes or gas cards and, yes, a home-cooked meal, many groups form sub-committees centered on leader care. Milissa Spring, also of east Loudoun County, witnesses the labors of leaders in her area and is motivated to serve them in return. “Knowing how those leaders reach kids and show them what a life lived for Christ looks like, and how much they sacrifice for the privilege of doing that, makes my small contribution through service on committee a no-brainer.” 

The kneesIf the knees are stiff and a little achy, it’s because the committee has been working out, exercising its greatest

privilege — prayer. Nothing is accomplished in Young Life ministry that isn’t first brought to the Lord in prayer. Kim Martin, committee member in Ohio’s Buckeye Region, believes the most effective way we can support our leaders is through prayer. “This is actually the request the leaders make the most. Young Life’s success is a reflection of God and the Holy Spirit working through others to bring the Gospel of our Lord Jesus to kids. Through prayer we are able to love and support our leaders in the best way possible.” Martin and a group of other women meet monthly to do the unseen work of effective committees.

The heartThis is the engine of a Young Life committee. It functions in the same way the world over. And almost universally, it’s a shopworn part. It’s the heart of a committee that sees a kid shuffling through the school’s doors looking like the books in his backpack aren’t the only weight on his shoulders. And the heart remembers. It’s the heart of a committee that hears about an underage drinking party and understands the pressure to fit in, to be accepted at any cost. And the heart aches. It’s the heart of a committee that knows the uncertainty and loneliness of being a teenage kid — even in a crowd. And the heart breaks. But the heart is quickened by the hope of Christ that every committee member holds. And this heart resolves that as far as we are able, no teenage boy or girl will slip through the doors of adolescence into adulthood without knowing they’re created marvelously and loved extravagantly by a God whose heart beats for them.

If you are a member of committee — whether you’ve served for decades or a season of your life, please accept the grateful thanks of leaders and staff throughout the world. We stand because you stand beside us. And if you’ve ever wondered how you might support Young Life in your hometown as a committee member or friend, please contact your local Young Life office. There is a role for you to play that only you can fill.

Like a double shot of espresso, the ministry support team provides a lift to committees, especially during busy seasons. Whether you call them ambassadors, boosters or friends, you can always call them invaluable sources of energy. Some friends serve in short-term commitments to organize a silent auction or provide a leader appreciation brunch. Others serve in loosely defined roles, as “advocates-at-large” endorsing Young Life in their spheres of influence.

The ministry support team doesn’t attend regular meetings, but most are willing to help with just a simple invitation. Even better is when they come up with an idea and bring it to life. Supporters Dan and Diane Rehor in Bay Village, Ohio, did just that when they organized the football-toss booth at the annual Bay Days celebration and designated Young Life as a recipient of its proceeds.

Their gift, which they downplay,

generated thousands of dollars for Young Life. “We don’t feel called by God to give of our lives in daily ministry like Andy and Kristy (the staff couple in Bay Village, Ohio),” explained Diane Rehor. “But we see the difference Young Life has made in our son’s life. We believe in the difference Young Life can make in many teens’ lives. So we give a little of our time and our God-given gifts.” Every committee knows there are no small gifts of time and energy.

YOUNG LIFE MINISTRY SUPPORT TEAM

SPRING 2012 / 17

Reclaiming a Lost Art

“Hospiltality is a lost art.” While many would agree with Tami Ostlund’s assessment on the health of hospitality, not many would go to the lengths she has

to reclaim this art. Ostlund serves as the Young Life College director at the

University of Minnesota (U of M). Ostlund and her husband, Bill, live in St. Paul, one half of the Twin Cities, where Young Life College enjoys a solid presence on the campuses of the U of M, Bethel University, the University of St. Thomas, and Northwestern College.

The health of Young Life College at these schools is not an accident. In fact, the Ostlunds’ emphasis of welcoming college students into their lives is what attracts so many from the four different schools.

The Ostlunds have made it a point to embody a passage near and dear to their hearts, Romans 12:9-13 (NIV):

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

“When it says practice hospitality,” Ostlund said, “we’ve taken that very seriously.” So seriously, in fact, that the Ostlunds considered the purchase of a home a significant decision in helping to create a welcoming community. “We knew when we began ministry with college students that one of the ways we could most effectively build relationships with them was by inviting them into our home,” Ostlund said.

The renovated home, originally built as a school in 1914 by an Episcopal church, offers the Ostlunds an ideal refuge to care creatively for the many students involved in Young Life College. Not only do they host club there every week, but they regularly serve dinner beforehand to the more than 100 students who come out. While it’s open for large groups coming in for club and other events, their home is also used as a daily sanctuary for weary students to come by and get refreshed. Centrally located in the community, one block away from the U of M and a 10-minute ride from the other area schools, the house also includes an apartment on the third floor, which the Ostlunds often rent out to local college students.

