Why does PSYL exist?

by Dawn Keller, Private School Young Life (PSYL) Cabinet Leader

So often I am asked why does PSYL exist? Having experienced Young Life through the eyes of my children I can sum it up in three words: fun, friends and faith.

Fun – some of the wackiest games are played providing loads of entertainment.
Friends – an opportunity to be with friends in a safe and fun environment.
Faith – the ability to walk side by side young adult leaders who care about them, take time for them, provide Biblical education and answer their spiritual, but more often life, questions.

PSYL welcomes everyone and the ministry has made a very positive difference in a number of students’ lives. I encourage you to read below to hear from other parents and leaders and how they’ve been impacted by the ministry. If your family hasn’t already taken the opportunity to get involved, I encourage you to do so.

Diane and Tom Erickson—Parents
Private School Young Life's theme verse, John 10:10, states: "(Jesus) has come so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." That has definitely been true for our family since Chris attended his first WyldLife Club in the fall of 7th grade. Hooked from the start, he has barely missed an event in five years of involvement. WyldLife & Young Life Club, Castaway summer and fall camp, Wednesday morning Campaigners, Young Life (YL) summer camp at Crooked Creek and Frontier, ClubPaigners, weekend socials, and hanging with leaders at Breck events... Chris can't seem to get enough of PSYL, his YL friends, and those awesome YL leaders.

Just when we thought he couldn't possibly add one more thing to his busy junior-year schedule, he started volunteering as a WyldLife student leader. Robby and the other WyldLife leaders have warmly welcomed him to their team, and even invited him to participate in the WyldLife planning portion of their recent leader training. And what has been the most awesome thing about that experience according to Chris? It's not the wacky games, tacos in a bag, or hanging out with 7th and 8th graders on a Friday night (although he likes all of that too)... it's being included as a mentor for those middle school guys during their small group time at the Ottawa House as they talk about faith and life. What's next? More YL Summer Camp experiences at Timber Wolf Lake. And as Chris starts looking at colleges this year, and applying next year as a senior, on his short list of requirements: Young Life! I don't want to forget to mention that Chris' enthusiasm is contagious. We have enjoyed our involvement in the PSYL community as well: Tom on the TDS Committee and Diane as a 4-year member of the Cabinet. Thank you Young Life!

Dahlia Brue and Jess Nash – Leaders
Dahlia and Jess have been meeting with sophomore girls on Sundays. They meet at Caribou and have a Bible study. They look at what God tells them regarding issues such as the intimacy with God, rest, purity, loving enemies, etc. Those interested afterward go to The Table at CPC for worship and praise.

Dahlia writes…This time has been extremely beneficial to the girls and their walk with the Lord and with our own relationships with them. We've been able to talk through a lot of the hurt that is going on in their own lives while bringing comfort to them through the Word. It's really become a safe place where they feel they have a support system with people who have their best interest, and the Lord's best interest for them. A new girl started coming to our small group and church every week. Her desire to learn more and tell people about Christ has really made a huge impact on me. It’s awesome to see how God has prompted them to bring their friends to church and small group.

Jess shares…This time has been so fun to see the girls open up and be vulnerable with one another. The Bible study has laid the foundation of our relationships. I have had multiple girls reach out and ask questions about how to handle hard situations in a Christian way! Sundays have become a highlight of my week to grow in my relationship with God along side of these girls!

Paul and Tonya Hendrickson - Parents
PSYL has been a blessing to our daughter and our family. The dedication and energy exhibited by the leaders is infectious and has really caught on with Taylor. It is so important to have other adult role models (especially ones who are way cooler than mom and dad) sharing faith and fun with young kids. Taylor looks forward to upcoming events and activities.

Taylor's faith has grown through PSYL. She enjoys being able to talk with her friends about her faith. She recently discovered that one of her friends would pray the Lord's Prayer silently to herself at sleepovers just like Taylor does. This created a special bond between the girls. Being able to share ideas with friends is one of the best ways to grow spiritually.

