Celebrating the 35th Anniversary with Nick Palermo

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Young Life Capernaum turns 35 on March 10, 2021!  In celebration of this anniversary we will be highlighting important voices in Capernaum and the mission of YL to share the impact of the ministry in the past, present and future. 


Today we kick off the series with reflections from Capernaum’s founder, Nick Palermo!


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How have you seen Capernaum impact the mission of Young Life over the past 35 years?


The impact on Young Life by Capernaum is dramatic. I think I can actually sum it up by remembering the first time I took kids to camp 35 years ago. I was not expecting that the presence of 10 kids in wheelchairs would literally change the entire camp. It would affect the property staff, assignment team, leaders and all the other kids at camp too. Dozens of kids would come to know Christ because of the presence of our friends in wheelchairs. I saw the power of mutual ministry that this was not just a ministry to kids with disabilities, but a ministry with kids with disabilities. Christ was found both in able-bodied kids and kids with disabilities through one another. Since then I have watched this play out in countless areas and ministries throughout Young Life. I truly believe that Christ encounters us all through our friends with disabilities, and none of us leaves untouched and unchanged. I believe we are a gentler and kinder mission because of the presence of our friends with disabilities. We discovered that the numbers do not tell the whole story, we discovered that power is perfected in weakness, we discovered that God chooses the least likely that we would bypass. I could write a book on all the impact, but I will just leave it at that for now. 



What do you most celebrate about Capernaum right now?


In our second year of Capernaum we took a group of our friends with disabilities to Mexico to build houses in partnership with another Young Life area in order to serve and use their spiritual gifts. What I most celebrate about Capernaum right now is the growing presence of our friends in all levels of Young Life. They are being taken seriously in the utmost of ways. They are being given opportunities to express their God-given gifts and their desire to serve with the rest of the body of Christ. This is the place where we ultimately had to go with Capernaum. This was my vision for our friends from the very beginning and I praise God that it is coming to fruition.



How do you hope Capernaum will continue to impact the mission of Young Life moving forward?


I pray for the continued presence of our friends throughout all levels of Young Life. I pray that there will not be a Young Life area in existence that does not take kids with disabilities seriously in their communities. I pray that Young Life will act as a prophetic voice to the Church to begin opening their doors to those who have been on the outside for way too long. I pray Young Life will continue to understand this movement of God within its own mission and that God is doing a new thing, not just in Young Life but in the Church and in our world. On a very specific note, I pray Capernaum will always go to the hardest kids to minister to like those in institutions.  I pray we will never go to the easier kid to serve, but always to whatever kids God calls us to. 

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Stay tuned for more reflections throughout the month.

And we would love to hear from you too!  How would you answer the three questions?!

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