Meet RJ

RJ Sitka, Alaska Mt. Edgecumbe High School Senior RJ is a senior this year at Mt. Edgecumbe High School and is involved with Sitka Young Life. RJ was raised in both Sitka and Hoonah, a village of 800 people 60 miles northeast of Sitka. Coming to a new school was a big adjustment for RJ, but he found a home on the wrestling team. RJ is an athlete and quickly found success in both wrestling and basketball. Last School Year he won a state title in wrestling and began attending a Young Life bible study when his basketball teammate invited him. RJ said that those early morning bible studies allowed him to dive deeper into his relationship with God and his faith. Through those bible studies, he met a leader at a local church and he became more involved there too. 

God has really been doing a work in RJ's life and his coaches acknowledge there is a night and day difference in him this year. RJ is helpful, and concerned about his teammates. His new goal is to make others better and he is a constant positive voice. He wore a shirt that said “Jesus is King” to the first day of practice and he encouraged others to look to God too. Teachers are noticing a difference too. In the last few years he often let his grades slide and this year he has straight A’s. One of his teachers also noted that when he finished his work in class, RJ pulled out his Bible and started reading. His Heather couldn't be happier that her son is choosing to seek after God. His relationship with his sisters has changed and it has been so amazing to see the difference that God has made in RJ's life. Aaron has been one of RJ’s wrestling coaches and has seen a big change in him. He has had many talks with his mom, his sister, his teachers, and his peers. God is really changing this young man's life. RJ is just one of many kids that have been impacted by the Sitka Young Life team. I am so thankful that there has been a Young Life presence at Mt. Edgecumbe for the past years to point kids to Jesus Thanks for your prayers and support!

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Where we are going in SYL

"Going bananas"  at weekly club

Direction for Our Future: Goals for the Coming Year

• Encourage and Support Adults to Engage with Kids: We aim to equip adults by collaborating and learning effective strategies to connect with the next generation.
• Encourage Spiritual Growth through common Christian practices: teaching kids to read and study the Bible, teachings about prayer rhythms and strategies, and connecting young people to churches around Sitka.
• Assist Schools Facing Challenges: With shrinking budgets and increased student needs, we volunteer in various roles such as lunchroom supervisors, tutors, and group advisors, providing practical support and offering prayer.
• Hire Part-Time Staff: Expanding our team will elevate leadership and empower others to make a greater impact.
• Offer Hope in Times of Tragedy: This year, Sitka has faced numerous accidental deaths and suicides, and we aim to continue shining Christ’s light and hope to youth and families in difficult times.
• Deepen Faith: Helping kids and everyone involved in Young Life take the next step in their walk with Jesus and in their service to others.
• Impact Youth Across the State: Through connections with students and alumni of Mt. Edgecumbe High School, we encourage youth work through collaborating with churches and Bible camps throughout Alaska .
• Build Bridges Between Generations: Continuing to connect adults with kids while educating on generational differences and effective communication.
• Reach Every Young Person: Our goal is to connect all 1,000 young people in our community with caring adults who can share the hope found in Jesus Christ.

Thank you for being a part of the team that has seen so many good results this year. We are excited about the relationships we've built with kids are look forward to what's ahead 2025! Merry Christmas! 

MEHS Alumni at the the Young Life All-State conference

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What kids are saying about Sitka Young Life

Recently we gave a survey to 35 students asking their thoughts about Sitka Young Life and here are some of their common responses:

What do you enjoy about Young Life?

• Being with friends and making new friends

• Getting closer to God and the Bible studies

• The games and activities

• The talks and learning more about Jesus

• The energy in the room.

• Having A LOT of fun

  

How has Young Life helped you grow?

• In friendship as we learn about God together

• Grow in my relationship with God

• Read the Bible more and to better understand it better

• Find myself and be more confident

• It helps me grow to be a better person

• It helped me find the meaning of life

• “Young life has helped me grow closer to God and it makes my days better when I read the Bible and talk about God with friends. I’ve gotten so much more knowledge about stories in the Bible and gotten to know more about Jesus.” 

Words of thanks to a Young Life Leader

• For giving up time to do all this for us high schoolers,

• For spending time with us

• For pulling me out of my comfort zone

• Being positive, welcoming, and fun

• Helping me get on the right track for life

• For your words that have reached many of our lives.

Thank you for all you do to reach the lives of kids!