PSYL is more than just bowling, pizza parties, spitting crickets and mystery blender. Messages are shared in terms that middle schoolers can understand. It is truly a fun, safe and supportive environment to explore and grow in faith.

Tara Clark - Parent
I like PSYL because it is important for me to have my children not only connect with other people of the Christian faith in church or at home, but to find Christian fellowship in other areas of life. The more people that connect with my kids in a Christian path, the stronger their faith walk will be. I'm always amazed at the impact high school and college aged Christian leaders can have on my children; they know just how to approach and guide young teens in a mentoring way. Their input is ADDITIVE into what they already hear at home and church.

Laura Brown - Leader
I've been so blessed by the relationships I've built with some of the WyldLife girls this year. We've shared great conversations, lots of good laughs and we've also talked about where they are in their faith journey. I was honored to be invited to Grandparent's Day at Breck by an 8th grader as a guest and I got to attend a few classes with this student. It was truly an amazing experience. I got to see first hand how the Breck community shapes the lives of their students and their families. What a wonderful community! Walking along side a student at school, in their faith, in sports or in their everyday activities has been so great. Not only do I feel like I'm having a positive impact on the kids, but the kids are also making a huge impact on me and shaping who I am.

Teresa Sit - Parent
Being involved as a volunteer parent at The Ottawa House for monthly WyldLife Club meetings has been a rewarding and insightful experience. It is nice to see our 7th and 8th graders together, developing friendships, having fun, and being mentored by Robby Kiley, and several young adult and high school volunteers. Even though the parents are sitting in the kitchen (having very meaningful discussions of our own) the joy from the living room permeates through the entire house!

We welcome any parents who want to “hang out” in the kitchen during WyldLife Club. Youʼll be glad you came!

If you have any questions about Private School Young Life please call Robby Kiley (513)708-7621 or me (info below).

Wishing you a restful spring break.

God bless,

Dawn Keller
PSYL Cabinet Leader
dkeller@solutran.com
612-816-2828

What is Campaigners?

by Robby Kiley, Head Leader

Each Wednesday at 7:15 am, a group of 10-20 Upper School students gather with leaders at the Ottawa House for Campaigners, Young Life’s small group Bible study. Students enjoy bagels and juice and spend time catching up, praying for each other and studying scripture. At other times during the month, Middle School students meet at Caribou for Coffee and Conversations or seniors gather over breakfast to share their lives and help plan out WyldLife club. These are only a few examples of the many small group ministries that help our Young Life and WyldLife leaders accomplish our mission of introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith.

When Young Life began, back in 1941, it was initially referred to as the “Young Life Campaign.” Even back then, small groups were a vital part of the ministry. These groups became known as “Campaigners,” as they were helping accomplish the work of the Young Life Campaign. Now, seventy years later, Campaigners still plays an important role, giving leaders and students time together to build community, pray for each other and study scripture. Although the name may be archaic, Campaigners is still very relevant to kids today.

With kids leading busier and busier lives, Young Life leaders have responded by being more flexible about how and when they meet with teens. We currently have four leaders running small group ministries independent of Coffee and Conversations (WL) and Campaigners (YL), and we expect this number to grow by the end of the year. Our students have shown that they desire to meet together - look no further than “faux-paigners,” a grassroots group that began one morning in 2009 when Campaigners was canceled for Grandparents day. Fauxpaigners continues to meet weekly to this day, and is completely student run. As leaders, our job is to help facilitate these times to encourage students not just to gather but also to nurture their interest in their faith.

Our goal is to ensure that every student has an opportunity to grow in their faith in a community setting. Small group leaders tackle tough topics relevant to their groups. They study the Bible together. They read books by Christian authors. They even attend church together! Through our ministry, we hope to allow students an opportunity to know God better and develop the tools they need to live out their faith. In the next year, it is my hope that our small group ministries continue to develop, so that every leader has his or her own small group, meeting the needs of a specific group of students in the Private School Community. Please pray for us as we strive for this goal!