By Claire Smith, Capital High School Intern to ThurstonTalk
The Young Life Organization is a long-standing faith-based group geared towards teens. It provides a way to connect with other teens in their school and meet others from the greater community. It’s a big deal – over 1.4 million kids are involved in Young Life world-wide. Founded in Dallas in 1941 by a Presbyterian minister, Young Life now operates globally and reaches out to many different causes.
In February 2014, Capital High School formed its own Young Life group. The group is run by Spanish teacher Alex Parker. Parker had been volunteering for the youth group at New Bridge Community Church for three years prior, interacting with students from Olympia, Tumwater and Capital High Schools on Wednesday nights. Parker wanted to have a deeper impact; one on kids he saw every day, not just once a week. With help from his wife, who works for Young Life, Parker was able to set up a Young Life program at CHS. He is now providing a youth group for the very kids he sees every day.
CHS’s Young Life is open and welcoming. Parker is very upfront that people of different denominations, and people who might not believe in God, are welcome to come to Young Life. Parker sees it as a way to share with people the word of God. It gives kids the chance to meet kids outside of their church youth group as well as kids of other denominations. It also allows non-Christian kids the chance to learn something new. Some kids might not have an opportunity at home to ask questions and learn more about faith. Parker understands those situations – he admits that he was one of those kids who grew up not knowing much about God.
A typical Young Life meeting lasts one hour and fifteen minutes. The first hour is dedicated to playing games, breaking the ice, letting kids relax and just having fun. The last fifteen minutes takes a slightly more serious turn. That time is set aside for Parker or another adult to give a small talk about the Bible. Parker believes that these fifteen minutes are the most important part of a meeting. During this time, kids get to know more about their faith.
Parker does an excellent job of making Young Life a casual, no pressure environment. He’s discovered that the best way to connect with teenagers is by playing silly games and just letting their guard fall naturally. Most of Young Life is dedicated to relaxing, playing fun games, and participating in wild eating contests. “Kids have lots of pressure between school and family, and getting to play is something that’s often missing,” Parker says. This is one of the reasons why he believes time like this is essential for high school kids.
Young Life also serves as an aid to religious students who may be afraid to openly admit their faith to people at school. During the fifteen minute discussions that close each meeting, staff members at CHS volunteer to talk and share their faith. Parker hopes that this can teach kids of all faiths – Christian, Mormon, Muslim, Buddhist and others –you shouldn’t feel like you need to hide your beliefs. Parker hopes that Young Life can connect kids who feel they can’t share their faith outside their home, to staff and other peers who make them feel welcome. Some staff members who have volunteered in the past are football coach and history teacher John Johnson, science teacher Jennifer Finely and her husband, and math teacher Louis Avden and his wife.
Freshman Ellie Potts was encouraged to try Young Life both by friends and Parker and frequently attends. She loves it because it gives her a way to relax by playing games and helps her get to know and meet new people. Young Life helped her create positive connections with people she otherwise wouldn’t have met.
If Parker had to boil down Young Life into three words, he would pick fun, positive, and God. He puts an emphasis that Young Life is open for anyone with an interest to visit. In the way athletes connect through sports, kids looking to connect, share and learn more about their faith have Young Life. Parker hopes that everyone who attends Young Life can take away a positive message of acceptance and love.
Capital High School’s Young Life meets Monday nights at 7:27 in Pod A. This is the time when all Young Life groups meet across the globe. The main Young Life website can be found here. For more information, and dates for CHS’s Young Life click here. The twitter account for CHS’s Young Life is run by Parker, and can be found at @CougYoungLife.