Continuing to make a difference

Sitka Young Life impacts many lives each year and we couldn't do it without the faithful financial support of caring individuals. It takes a team of Young Life leaders, volunteers, and financial partners to ensure we continue to reach kids with the love of Jesus and help them grow in their faith. These next few emails will share with you the story of Young Life in Sitka this year and provide an opportunity for you to support the work that is happening in Sitka. Good things are happening and thanks for being a part of it!

Sitka Young Life impacts many lives each year, thanks to the faithful efforts of volunteers and the generous support of caring individuals. Reaching kids with the love of Jesus and helping them grow in their faith takes a committed team of leaders, volunteers, and financial partners. In the coming emails, we’ll share a picture of the work happening in Sitka Young Life and invite you to join us in supporting this meaningful mission. Great things are happening—thank you for being a part of it!

Sitka Young Life is continuing to make a difference by:

Being With Kids:

• Supporting kids through thousands of hours spent teaching, coaching, and meeting with them.
• Leaders coaching and supervising 8 teams throughout the year, encouraging kids during hundreds of practices, gatherings, competitions, and traveling weekends.
• Hosting weekly Young Life club meetings with 35–45 kids in attendance.
• Leading 3 weekly breakfast Bible studies with a total of 30 kids participating.
• Organizing "Winter Blast," an in-town camp with 40 kids and 8 leaders.
• Creating lasting memories at two summer weekend camps with 15 kids, including climbing mountains, boat rides, card games, and bonding around campfires.
• Distributing 60 Bibles to kids who requested them.
• Supporting kids through difficult times, including community tragedies and the loss of friends and family members.

• 

Supporting Local Churches and Schools:

• Collaborating with youth leaders from 6 different churches in Sitka to enhance youth outreach and discipleship.
• Hosting monthly collaborative gatherings for locals passionate about sharing the hope of Jesus.
• Coordinating and facilitating the Baccalaureate service for graduates from the three high schools in town.
• Assisting a school in their response to tragedy.
• Coaching or leading 8 different teams of kids in 3 local schools.

Impacting the State:

• Reaching students boarding at Mt. Edgecumbe High School, which hosts students from over 100 communities across Alaska, providing the opportunity to impact hundreds of communities for decades.
• Maintaining relationships with students after graduation as they spread across the state and nation, encouraging them to continue seeking Jesus during both good and challenging times.
• Promoting leadership growth by welcoming back 4 former Sitka Young Life students as leaders.
• Collaborating with Bible camps and churches across the state to support students who study in Sitka but attend camps or churches elsewhere.

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Adults Supporting Kids

This year we have 13 wonderful adults in Sitka walking with students! Among our leaders, we have four who work in schools full time. We are coaching 2 middle school teams, and 4 high school teams as well as the advisor for one student council. Our leaders are logging hundreds of hours each month hundreds of kids and as a result kids feel known and loved. They talk with their young life leaders about the fun things and they talk with their leaders about the hard things. Growing up these days offers many new challenges and young people need supportive mentors. We are so thankful to have a growing number of adults in Sitka who want to dive into life with kids buy, talking, walking, coaching, listening, laughing and crying with kids as they navigate these fun and tumultuous years. Young Life leaders are the heros in Sitka Young Life as they get to support kids ang get to share about the difference that Jesus has made in their own life.

Adults supporting kids:

 

Young people are reaching out

 
We have had a great start to the year. We have 3 breakfast morning Bible studies going every week and the number of kids attending church this year has really increased. This year we have handed out 45 Bibles to students coming and asking for them. Thank you for your prayers and partnership!

The Mountain Top

Earlier this month we hosted a guys' weekend discipleship retreat. Guys were so excited to hit golf balls, climb to the top of Verstovia Peak, meet for Bible study, and take a sauna. We met for 3 sessions to discuss how to grow our faith and obedience to Jesus Christ. The kids had a blast and were more highly engaged than ever.  Three days later we hosted our first weekly Bible study breakfast and 15 guys showed up hungry for pancakes and very focused on our study. Since then I have handed out many Bibles to kids, which shows me that something special is happening this year! Thanks for being a part of this and for your prayers and support!

 

 

On August the 8th at 11:30 a.m. a boat outside of Juneau severed the underwater broadband cable connecting Sitka when it pulled anchor.  In a moment all communication went down and the only way to get information was to speak to someone face to face. Partial phone and texting was was restored 36 hours and some people are using Starlink to connect to the internet.  This has been an interesting time for Sitkans. Imagine what kind of disruption this would cause to your everyday life if it were to happen to you town.