Having so many different facets of Young Life College in their home has fostered a family atmosphere. Students often drop in between classes to study, to nap, even share a meal. “To be in someone’s house with a home-cooked meal,” Ostlund said, “really gives them a picture of Christian community ... especially if they’re homesick. They miss their families. It’s an awesome way to break down walls and build relationships when we’re all sitting at the kitchen table with a big bowl of popcorn.”

Coming homeOne grateful recipient of such warmth and generosity is Lauren Johnsen. Johnsen grew up in Bloomington, Minn., and when it came time to apply to college, she wanted to stay near her family. The U of M kept her close to home, and upon arriving on campus, she was excited to begin a new chapter of her life.

However, the growing workload and pressures of living on her

Lauren (far left) and Ostlund enjoying the deep friendships they share with others in their women’s small group.

Tami Ostlund and Lauren Johnsen.

Editor’s Note: What follows is the third in a five-part series looking at the ministry of Young Life College at campuses across the United States and abroad.

By Travis Johnson and Jeff ChesemoreYoung Life College at the University of Minnesota.

To learn more about Young Life College, go to younglife.org and click on “Young Life College” in the drop-down menu.

Having fun in the Ostlunds’ home.

Reclaiming a Lost Art

own made her anxious and lonely. She lost sleep along with her appetite. “Things quickly took a different turn that I wasn’t ready for,” she said.

While adjusting to Johnsen’s new surroundings, new roommates, and the energy and pressure of college life, Johnsen learned her grandmother had been diagnosed with cancer. The news only pressed Johnsen into deeper sadness. “I didn’t really know where to turn,” she said.

On a particularly low day, a friend invited Johnsen to have lunch with her and some friends she had made at Young Life College. Johnsen remembered friends in high school who had been involved in Young Life, but she had never really had any interest in it. “I didn’t want to hear about how I was sinning, or how I was living a bad life without God,” she said. “I didn’t want anyone telling me I was living my life wrong, because I was living life the way I wanted to.” High school, she remembered, was fraught with cliques and judgmental peers. “I assumed any place I came to would be like [high school],” she said.

What she found instead was a room full of open arms and warm hearts. “It’s incredible how uplifting walking into a room of kind people can be,” she said. One of the first people Johnsen met was Ostlund. “She seemed ready for something else in her life,” Ostlund remembered about Johnsen. “She was feeling pretty lost.”

As the school year progressed, Johnsen’s grandmother’s health continued to deteriorate. Although Johnsen harbored many negative feelings about Christianity, her grandmother was a woman of devout belief. “It was perplexing to me why she was so OK with dying,” Johnsen said.

Johnsen took her questions to club and started emailing Ostlund about issues of faith. “Lauren is a girl who, during the club talk, would actually take notes,” said Ostlund. “She would ask the toughest questions.”

As Johnsen continued to attend Young Life College, she found something in the talk each week she could relate to. “I can’t

18 / SPRING 2012

WHY YOUNG LIFE COLLEGE?•

•

•

•

•

Young Life College has produced more Young Life leaders in every area where it has been established. Therefore, Young Life College means a larger pool of college students from which to develop leaders for the mission of Young Life.

Young Life College extends Young Life’s outreach philosophy to a new group of students — those missed in middle school and high school.

Key ingredients within Young Life — friendship, adventure, fun and a sense of significance — are a natural draw for any college student, no matter where they are on their faith journey.

Young Life College provides new opportunities for staff and volunteers who are gifted and passionate about serving college-age individuals.

Young Life College creates well-trained graduates deployed into the life of the church and toward long-term contribution in the mission of Young Life.

explain how it happened, but something clicked. It just felt right to me,” she said.

The following February, six months after first attending Young Life College, Johnsen’s grandmother passed away. The day after, Johnsen found herself in her grandmother’s bedroom and realized her grandmother’s devotion to Christ was something she wanted for herself. Ostlund received the news over a simple email from Johnsen: “I started a relationship with Jesus.”

Today, Johnsen continues to thrive in the environment of love and acceptance she found in Young Life College. “Lauren has the heart of a person who knows grace, knows the Lord, knows forgiveness and is filled with joy,” said Ostlund. “She invites friends to club and events and she’s a huge encourager.”

In the year since giving her life to Christ, Johnsen has deepened her relationship with Jesus and her new family through her involvement with her Wednesday night small group and volunteering for work crew on several weekend trips at Castaway Club, Young Life’s camp in Minnesota.

“I can’t imagine being in school without Young Life College,” Johnsen said. “I’ve made such good friends. I know that whenever I need anybody — to share excitement with, to share sadness with — those people are there for me.”

