Tell me about Young Life

[Anonymous]

DH’s cousins are way deep into it as counselors. I don’t know much about it other than they have some sort of summer camp. School family with are I go over in several extracurricular activities with mine are also heavily invested. Both this family and the cousins are VERY invested. On the surface it seems like NBD but sometimes I get sense almost a cult-like enthusiasm. What gives?

[Anonymous]

My cousins were also into it as kids as were people I knew. It seemed like basic evangelical Christianity to me. There are going to be people who see that as cult like no matter what (I'm not one) and there are people who don't agree with their theology (I am one), but either way it's not really different than you'd get at any generic evangelical youth group. I've got a lot of problems with evangelical Christianity, but "it makes teenagers excited to be Christian" isn't really one of them.

[Anonymous]

The kids my 3 DC knew throughout HS and who were involved in YL were all heavy partiers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH’s cousins are way deep into it as counselors. I don’t know much about it other than they have some sort of summer camp. School family with are I go over in several extracurricular activities with mine are also heavily invested. Both this family and the cousins are VERY invested. On the surface it seems like NBD but sometimes I get sense almost a cult-like enthusiasm. What gives?

Why don’t you ask them about it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH’s cousins are way deep into it as counselors. I don’t know much about it other than they have some sort of summer camp. School family with are I go over in several extracurricular activities with mine are also heavily invested. Both this family and the cousins are VERY invested. On the surface it seems like NBD but sometimes I get sense almost a cult-like enthusiasm. What gives?

Why don’t you ask them about it?

I have but it seems very cult-like based on what they say. Everything is around Young Life. They are counselors and the local parent in our community is a paid employee. I wanted an outside perspective. I was raised Catholic, my DH Lutheran, MIL Methodist and all of us are weirded out by this group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH’s cousins are way deep into it as counselors. I don’t know much about it other than they have some sort of summer camp. School family with are I go over in several extracurricular activities with mine are also heavily invested. Both this family and the cousins are VERY invested. On the surface it seems like NBD but sometimes I get sense almost a cult-like enthusiasm. What gives?

Why don’t you ask them about it?

I have but it seems very cult-like based on what they say. Everything is around Young Life. They are counselors and the local parent in our community is a paid employee. I wanted an outside perspective. I was raised Catholic, my DH Lutheran, MIL Methodist and all of us are weirded out by this group.

I’m looking for another take, not to join, which is all the YLers want.

[Anonymous]

Very culty. Similar to campus life. Run!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids my 3 DC knew throughout HS and who were involved in YL were all heavy partiers.

Cousins wedding had 750 guests — about half were YLers and yes they all partied hard. I guess that’s part of the appeal?

[Anonymous]

I met some of my best friends at YL… we’d go to YL on Wednesday and party on the weekends. Kids snuck out to hook up at YL camp. So as a highschooler at least it had us on the up and up ONE night a week! I do you think the counselors are pretty weird, but overall it was a positive experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I met some of my best friends at YL… we’d go to YL on Wednesday and party on the weekends. Kids snuck out to hook up at YL camp. So as a highschooler at least it had us on the up and up ONE night a week! I do you think the counselors are pretty weird, but overall it was a positive experience.

Sounds like YL encourages, or at least doesn't discourage, typical teenage behavior, unrelated to religion.

[Anonymous]

Kids aren’t very bright or sophisticated, lots of gross purity culture stuff.

[Anonymous]

I was a member of Young Life in high school, and went to a camp. It was generally Christian, but at least in my experience, very open about discussing different viewpoints and issues. In my experience, it was a way of being social and there was no “partying.”

High school/college is a time of great passion, whether it comes to one’s religious beliefs or just to a sense of belonging with your co-counselors or what have you. I was a lifeguard at a different camp one summer, and it was very “invested”—that’s just an age when young adults are making and seeking deep bonds, a sense of belonging, validation and acceptance, whether it is from a church group or a sports team or working together at a golf course or what have you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Kids aren’t very bright or sophisticated, lots of gross purity culture stuff.

Exactly this. Abercrombie ads, but slut-shaming and 21 year olds getting married so they can have sex.

[Anonymous]

All I know is that their one camp, Malibu, is in the most beautiful location. I’d go to camp there and just look at the scenery the entire time (never been, but have seen pictures and OMG).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Kids aren’t very bright or sophisticated, lots of gross purity culture stuff.

Exactly this. Abercrombie ads, but slut-shaming and 21 year olds getting married so they can have sex.

You know this how?