Around 7:32 pm, a large group of AHS students crowd around the outside of the Forest Lakes North Clubhouse, chatting with friends, tossing a frisbee, and occasionally jumping in front of a friend’s car as they drive into the parking lot.
The doors open, and the crowd of students rush into the clubhouse, high fiving their leaders and begin singing and dancing to “Good Time” by Carly Rae Jepsen and Owl City. This amount of enthusiasm and excitement is the regular scene at every Young Life club meeting.
Young Life is an international organization that seeks to help kids and teens grow in their Christian faith, confidence, and purpose in life while having a lot of fun along the way with friends and club leaders. Members and their friends attend club, which is Albemarle’s Young Life group meeting every Monday evening.
“For Albemarle, the other leaders and I want every kid to have the opportunity to meet Jesus in a real, loving relationship, follow him and live for his purpose,” second year UVA student Julia Colopy said. Colopy is a volunteer Young Life leader for AHS who got involved in Young Life her freshman year of high school.
“Young Life is for anyone and everyone,” Colopy said. “A kid by no means has to believe in Jesus to come to club or to hang out with his friends there.”
Many AHS students have become involved in Young Life. Senior Anna Goodrich, who first joined Young Life as a freshman, had the example set by her older sister. Goodrich explains that there is “a rumor that Young Life is really fun, but people will also come to club to hear more about the talks from the leaders.”
Members participate in different activities, but the message of introducing the word of God to teenagers is the same at every club meeting.
“At club, we have ridiculous games, loud songs, a talk about Jesus given by one of the leaders, and it is all really just controlled chaos,” Colopy said. The “controlled chaos” is carried out at Young Life’s Fall Weekend and summer camp. “We always promise that it is the best week of your life or your money back,” Colopy said.
Senior Connor Williams has attended Fall Weekend in November three times, summer camp two times, and agrees they were “the best weekends and weeks in [his] life.” Some of the activities at summer camp include a variety of sports, tubing, parasailing, wakeboarding, skiing, a zipline, an enormous amount of time with friends, and club time to listen to speakers talk about Jesus and the Gospel.
Williams has also been a part work crew for Young Life in the summer. “It was a great opportunity for me, because my life had been changed at camp, and now with working the camp I had the opportunity to be a part of others having the best week of their lives, and ultimately changing their lives, and starting a relationship with Christ.”
As exemplified by the club meetings, the leaders and members want everyone to feel welcome, secure and to have a good time. “I was insecure like every other high schooler is, and wasn’t feeling truly fulfilled by anything, and every week I heard about how Jesus can actually fill that insecurity if I let him,” Colopy said. “I think a lot of high schoolers come to Young Life because it is true, ridiculous fun, and we try to show them that that is what a life with Christ actually is like.”
Aside from all the fun, the students who are a part of Young Life come away with knowledge of a new relationship and strong faith. “I learned what it is like to be in fellowship with other people my age who believe the same thing and what a gift that is,” Goodrich said.
Members like Williams have learned particular morals from Young Life, such as to not judge others. “Knowing that everyone in our school and on this world sin, there is no right time for me to judge. Because like all others who sin every day, I am just as guilty as they are,” Williams said. “Young Life has taught me what a relationship with Jesus looks like and how he loves each and every one of us unconditionally even though we continually turn our backs on Him everyday.”
Overall, the group has affected students spiritually and emotionally throughout AHS, and Young Life is always ready to include all teens, no matter what their beliefs.
“I hope that no one feels unwelcomed or not allowed to come to Young Life. That is the opposite of what the leaders and I want,” Colopy said.
“It’s not like an exclusive school club to join or anything, just friends hanging out and having fun. We want every kid that comes to club feel loved by us and their friends and just have a ton of fun.”