Open house … open homesNot content to have the generosity just begin and end with her, Ostlund works hard to instill the vision and practice of hospitality in the students who meet at her house every week for small group. “They are all there, every single week, and they love each other like crazy.”

One day these students, who “love each other like crazy” in the warmth of the Ostlunds’ home, might have homes of their own. It will come as no surprise if these become sanctuaries open to others, as former Young Life College students continue in their own way to reclaim a beautiful lost art.

ACTIVE MINISTRY

START UP MINISTRY — 2011-12 STARTUP

TARGET SCHOOL

SOUTHERN DIVISION MIDWEST DIVISION

ACTIVE MINISTRY

START UP MINISTRY — 2011-12 STARTUP

TARGET SCHOOL

SOUTHERN DIVISION

SPRING 2012 / 19

With the Lord, writes the apostle Peter, 1,000 years are like a day. For Young Life leader Jaimee Putich, the two years she watched and yearned

and prayed for her high-school friend Janae Schallert felt like an eternity. And just as His patience brings us to repentance, Putich hoped her consistent presence in Janae’s life would draw her to the cross.

The story of this friendship shows once again how the love of Christ can capture any heart. Because today, one faithful leader’s wait is over and one more teenager’s real life has begun.

Putich and Janae first met when Janae was a sophomore at Canyon High School in Santa Clarita, Calif. Putich invited Janae, a standout athlete in softball and basketball, and her friend Sara to club. Putich could tell right away Janae was searching for something more.

“Even when Sara couldn’t make it [to club], Janae would come,” Putich, an elementary school teacher, said. “She was really hungry for something and needed stability, but it took her a long time to surrender.”

While Putich had a read on her high-school friend right away, it took Janae a little longer to figure out why an adult was hanging out at the softball field.

“I thought this Young Life thing was pretty cool, but I didn’t want to admit it,” Janae said. “I wasn’t doing too great. My mom had cancer and I was very depressed. This leader kept coming to my softball games and I was confused. Why would this person who I barely know want to come support me?” (Now, four years later, Janae said her mom “is in remission and doing great!”)

That summer, Putich took Janae and five of her basketball teammates to Woodleaf (a Young Life camp in California). Janae calls it “the place that changed my life.”

“A woman talked to us about God and Jesus and how precious we were to Him,” Janae recalled. “This happened

One teen’s slow and simple journey to Christ, and the leader who showed the way.

every night. She would go on and on about how God sent His only Son to save us and how He died for our sins. The first couple of nights I only barely listened.”

The work crew displayed cardboard testimonies — three- or four-word phrases written on cardboard that describes the person’s life before and after Christ — for the campers at the end of the week. That deeply affected Janae.

“I felt like I was able to relate to every board,” she said. “It was crazy to think that all the people who had been helping around camp, who always had a smile on their face, had all felt the same way I did. This is where it hit me. I wanted whatever it was to change my life just like the

work crew kids. At that moment, I knew there was something more out there.”

Janae said, during her junior year, she “felt like a whole new person.” She longed to return to camp and got her chance the next

summer when she served on work crew at Lost Canyon (Young Life’s camp in Arizona). There, she decided it was time to make her heart’s decision public.

“I spent so many hours praying for Janae, sitting with her, grieving and not knowing what to say, taking her to camp and wishing with all my heart that it would stick, but over and over realizing that it was something I could never force,” Putich said.

“Her life taught me about surrender to the Lord. He’s faithful; you show up and He does the work. There is so much beauty in the struggle of it. Her testimony is a confirmation of my faith.”

Worth the Wait

Left: Janae Schallert at Woodleaf with her leader, Jaimee Putich; above, Janae becomes one with the mud at camp.

By Leslie Strader

“It was crazy to think that all the people who had been helping around camp, who always had a smile on their face, had all felt the same way I did. This is where it hit me. I wanted whatever it was to change my life just like the work crew kids. At that moment,

I knew there was something more out there.” — Janae Schallert

20 / SPRING 2012

Honoring those who have served the mission

PASSAGES

Guy Gresham went to be with Jesus on Dec. 31, 2011. Raised in Denver, Gresham met his wife of 24 years, Carole, in Durango, Colo.

For more than 25 years, Gresham shared Jesus with kids through Young Life. As an area director in the small Colorado towns of Durango, Rangeley, and Sterling, he impacted more lives than we can know.

In 2006, Gresham and Carole transitioned to Woodleaf camp staff in Challenge, Calif., with their four children: Rachel, Hanna, Tamara and Canaan. In the last 18 months, the Greshams also assumed legal guardianship of their foster son, Nate.

