 | Does Young Life staff make recommendations to kids about which church to attend?
Young Life values the role that churches can play in kids' lives. Young Life staff and leaders are committed followers of Jesus Christ and come from many denominations, and we encourage kids to become involved in the churches that are most familiar to their families and to respect the faith traditions of their families when it comes to denominational issues. If their families are not connected with a church, we offer suggestions when appropriate. If the family already attends a church, kids are encouraged to attend there as well. If not, Young Life staff and leaders will help kids find a church they feel comfortable attending.
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| Our church already has a youth program. In what way does Young Life support the ministry of the local church?
Young Life recognizes and appreciates that many churches have outstanding youth programs. Our goal is not to compete with these programs, but to complement what they do. In today’s increasingly secularized society, there are many kids who wouldn’t attend activities at a church. Many of these kids, however, feel comfortable attending a Young Life function because it feels more “neutral” and informal to them. This is one way we support the ministry of the local church — by reaching kids who they might not be able to reach.
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| I’ve read your Statement of Faith and don’t see any position on a doctrinal issue that is important to me. How can I find out Young Life’s position on this issue?
Generally speaking, Young Life doesn’t promote specific positions on doctrinal issues that aren’t directly related to our Statement of Faith. We understand that there are key doctrinal questions that are very important to individuals. If you have a specific question, we invite you to submit it to us and we will be happy to respond. |
| What should parents say when their kid tells them he’s been to Young Life club during the week and now he doesn’t need to go to church on Sunday?
We try to make it clear to kids that Young Life is not a substitute for their local church. Our emphasis in Young Life is reaching out to kids with the Gospel, introducing them to Christ and helping them to grow in that relationship. While Young Life is not officially connected to any particular church, we believe church is a very important part of nurturing a relationship with Christ and we encourage kids to live connected to the body of Christ by being an active member of a local congregation. The church provides ministries in the life of a young believer which we do not seek to duplicate. Hopefully the new young believer will find meaning in a relationship in a local congregation which will last the rest of his or her life.
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