Young Life Delivers Experience of a Lifetime

The Young Life program helps connect teens through group activities and camps that emphasize spirituality. Its supportive environment and caring leadership allow teens to have a place where they can express their optimism and apprehension as they make the difficult transition to adulthood. Through group activities with counselors and spiritual discussions, Young Life helps teens understand what it takes to make healthy decisions during this time, and instills them with a strong voice that will carry them into the future. Martha Mesna, an 18-year-old senior at Breck, spent several years attending camps, and loved it so much she volunteered on Work Crew this summer at Young Life’s Castaway Club. She recently shared her thoughts with us.

Private School Young Life (PSYL): Can you describe your involvement in PSYL over the years?

Martha: I was actually first involved in Private School WyldLife in 7th and 8th grade and then I got involved in PSYL as a freshman in high school when I started going to club and campaigners every week. I have also been to the Young Life camp at Windy Gap in the Summer of 2008 and Castaway in the Fall of 2008.

PSYL: Can you summarize your experience with Young Life camp?

Martha: Young Life Camp is everything you hear it will be; it's the best week of your life! At camp you have a chance to meet people who have the same beliefs as you do and the opportunity to grow spiritually.

PSYL: What led to your decision to volunteer for Work Crew this summer at Castaway?

Martha: I first started thinking about applying for Work Crew when I got home from a week at Windy Gap the summer after my sophomore year. At the end of the week we were introduced to the Work Crew who was working while we were at camp. They explained that being on Work Crew was an opportunity to serve others while at the same time become closer to God. This volunteer position appealed to me because although I already had a relationship with Jesus, I knew it could be stronger. I had also heard that while a Young Life camp would be the best week of your life, being on Work Crew at a camp would be the best month of your life, so I decided to apply for the job.

PSYL: Describe a typical day as a Work Crew member.

Martha: If you are on Work Crew, you will be assigned one of four jobs: outdoor crew, house keeping, pits (dishes), or a server. I was a server so I woke up early, set the tables, served the campers and cleared the tables again for every meal, and then cleaned the dining room in between each meal. While the number of campers varied, it was around 400 to 500 campers per week, so it was a tough job but we made it fun.

PSYL: How long were you at Castaway?

Martha: I was at camp for about one month; from the beginning to the end of June.

PSYL: What was most challenging about your experience?

Martha: The most challenging part of being on Work Crew is you're always working. Even when it's your time for a break, you will see someone else on Work Crew that needs help finishing their job so you will give up your free time to go and help them out.

PSYL: What will you most remember about the camp?

Martha: The thing I will remember most about being on Work Crew is the amazing friends I made. Everyone volunteering at Castaway shared the same beliefs as I did so they were all very easy to get along with, and I still keep in touch with most of them.

PSYL: If someone were interested in doing Work Crew next year, what advice would you give them about the process of signing up?

Martha: If there are people interested in Work Crew I would highly recommend applying. All you have to do is download a form off the Young Life website and fill it out. Your Head Leader or Area Director will help you choose the location you want to work at and will help you send all of your forms in.

PSYL: Do you feel your experience will help you as a senior in high school or a freshman in college?

Martha: I definitely feel as though my time on Work Crew will help me in high school and later on in college. While I was at camp I learned the true meaning of teamwork and also how to work through the toughest days. Because of this I know I will be able to get through hard days in the years to come and to do so with a positive attitude.

PSYL: Would you consider any other volunteer position within Young life, if so, what would it be?

Martha: I am considering becoming a WyldLife leader this year or during/after college. I am also interested in being on Summer Staff at a Young Life camp, which is similar to being on Work Crew except it is for college students.

PSYL: Anything else you’d like to add?

Martha: Yes – get involved and get engaged. You won’t be sorry you did!

A New Season!

by Andy Swanda, PSYL Head Leader

As a Minnesotan, you really need to embrace the seasons. Each one is unique, potentially extreme, and has a beauty all its own. However, this summer just seemed to be shorter than most—there wasn’t enough to embrace! How is it possible that three months can pass so quickly? Just yesterday I was watching my children run off the bus from their last day of school and Private School Young Life leaders were celebrating the graduation of our seniors. Today, my kids are laying out their clothes for the first weeks of school and our PSYL graduates are settling into their freshman dorm rooms across the country! Cabins are closed, schools are open, and a new season is upon us.

This particular season of ministry is an exciting one for me. As you may know, our Young Life area really blossomed this past year as we made the strategic decision to evolve from one area—formerly known as “Minneapolis South Young Life”—to the areas of “Young Life Southwest Twin Cities (SWTC).” The goal behind this move was to set up our individual ministry communities (Bloomington, Edina, Hopkins, Minnehaha Academy, and Private School) for greater independence and ownership of their unique visions to Connect Kids to Christ in their schools. Our goal is grow a deep, pervasive ministry presence for teenagers in every community in the southwest suburbs—and there are over 32,000 teenagers in our greater community! The harvest is plentiful.

