| The Young Life (YL) ministry model begun when a young American youth leader in Texas was challenged to develop ways of reaching high school youth who had no interest in church.
Jim Rayburn met the challenge by starting a weekly club with singing, a couple of skits and games and a small message about Jesus Christ. Jim's belief was that it is "A sin to bore kids with the Gospel" so he would present the gospel in a 'fun' way. As they started meeting in people's homes, attendance dramatically increased.
Jim went on to graduate from Dallas Seminary with a desire in his heart to continue his early work with young people. Young Life was officially born in 1941 and has continued to build on Jim's original idea of presenting the Gospel in fun and meaningful ways.
In 1972 Arthur Ongley introduced Young Life to Australia. While serving in the Australian Navy, he picked up the book "Young Life" in a second-hand book shop. He found value in Jim Rayburn's philosophy of meeting young people in their own environment, earning the right to be heard and sharing the Gospel in a fun and relevant way. His aim was to offer a credible Christian model while acknowledging young peoples' questions about meaning and purpose. This meant stepping out into the unknown by going into schools and connecting with young people in their environment.
Since then, Young Life Australia has built its reputation on a transparent concern for young people's welfare and a commitment to long-term involvement in their lives. As a result it has long been recognised for its role in developing young people to have a positive impact on the Australian community. |
