YL Capernaum Everywhere

Clint Dowda joined us to share one more model of how the Church and Capernaum can work together specifically to serve our older friends as they grow beyond the Capernaum age. As a pastor and a Capernaum leader for several years, Clint has a unique perspective and passion to see his friends transitioned into the life of the church as well as to maintain fellowship and friendship with one another! Clint shared with us the process they walked through as they saw a need for their friends to have a place of belonging and also a place to serve beyond their Capernaum years as they grew older. Naturally, his church was a fit for some of those friends.   They began with a Sunday morning Capernaum Campaigners group as an introduction to discipleship in their local church, which over the years has become a Sunday school class for friends with intellectual disabilities. As friends have gone on to become a part of the church at every level, many are involved in various levels of service;...

A guest post by Pam Harmon... My current favorite words to describe YL Capernaum are: Invited, Celebrated, and Needed .    We have discussed in my previous two blog posts that young people affected by disabilities are invited and celebrated within YL. But you know what else we ’ re learning and experiencing? We need our friends with us - as God is transforming their lives, God is also using our friends to transform us individually and corporately. Just like we ’ re told in I Corin. 12, each part of the body is essential. Our friends bring much to relationships, often by just being who they are, with their own special gifting. They lead the way to Jesus with their openness and authenticity. Our lives (and the Body of Christ) are not complete without them. Our friends are not only valued, they are needed. As we have grown, let me give you 2 quick examples of how God is transforming us as a mission through our Capernaum friends. Caitlin was a Capernaum kid...

A guest post by Pam Harmon... My current favorite words to describe YL Capernaum are: Invited, Celebrated, and Needed . The word Celebrated even sounds fun coming off your tongue when you say it! In Young Life, we are great at celebrating! When we invite our friends to come to be with us at YL, they discover a celebration – and they are celebrated ! There ’ s food and laughing, dancing and singing, friends and fun, but most of all, acceptance and love. Our friends, who are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139), have been invited by a loving God who is not surprised by anything, let alone disabilities. We celebrate their uniqueness and the ways in which God brings glory to Himself through them. We look for their gifts and abilities and we grow together as God shapes us through one another. We invite our friends into a new journey, one with authentic friendships with us and with Jesus. A journey with people who come along side and say “ Yes ” when the answer they ’...

A guest post by Pam Harmon, the first in a series of three.... My current favorite words to describe YL Capernaum are: Invited, Celebrated, and Needed . Today let ’ s dwell on Invited. Do you remember that event in Jr. High or High School that everyone was talking about but you didn ’ t get invited to? Maybe this happened to you or you may have walked through that feeling of rejection with someone you love. As a mom, I remember the sadness my son felt when he was in elementary school and wasn ’ t invited to a birthday party. Many of his friends were invited, but not him. I thought my heart would break.    What if that feeling of rejection were an everyday occurrence? Can you imagine having no other choice but to learn to live with that feeling? That ’ s how many young people with disabilities feel … before they know about Young Life. That changes at Young Life because we are all invited . Just like when preparing for the Luke 14 Banquet, our YL leaders i...

This great update from Abilene, Texas just went out!  Enjoy getting to know Tanner a bit and what his incredible YL leaders are doing with him in life!

A guest post from Amira Corby... Just recently I have had the opportunity to travel to Bulgaria to meet with local YL staff and volunteer leaders. Going into this, I knew two things: I was going to be part of the training time & we were going to do a day camp at an orphanage for kids with special needs.    Naturally, my adventure seeking self was absolutely thrilled!   Just tell me where to go, what I need to do and I will be there!   One thing I have learned (of which there is so much more I need to learn) is that when going to a place (even if that place is next door) where you do not speak the language or know the customs it requires flexibility, creativity and big helping of humble.   As I entered into this time, the training portion was first.   Assembled in this room were YL leaders & staff from Bulgaria and Macedonia. We talked through the philosophies of YL; we had fellowship together over meals and worshipped in song, both in Eng...