The Young Life Blog

Culture is changing. The next generation is searching for friends, hope, truth — and much more. We live at this intersection, offering insight, encouragement, and practical ways to show up in the lives of students.

3 Key Strategies to Recruit, Equip, and Empower Volunteers

Ministry Playbook

If Jesus was a Young Life leader, what would be his volunteer-making strategy? An unstoppable movement came from his three-and-a-half-year ministry; his volunteer team had almost nothing, but shook the world with the gospel. Today it’s difficult to find committed and called volunteers, but the strength of Young Life ministry is not the number of…

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Top 10 Young Life Videos of All Time!

Legacy and Impact

Who doesn’t love a good video that captures the heart and personality of Young Life? Well, this is the blog you’ve been waiting for! Out of thousands of videos, we’ve chosen the top 10 Young Life videos of all time! How did we choose these?  Lots of prayer and discernment … and a little help…

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Bringing Beauty to Bibles

Stories of Transformation

Across the globe, Young Life alumni and friends are part of God’s spirit of revival! Katie and Nick Guiliano, Young Life’s 2023 Young Professionals of the Year Award recipients, are impacting the world one beautiful Bible at a time! Transformational. For Katie Lipps this perfectly describes her 2013 trip to Lake Champion, Young Life’s camp…

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5 Ways Jesus Impacted People That You Can Do Today

Faith and Life

The adolescents in your life are asking big questions around meaning, truth, and belonging. “What’s my purpose?” “How is life supposed to work?” “Do I fit in?” “Do you like me?” “Do I like you?” They might not even always know it, but they’re asking! Yet, it can seem to young people in Gen Z…

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Young Life Community Network Awards 2024

Legacy and Impact

Every year the Young Life Community Network, in partnership with the Office of the President, honors three individuals or couples with our annual alumni awards. Below, you will find three stories, highlighting our 2024 recipients. 2024 DISTINGUISHED YOUNG LIFE ALUMNI AWARD: BOBBY AND BETH REAGAN As a young man, Bobby Reagan would have said he…

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God Transforming Teens Through Connection

Legacy and Impact

In the world of youth ministry, few principles resonate as deeply as the idea that relationships are the key to transformation. Young Life focuses on introducing teenagers to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. We understand the most powerful way to reach kids is through authentic, meaningful connections. What follows are a…

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How to Truly See Jesus

Faith and Life

Zacchaeus was a wee little man and a wee little man was he, he climbed up in a sycamore tree, the Savior for to see. And as the Savior passed that way he looked up in the tree, and he said, “Zacchaeus, you come down, for I’m going to your house today, for I’m going…

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Breaking the Code: How to Talk to Gen Z and Gen Alpha

Ministry Playbook

BRIDGING GENERATIONAL COMMUNICATION GAPS TO TALK TO GEN Z AND GEN ALPHA Remember when millennials were considered the “young generation”? Well, times have changed! You may have blinked and now suddenly finding Gen Alpha kids in your WyldLife clubs! Today, we see a mix of Gen Z and Gen Alpha in our clubs at Young…

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Yes, Gen Z, You’re Worthy of Love!

Next Gen Culture

Connecting with adolescents can be intimidating. But it’s important — and simpler than you might think. Making inroads with kids and young adults can be tricky. It’s a difficult time for them. They’re undergoing one of the most dramatic eras of physical, emotional, and social change in their lives. It’s a period of doubt, disruption,…

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Incarnational Ministry 101!

Faith and Life

A Non-Negotiable for Young Life Leaders In Young Life we use the term incarnational a lot, even referring to ourselves as an incarnational ministry. But what do we really mean when we say this? First, let’s make sure we’re clear on the definition of the word. Incarnation comes from the Latin incarnationem, meaning “the act…

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Life to the Full: What Jesus Really Promised

Legacy and Impact

THE PROMISE OF A “FULL” LIFE A teenager leans back in a creaky school chair, staring at the ceiling, and wonders, “Is this all there is?” Many people, both young and old, feel the weight of this question daily; the potential emptiness of life gnaws at them and demands an answer that’s long-term, sustainable, and…

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Building a Thriving Culture in Your Young Life Community

Ministry Playbook

The Bible offers a rich tapestry of metaphors to describe the life of a Christ follower. One particularly evocative image is that of an “aroma,” a fragrant scent that draws others in. In the context of your Young Life community, this “aroma of Christ” represents the potent, attractive power of a healthy and vibrant culture….

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The Main Factor in Creating Culture: Volunteer Leaders

Ministry Playbook

The heartbeat of Young Life’s ministry pulses through its volunteer leaders. While undoubtedly staff play a huge role in our ministry, it’s the volunteer leaders who ultimately make Young Life happen. We literally could not do ministry without them and reach the millions of adolescents we’ve reached so far since 1941. These volunteers — whether…

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