Right on the heels of the creation of SWTC, Private School Young Life entered a strategic planning process of its own. After all, PSYL is now an area and needs to start acting like one as we build for our kids’ future. We recognized the many blessings that God has provided us in recent years and prayerfully considered the challenges that lie ahead.

As a result of our planning sessions, we made an exciting decision—Private School Young Life will be hiring a new full-time head leader to oversee the Young Life and WyldLife ministries. Meanwhile, I will re-direct my ministry focus with kids to the Edina community. Young Life once flourished in Edina and has desperately fallen off. We realized that, for the long-term, Edina is the most logical community for me to act as a “player-coach” as we build depth and excellence in our current communities, then consider where God might have us develop a new ministry presence.

What does this mean for Private School Young Life? I’ll still be around, as I’m continuing to direct the greater SWTC area, but I will be present less with kids and more with the PSYL Cabinet and leadership. In the meantime Matt Duer, one of our current Young Life leaders, is serving in a part-time role as the Interim Club Leader for Young Life and WyldLife. Additionally, a full-time staff search is underway as we prayerfully consider God’s right person for this ministry, at this time. Please pray for both Matt and the Cabinet during this transition!

A new season is upon us. This season is certainly going to be extreme and will have a beauty all its own —for both Private School Young Life and the Southwest Twin Cities. May God richly bless our continued efforts in Connecting Kids to Christ, both near and far.

Connecting Kids to Christ Through the 5 “Cs”

by Dawn Keller, Cabinet Leader

On behalf of the Private School Young Life (PSYL) Cabinet, I want to welcome you to the first edition of our new online newsletter. We’ll be publishing this newsletter three times a year and hope you and your family will see it as a valuable ongoing resource.

In each issue, this portion of the newsletter will be written by Dawn Keller, Cabinet Leader, so I thought it best to use the very first article to “set the stage,” if you will.

PSYL is open to everyone, regardless of school or religious beliefs. Young Life is about connecting Kids to Christ so invite others but make sure they understand there will be a message about Jesus.

There’s an old joke that education boils down to 3 “Rs” – Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic. Well at PSYL, we’ve got the 5 “Cs” – Contact Work, Club, Camp, Campaigners and Committee. And look, ours all start with the same letter!

• Contact Work
  It’s all about engagement. Kids don’t care what you think until they know how much you care. Within Young Life, we call the act of engaging kids on their terms and in their world “contact work.” The kids just call it friendship. PYSL leaders can be seen at sporting events, shopping with kids, meeting for bagels and hot chocolate, bowling, chatting online, and many other activities to connect with kids. It’s the foundation of PSYL’s success.
  
• Club
  Think of Club as a “party with a purpose.” This controlled chaos is difficult for kids to describe, but everyone who attends considers it the best night of the week. And before the party ends, we share a simple message about God's love for them. Club meeting times are highlighted in the Fall Calendar.
• Camp – The Best Week of Their Life
  For most, it’s the best week of the summer. For many, it’s the best week of their life. PSYL kids have the opportunity to participate in 20 different Young Life camps all over the USA and Canada. This summer, PSYL had 21 9th-12th graders spend a week at Crooked Creek Camp in Colorado and another 24 7th and 8th graders went to Castaway Camp in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Along with top accommodations, they burn through the week in record time with constant, stimulating, fun activities with their leaders and friends, including a ropes course, mountain biking, rappelling, horseback riding, game rooms, water sports and more.
  
• Campaigners
  If Camp is the time to “let it all out,” then Campaigners is the time for “taking it all in.” It’s a time to more closely examine, and to grow more deeply in, a life of faith. We invite kids to actively follow Jesus Christ – and leaders are with them for the long haul to help them take those steps of faith, with unconditional love. Campaigner meeting times are highlighted in the Fall Calendar.
  
• Committee
  To make a difference, parents need to get involved. PSYL is supported by adults who care about the future of kids in our community. The Mission Community is comprised of a committee of PSYL parents (called Cabinet Members), as well as a Volunteer Leader Team of young adults who have a vested interest in Connecting Kids to Christ. This year’s Cabinet Members are Danis Byrd, Tara Clark, Jim and Nan Corwin, Diane Erickson, Jeff Holker, Emily Joern, Angie Lee, Ethan Otterlei, Carolyn Pierce, Ron and Teresa Sit, and Dawn Keller. Ethan is our newest member and was the very first Volunteer Leader for PSYL, dedicating his time and Godly talents to our kids for more than six years.
  

These 5 “Cs” make up the critical foundation of PSYL’s success, and I hope you’ll take the time to join me in helping make this organization one that acts as a catalyst for Connecting Our Kids to Christ. We need you. If you are interested in knowing how you can play a role in PSYL, please call me at 612-816-2828.

On behalf of the PSYL Cabinet, I wish you and your family a blessed start to the new school year.