Young Life aims to introduce kids to Christ and help them grow in their faith. Leaders do this by meeting kids where they are through activities like school lunches, sporting events, and hangouts. They earn kids' trust and respect through Bible studies and sharing life stories. Camps provide interactive experiences where leaders walk alongside kids and share the gospel. A typical Young Life area consists of multiple schools led by a paid area director and staff associates, volunteer college students and professionals as leaders, and a committee of supportive parents. Leaders receive monthly training and typically work with the same student group as they age.

1. Young Life Leader Model:
Mission: Introduce kids to Christ and help them grow in their faith.
 How?
o “Meeting kids where they are,”
 Go to school for lunch
 Go to sporting events and
 Meet them for lunch/coffee, etc.
o “Earning the right to be heard,” which means earning kids’ respect
and loving them to build trust
 Leaders go deeper with kids through Bible studies called
“Campaigners”
 Leaders tell life stories to connect with kids
o Camp: both in Michigan and hiking in Colorado; sharing the gospel
while at camp.
o It’s a very interactive experience, much like Spring Hill, where
leaders walk alongside kids and get to know them better.
A Young Life Area usually consists of:
 Several schools
 Led by:
o Area Director, who is full-time and paid
o Staff Associates, who are also paid
 These staff members are tasked with raising $15,000-$20,000 each
year, most of which goes toward their salary
o Volunteer college students and young professionals are Young Life
Leaders
 Placed in various areas, but especially in heavily concentrated
college areas
 Leaders typically stick with a group of students in a certain group
and move with them as they get older
 Training:
o Training happens monthly within the area; some areas train leaders for a
full semester and then place them on a particular team.
 Support:
o Committee members are involved parents in the community, usually those
who have kids in middle school or high school.
o They act as support for the staff, hosts for leaders, and meet regularly to
discuss and plan. They are a huge help and support, both for leaders and
from the standpoint of helping the area function. You may think of them as
a “board of trustees” of sorts
 Movement
o There are definitely opportunities for leaders to move into staff positions
through application processes.

2. o There are also church partnerships, which can involve being a Youth
Pastor at a church and/or leading Young Life at a local school.