YL Capernaum Everywhere

I stood in the doorway to the living room – I was frozen. It was a typical Sunday evening for us. We had several pizza boxes spread out on the dining room table and about 30 college students packed in our house. All of these Young Life leaders-in-training had come over to eat and hang out as usual. But tonight was different. There was something added to the scene that I had never seen before. I grabbed my pizza and headed into the living room. My sons wrestled with and chased college guys around the house, the din of conversations and the ambience of the football game could be heard, and Hannah lay on her therapy mat in the middle of the room. What made this evening different from every other pizza night, was that there in front of me, Kristen was on the mat next to Hannah. She was combing Hannah’s hair with her fingers and talking to her. Hannah was coo ing and laughing and looking in Kristen ’s eyes – hearing her and being heard. Why did I ...

Who doesn’t love a great themed Young Life club?! Well, there’s no better time than now to pull out your best Star Wars theme club. Kelsey and her team in Detroit hosted their Star Wars club recently and it was a huge hit. Everyone came dressed in Star Wars swag, some brought light sabers, there were electronic BB8’s zooming around the room, noise making Storm Trooper masks and more! For their mixer, the team set up mini storm troopers (made out of paper cut-outs, with a stand behind them) around the room. Everyone got newspaper snowballs and had to knock the storm troopers down. They set them up multiple times in various formations to ensure a good Star Wars battle had taken place. Everyone also got to make their own light saber. There are about 4,679,360 ideas on how to make some on good ol’ Pinterest but their team had glow sticks for everyone, the kind with a loop at the end. They used silver tape to wrap on a small section of the glow stick for maximum saber effect. Every...

In one of Young Life’s most recent podcasts regarding Forward, Lyn Brewer defined discipleship as: "Discipleship is helping others grow in their love relationship with Jesus Christ by teaching them about their faith with the aim of maturity in Christ. But this is a relationship, a journey that we are going on for a lifetime. Our job to help set the table for their growth in Christ." To help you set the table, we’ve put together an Individualized Discipleship Plan for you to use. This tool is designed to help you and your team, walk alongside of each of your friends in an individual way. We know that a one-size fits all approach will not be effective because our friends in Capernaum have so many gifts, abilities, talents, ways of learning and hopes for growing and serving.    In a small group setting, have leaders go through this document with one of their friends. Encourage everyone to take their time with it, to be in a posture of listening with an unhurried...

Did you know that Capernaum is in almost 40 countries? There are YL leaders, around the world, building relationships with teenagers with disabilities. Together, they are growing friendships, having dance parties (sounds familiar right?!), making crafts, baking, singing, laughing and learning about the God of the Universe being madly in love with them. We are going to start sharing stories from around the world of these great ministries. Would you stop and pray for these leaders, kids and the ministries that they represent? Our first story comes from Poznań, Poland. Since the beginning of this school year the three of us: Zosia, Marysia and Marta - the leaders from  Young Life in Poznań, decided to enter the world of teenagers with disabilities.  We want to go where they are, so the first semester we would visit some girls in the house for kids and teenagers with disabilities. We also take part in dance classes with adolescents with disabilities. What a joy and ...

As our team planned the Winter/Spring semester last January we were throwing out lots of ideas for unique club options. Oftentimes for our team, it is a hard schedule to think creatively about because our Capernaum Clubs all have themes, and that semester is a tad longer than the Fall for us... More Clubs, More Themes! As the planning time was coming to a close, one of our leaders said something about Show and Tell… WHAT a great idea! Our friends could bring in something for Club they want to show and tell us about! A chance to learn more about our friends, and to give every person time upfront—Always a Win! Sherry, sent an email with instructions to parents. Club for this Tuesday is Show and Tell! Sooooo, our Friends can bring something they want to share with their Friends about their life. We want to learn more about each other and this is a great way of showing "your stuff"! Come with something you want to share with your friends, whether it be a picture, an i...

As we continue to journey with each of friends in Capernaum, let’s consider the best ways for them to engage in scripture. Maybe it’s a bible that is different than what you use, maybe it’s an audio bible or maybe it’s an app. There are many options available, but here are a few for you to consider. If you have come across other great options, please send them our way! Great Bible Options for Capernaum 1- Large Print 2- The Complete Illustrated Children’s Bible by Emmerson (mature art work) 3- Jesus Story Book Bible 4- Almighty Bible 5- The Story of God’s Love for You (Jesus Storybook Bible without the pictures) 6- NIrV Discoverer's Bible for Early Readers, Revised Edition 7- Easy to read bible stories by Douthit 8. Bible/Art Journal with a huge margin to encourage own illustrations Rebekah Jones  -Bible, colored pencils, card stock in between pages Apps: Awana has free or cheap ones with memorizing scripture or songs Girls 4 God Olive Tree Bible App ...

How can you grow your Capernaum ministry either initially or into a phase of discipleship? Adopt this biblical model, adapted from the works of Parker Palmer. Build a Joshua committee- like Joshua, gather a group of people who will pray and begin relationships with kids; bringing kids with disabilities from their personal wilderness into their own land of promise. It may not happen quickly; it is an ongoing process of learning from reaching out and then figuring out what is needed next. We have the opportunity to journey with our friends in unhurried relationships, full of patience and promise. Develop a Jericho strategy- gather a community together and engage in persistent celebration; an image based on the Biblical story of the walls coming after the Israelites prayed and paraded, in great celebration, around them over and over. Positive vision, hope, joy… draws people in and breaks down walls. Let’s believe and act on the reality that we are better together.  Use a fis...