Young Life is an evangelical Christian organization based in Colorado Springs, Colorado which focuses on young people in middle school, high school, and college. Week-long Summer camps, often of resort-quality, are a major focus.
There is a definite emphasis on evangelizing with the Summer camps having once or twice daily large-group “Bible talk” speeches often followed by small-group, adult-led “cabin time” discussions. Toward the end of the week, the young people are asked to go outside at night in silence for 15 minutes and attempt to talk with or commune with God. The last night is “Commitment Night” in which young people who have committed or re-committed their lives to Jesus and the Christian faith are asked to speak and/or stand at an informal ceremony.
Young Life states, “33% of all summer campers meet Jesus for the first time.”
The organization was started in Gainesville, Texas in 1941 by Presbyterian minister Jim Rayburn. Young Life operates globally using several different organizations with different focuses.
As of 2019, Young Life had chapters in 8,513 schools, with average weekly attendance at 369,600 across the organization. Young Life also has 67,000 volunteers as of 2019.
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