“Faithfulness and consistency are two marks of Young Life and Guy Gresham. As minister, father and friend, he served and loved in a way that left a significant and lasting impression on those he touched. I am one of those people. He will be missed,” said Ken Tankersley, regional director, Young Life Front Range Region.

Guy GreshamApril 5, 1961 - Dec. 31, 2011 By Erika Jay

Doug Kuhn passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Dec. 2 into the arms of Jesus. Passionate about using his civil engineering skills for building Christ’s kingdom, Kuhn treasured the part he played on staff at Washington Family Ranch. He was part of the team that built the original camp at Washington Family Ranch and also helped with the expansion, completed in 2011. Kuhn, along with his wife, Dana, has volunteered for many years in the Yakima, Wash., area.

Mark Poindexter, director of construction, Young Life Camping said, “Doug’s life was filled with love for family, spending time with his boys, and being committed to friends. Doug’s incredible drive for perfection in the Creekside project was a reflection of his amazing faith, love for Jesus Christ, and desire to share the Gospel with kids.”

Doug KuhnMarch 15, 1965 - Dec. 2, 2011

Bob ReevertsApril 25, 1935 -Oct. 28, 2011By Erika Jay

Bob Reeverts was introduced to Young Life while in high school in Knoxville, Tenn. It had a profound impact on his faith journey and left a lasting impression. After graduating from the University of Tennessee and Fuller Theological Seminary, Reeverts joined Young Life staff in 1961.

Throughout his 50 years of involvement with Young Life, Reeverts served in many roles within the mission. His most recognized role of leadership was leading Young Life’s international ministry, where he humbly followed the Lord’s leading in expanding Young Life globally, reaching more kids with the good and saving news of Jesus.

Reeverts’ mark on others was not limited to Young Life. Bob Lonac, former Young Life staff and current president and CEO of CRISTA Ministries remarked, “He was a relentless and loving warrior for Jesus every day of his life. I never knew a man who was more consistent in the character traits that reflect Jesus Christ, than Bob Reeverts.”

Bob Reeverts as Chief Wa Wa Tanango at Frontier Ranch in the ‘60’s.

Troy Gray, area director in Tempe, Ariz., passed into the presence of his Savior at the age of 29. For months, Gray bravely battled Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, while serving as an inspiration to so many. He was an incredible man of God, wonderful husband to Kelly and father to Garrison (5) and Aven (1), and an admired, top-notch area director.

Gray met the Lord through Young Life at Arcadia High School in Arizona. After graduating from ASU, he went through the Young Life training program and became area director of Tempe in 2006.

Marty Caldwell, senior vice president of the International South Division said, “In both life and death, Troy Gray and Kelly Gray have shown us the Way of Hope. The sadness is deep and painful. The hope is barely enough, but this family has shown this Hope is truly true. Our job now? Carry this Hope in Christ as a legacy.”

Troy GraySept. 8, 1982 - Dec. 12, 2011 By Erika Jay

SPRING 2012 / 21

SNOW CREEK CHALETNOW AVAILABLE!

Friends of Young Life have recently given the mission Snow Creek Chalet, a beautiful mountain retreat located next to our camp, Crooked Creek Ranch, in Fraser, Colo. The chalet sleeps up to 10 people, and with pricing 50-70% less than comparable chalets/lodges in this Winter Park ski area, it may be the perfect spot for your Colorado getaway.

GREAT FOR:• Small church retreats

• Leadership retreats (staff, committee, etc.)

• Small Campaigner or college ski trips

• Staff sabbatical or vacation (discounts given for stays more than 10 days)

• Auction offering at Young Life fund-raising events

FOR MORE INFORMATION Call (719) 381-1913 or email snowcreekchalet@sc.younglife.org.

22 / SPRING 2012

A collection of photos from the field

PARTING SHOTS

2 31

1. Young Life Mozambique ministry to the blind.

2. Kristen and Will enjoy the paddleboats during YoungLives week at Michindoh in Hillsdale, Mich.

3. Trevor from Northern Gwinnett, Ga., serves as a Capernaum buddy to Jacob at Young Life’s Southwind (in Florida).

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P.O. Box 520Colorado Springs, CO 80901

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Multicultural/Urban Campership Fund – vital for Young Life ministry in under-resourced communities throughout the United States.Young Life Capernaum Camper/Buddy Campership – ensures that campers with disabilities will have a “buddy” at their side all week supporting and encouraging them.Young Life Africa/“Climb for Change” – support a team of climbers headed up Mt. Kilimanjaro on the “Climb for Change.”Young Life Former Soviet Union/Katie’s Kids Campership Fund – support a camper in the Former Soviet Union in memory of Katie Parsons May.

Local campership programs are always the highest priority. If you’re able to give an extra gift to support kids in areas where resources are scarce, please consider: