This year (2023) Ash Wednesday falls on Wednesday, February 22nd. It’s the beginning of the ancient church season of Lent. I wanted to offer some thoughts that might be helpful for your Campaigners group or Young Life team. I didn’t start practicing Lent until I was in college and our Young Life Regional Director taught on the spiritual practice of Lent at a leadership meeting. With each year, this Lenten season grows more personally significant and is consistently a time of deeper intimacy with the Lord. The term “Lent” comes from the English word Lenten (lengthen), referring to th ..read more

Before you read this, watch the video above. Somebody once told me that whatever you focus your attention on will determine what you are missing most. Last summer, when I was on my sabbatical, I asked the Lord for a scripture that would be our Young Life region’s theme for the year. He gave me 2 Corinthians 4:18. “Because we don’t focus our attention on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but the unseen realm is eternal.”  2 Corinthians 4:18 TPT The Lord revealed to me that he wants us to have eyes to see. I don’t know how many of you have seen t ..read more

My name is Sean Michael Murphy and I am an Area Director who is looking to learn from others. I would love to get an idea of what leaders are planning for this semester’s clubs.  I’m not only interested in new songs, skits, games and illustrations, I’m also interested in how you’re tracking/planning your semester.  I’ve used Google sheets, Word, notebooks, napkins and “winged it.”  If you have a process of putting together your semester plans and are willing to share it, please pass along your thoughts to us at YLmurph@gmail.com. If you have a new game, skit, talk ..read more

Natalie and I have a New Year’s Eve tradition of reflecting on the past and dreaming about the future. We use these “Questions For The New Year” (also copied below) as a starting point for our conversation. Hopefully, they can be helpful to you as well. If you’re tired of making and breaking new year’s resolutions, consider making a “Rule of Life” instead. Check out this Rule of Life from missionary, Adoniram Judson: Be diligent in secret prayer, every morning and evening. Never spend a moment in mere idleness. Restrain natural appetites within the bounds of temperance and purity. ‘Keep ..read more

Life is all about questions. And wow, are there so many questions. Your teenage friends are starting to wrestle with more and more questions—and bigger and bigger ones. It’s easy to get overwhelmed—and many teenagers feel a lot of pressure to have everything figured out. Maybe they even think the point of life is actually to find all the answers (spoiler alert: most adults never fully do!) Maybe you have students who have all the questions. All the time. And you don’t always know how to help. We feel your struggle. Embracing the Questions We’re youth-leaders-turned-researchers who’ve spent a l ..read more

Recently I have had occasion to spend time reflecting on my own personal history with Young Life. It was in 1974 at a Young Life club on a military base in California where I first experienced what I am calling the “Four H’s” of the gospel. Today I want to encourage you to help kids and adults around the world have their personal encounter with these four H’s within Young Life. 1. Hospitality. My Young Life club in high school was a place where everyone was welcome and personally known by name. It didn’t matter if you were rich, poor, civilian, military kid, child of an officer, enlisted or wh ..read more

Join us on November 9th @ 10AM PT / 1PM ET for Club Beyond’s Global Celebration Presented by Young Life Military. Join viewers from around the globe as renown comedian Jeff Foxworthy hosts our inaugural global experience celebrating Club Beyond! In this program, you will learn how, since 1959, Young Life has been reaching military teens and their families. Hear the stories of how God is using Club Beyond to reach this community and support the US military worldwide. Catch our vision to reach every kid and see how you can easily support this critical mission! MORE DETAILS HERE REGISTER HERE ..read more

When: October 12th from 2-3 pm CST Where: Zoom Cost: FREE The Mr. Christmas Tree Pageant or similar event can create great contact work for your leaders and kid ownership of your club! But without knowing all the “whys” behind it, it can also be a great miss for your area. Join us for this live webinar to help you and your leaders make the most of an event like this! If you can’t make it, still sign up, and we’ll send you the recording! SIGN UP HERE ..read more

When: October 5, 2022 from 2-3 pm CST Where: Zoom Cost: FREE Many say it’s “the best week of their life,” which I’m sure you know to be true. But how do you get kids to that week? How do you set up a successful camp sign-up night? Join me for this webinar to hear how to set up your summer camp sign-up night to fill up all your camp spots. If you can’t make it, still sign up, and we’ll send you the recording! SIGN UP HERE ..read more

As another school year begins, it’s a perfect time to enter into new rhythms. If you’re looking for a devotional to read alongside your teenage friends, “Alongside Jesus” was written for you. The book is designed to help middle and high schoolers experience the presence of Jesus, alongside a caring adult. Each day includes: A question A story A scripture An alongside practice A suggested song Each week is structured in a way that a Young Life leader and a teenager can do the devotional individually. At the end of each week, there’s a conversation guide that can be used to facilitate a Campa ..read more