YOUNG LIFE VICTORIA
Young Life, an international Christian outreach to teens, has been providing teens in Victoria with caring relationships with concerned adults since 1961. Staff and volunteer leaders communicate and demonstrate the Christian message of love and hope found in Jesus Christ to help teens as they grapple with life’s big questions such as, Who am I? Where do I fit? What can I hope for? Young Life leadership is firmly based on the belief that leaders need to “earn the right to be heard”. They earn this trust through building strong relationships with the teens as they come alongside them, meeting them in their world. Through one on one encounters, weekly club meetings, campaigner bible studies, and camping adventures relationships are forged and opportunities to share the gospel message unfold. The gospel message is always presented in a non-threatening way. Young Life leadership teams are presently active in Mt. Doug and Lambrick Park High Schools and are paving a path to be more involved at Oak Bay High. In the summer of 2010, Kevin Scott became the new area director for Young Life Victoria. We are excited to have Kevin and his wife, Liz Becker, guide our Victoria leaders.
Young Life is thankful for all the ways that St. Philip Church supports this ministry. Prayer and financial support along with involvement in annual fund raising efforts are greatly appreciated. For more information please contact the Young Life office at 250-472-2004 or speak with the St. Philip Young Life Representative Brenda Hosie.
About Young Life Canada
Young Life leaders are committed to friendships with kids - no strings attached. Leaders spend time with kids playing road hockey, going to the mall, watching a basketball game, heading to the ski hill - leaders go to where the kids are and enter their world. We are all about communicating God's love to kids in terms they can understand. We welcome all teenagers; both junior and senior high, regardless of race or religious beliefs. Young Life values and respects all young people, and strives to make them all feel welcomed and accepted.
Young Life goes where the action is:
So how does it work? Here is Young Life's unique approach to working with young people:
Contact Work
Young Life staff and volunteer leaders go where kids are; the high school campus, school games, practices, and local hangouts. Leaders work on building bridges of friendships in order to “earn the right to be heard.
Club
An experience in controlled chaos, Club, usually associated with a high school, typically meets weekly for an hour or so. Young Life leaders create a high energy environment featuring songs, skits, and participation games. Towards the end of the evening, a leader gives a talk on an aspect of the Christian message. Club is the place to be, to enjoy friends and be part of the action. Club is a safe place to be one's self and to express that teenage tendency to push the limits.
Campaigners
This is the name given to our weekly Bible study and high school leadership team. Staff and leaders hold weekly discussion groups to give teenagers the opportunity to grow in their Christian faith and to plan and implement the weekly clubs. The goal is to see these young people become active participants in their church community.
Camping
A Young Life specialty! At our camps kids can indulge their passion for adventure, challenge themselves athletically, hang out with friends, or share their hearts with a leader. Our outstanding new camp, RockRidge Canyon, has facilities for swimming, water skiing and wakeboarding, mountain biking, hiking, basketball, sand volleyball, road hockey, and skateboarding as well as just "hanging out". After a week at a Young Life camp, most kids say, "I had the best week of my life!" Registration for all Young Life camps, including our summer camps at RockRidge Canyon, is done through the local Young Life clubs.