This thing right here is part of the reason I finished Season 1 of Parenthood on Netflix in the less than a week. Several nights of folding, stuff, labeling and stamping 600 mailers will do that! This is our year end mailer for Mountaineer Area Yong Life. I wanted you to see the letter that Ben (or maybe it was me) wrote about this year. I also pasted it at the end because it's not super readable. Just our reflections on the year. Sometimes when ministry gets hard or old or whatever, there are things that make you want to do it forever. Sometimes you just need the reminder that seeds are being planted. They all grow at different rates and in different ways. Regardless, there is thing called IMPACT. And it's happening all over the Mountaineer Area. And I'm thankful to be part of it.
I am starting my 15th year on Young Life staff. This year I have reaped some of the most beautiful benefits of those years. My wife and I attended 7 weddings this year which involved 10 former Young Life kids or leaders. At those weddings we reconnected with many, many other former YL kids, leaders and committee. Conversation after conversation we heard statements like: "You [my YL leader] introduced me to Jesus and it changed my life." "Young Life camp was the best week of my life." "I feel indebted to Young Life—it changed my life."
What I realized most as I heard these things is that Young Life makes an impact TODAY, in the FUTURE and for ETERNITY.
As kids race through life TODAY, connected to social media with less and less emphasis on real relationships, leaders are out there building face-to-face relationships with them. All for the purpose of sharing the best relationship—one with Jesus Christ.
As kids' lives are changed because of a relationship with Jesus, their lives are also being changed in the FUTURE. Better decisions are being made in regards to who they spend their time with, the decisions they make, who they choose to marry, how they will raise their children and how they will invest in their community and work places.
When students are introduced to a relationship with Jesus, it changes things for ETERNITY. Not only do they choose life in Christ, now and for eternity, they will also impact others for eternity. And there is no number we can put on that.
As I start my 15th year on Young Life staff, I'm convinced that junior high, high school and college students need the love, satisfaction and saving grace of Jesus more than ever before. I'm in this, and I'm thankful you are in it with me
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