       Aside from disruptions, there have been many positive effects, including people getting better sleep, folks being outside and more physically active, and people engaging more in face-to-face interactions.  I hear from most kids that they have enjoyed the break and that they are in happier in general and I remind them that this is what it was like to be in high school in the 90's! - We have been talking with kids about how this break will change their future phone usage and many kids said that they will delete games and social media from their phone and only use these things on their computers.  These unusual days have been a gift and have helped us consider what boundaries we can place around screen time and prioritize face to face interaction. I wish every teenager (and person) had a chance to experience the world like we have these last two weeks, but I hope that moving forward we all can focus more on the people around us and less on screens.  These are the lessons we are learning in a small island town in Southeast Alaska.  Thanks for your prayers and support

Culture Shock

When we go to unfamiliar places we encounter people from different people who have different customs, different words, and different values.  Technology has changed the world and sometimes I experience "culture shock" trying to understand young people who have been raised with the internet and smartphones. In Young Life, I constantly get opportunities to learn more about the culture of Gen Z and I often come across resources that I like to pass on. Here is a brief video that helps explain how young people use social media. When you watch it, note specifically what they say in regard to creating identity in a digital world. This 2-minute video helps you better understand the emerging new culture and how their time spent in digital spaces affects their face-to-face interactions.  It is the 3rd video in a series of 4 that is very informative and helpful in relating to Gen Z.  Thanks for partnering with Sitka Young Life and for caring about young people!

Click here for video

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Summer Camping!

 

Sitka Cabin Trips HERE WE COME!  This season we will be taking kids camping in God's creation to enjoy the beauty of our local surroundings.  We are excited to provide this opportunity for both leaders and kids to build upon their relationship with one another and grow their relationship with Jesus. The Sitka High girls leaders just returned from a cabin where they enjoyed kayaking, laughing, warm springs, and delicious food. They took a deep dive into what living a life with Jesus is like during their six sessions together.  They are already planning their next trip.  We couldn't provide these opportunities without you, thanks for supporting Sitka Young Life!

Girls playing corn hole

A great Finish

Graduation is full: families, parties, bonfires, hugs, tears all being a large part of the graduation season.  Our leaders were in the middle of it all, loving and making great memories with kids. This year we hosted our biggest Baccalaureate service, combining SHS, MEHS, Pacific High and our homeschoolers for our largest attendance in decades.  We also filled the bus for our final club, a bonfire, sending off our high school friends as we encouraged them to seek the Lord and his ways during the summer and in their next steps. Thanks for supporting the children of Alaska!

Our end of year bon fire during club.

Jumping in Swan Lake after campaigners breakfast.

our combined Baccalaureate service

Our wonderful leader team minus the ones traveling

Fast and Furious

 The end of the school year is rapidly approaching and so now is the time we try to squeeze all those things in! This weekend we were able to host a discipleship group where we talked about silence and solitude. Emily and Cayla also hosted 12 MEHS girls for a prom dinner at our house. I also had a chance to take the senior guys out on a boat ride to Goddard Warm Springs. This is a festive time of year, but also time in suicide touch many communities. Please keep the young people of Alaska in your prayers. Thanks for your support!

Next Steps group

Every two weeks, I have the pleasure of getting to connect with this wonderful group of students.  We DIVE deeper into PRACTICES that help us GROW IN OUR FAITH.  We talk things like different WAYS PEOPLE PRAY and different ways to STUDY THE BIBLE.  In our next meeting we will discuss FASTING and SABBATH REST.  These meetings are the favorite part of my week.  These young people are seeking greater DEPTH in their RELATIONSHIP with JESUS and their faithfulness will make a POSITIVE IMPACT on their home communities.  Thank you for your part in supporting Sitka Young Life.

   

Winter Blast 2024

 WINTER BLAST 2024!

42 kids, 18 hours, 25 total adults volunteers, 220 meals, 3 club and reflection times, 4 small groups,

A photo scavenger hunt, field games, night game "Grog," thrifting, fancy dinner, polar dip, singing, dancing, karaoke, ping pong, cards, 

loving kids, sharing about Jesus and how he brings hope, love, joy, and life!!! 

Thank you for all of your prayers and support that helps make all this possible

Leader are the best!

 

Murphy and he is one of our amazing Young Life leaders. He joined SYL as a junior in high school and has served at summer camp for two summers. It is a special privilege to get to serve alongside former students who then want to become leaders and choose to give their lives away as they grow in their faith.  Please keep our leaders in your prayers and pray also for our in-town winter camp called "Winter Blast." It will take place on Feb 16-17th. This year Winter Blast will include students and leaders from neighboring Ketchikan!