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.