Youth look for leaders and direction from people they trust, role models, and genuine folks. Young Life is a Christian outreach organization that has reached out and rooted in Union County providing opportunity for relationship connections and uplifting opportunities between the leaders and the youth in the area.

Young Life is an international organization that was founded in 1941. The group came to Union County in 2017 and Union County Young Life became its own, locally run, locally funded Young Life area in 2018.

The mission of the organization is to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. But Young Life doesn’t start with a program, it begins with adults who are concerned enough about kids to go to them, on their turf and in their culture, building bridges of authentic friendship. Those types of lifelong relationships do not happen overnight; they take time, patience, trust, and consistency. Young Life leaders go where kids are and love them regardless of their response to the Gospel and believe in not only sharing the Gospel of God with them, but their lives as well because they love them so much (1 Thessalonians 2:8).

The devoted leaders are active in the lives of kids, going where they are, like the high school, the cafeteria, their sports practices and games, and their places of work. The one time they ask their friends to attend something is for Young Life Club once a week. That currently takes places on Thursday nights at 8:01pm in the Union County UT Extension building in Maynardville. Every high school student is invited to come to Young Life club.

Ministry has grown over the past couple of years and Young Life leaders have relentlessly gone to places where kids are. Friendships have been built with a large percentage of students in the high school. There are thirty high school students at a Young Life club on any given Thursday night. Leaders spend a lot of time with high school kids and the friendships reach far beyond just the students that show up for a Young Life club.

Club meetings are regularly referred to as a party with a purpose. “It is an indescribable controlled chaos, but kids know it when they see it,” states Area Director Katie Collins. Always before the party ends, a simple about God’s love for them is shared, after all, that’s what the celebration is all about.

This summer, leaders are taking their high school friends to camp at Carolina Point, a Young Life owned camp property, where the excellence of everything about the property points back to the excellence of Christ. The camp will be held May 26 to June 1. There are many other Young Life owned camp properties across the United States as well.

Union County Young Life is led by one paid staff person, Katie Collins, who is the Area Director, and four volunteer leaders. The body is primarily volunteer-run and is in need of people to be volunteer leaders who have a heart for sharing the Gospel with teenagers. Also, Union County Young Life is looking for adults in the community who love the Lord and who care about teenagers to be a part of the local committee. There is not currently a local committee, but to be a sustainable organization in the community, it is necessary.

A local Young Life committee would be made up of adults who care, people like parents, teachers, and civic leaders. This group of individuals would provide a foundation of financial, administrative, and moral support for the local Young Life staff and leaders.

Young Life is an international non-profit organization, but each individual area is supported by a locally raised budget. This budget is raised from individuals, churches, and businesses in the community who care about teenagers in such a way that they would give and become a part of the financial team that makes it possible to continue to go into the lives of kids, spreading the Gospel of Christ. Young Life can only survive and become a sustainable part of the Union County community with the support of adults in the community. People in the community can support the group in a few ways: Prayer, Community Advocate, and Financial Support.

“We want Young Life in Union County to be a sustainable organization that will continue to reach kids and change lives through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In order to continue to grow the number of kids we reach, the number of kids we take to camp, and to keep doing what we feel we’ve been called to do, we need the support of the community in the ways listed above,” says Area Director Katie Collins.

She shares a story about Ben (name changed to respect the privacy of the high school student). Ben has had a friendship with his Young Life leader for the past two years. His leader has shown up in his life. He has eaten lunch with him at the high school, he has shown up to his practices and games. He has shared his life with Ben. Ben has been coming to Young Life Club because of his relationship with his leader. Last semester, Ben began to ask questions and really lean into the Gospel message. After several conversations with his Young Life leader, who he has grown to love and trust, Ben made the decision to begin a personal relationship with Jesus. Since then, Ben’s Young Life leader has walked with him and continues to help him learn what it means to be a follower of Christ. Ben’s life is forever changed because of what started with a Young Life leader walking into his life.

If you would like more information regarding joining, volunteering, becoming an advocate, or donating, contact Union County Young Life Area Director, Katie Collins at katiecollins@uc.younglife.org. Learn more at www.uc.younglife.org.