Renewed Life

I am so thankful for the Body of Christ and how God has designed each of us to play a different role.  In the past month, I have had a chance to see how God has orchestrated people to use their gifts. 

• Leaders find untapped enthusiasm on camping trips with kids. 
• The prayer teams praying with increased passion and conviction for the community and for young hearts to turn towards Jesus.  
• A husband and wife cooking team serve a 5-course breakfast for 19 high school boys and 17 girls; then sincerely thanking the kids for coming to breakfast where they get more about Jesus! 
• People sponsor kids to go to camp where they experience God in an amazing setting, with leaders who know and love them. 
• Our adult committee being energized on new ways they can encourage and energize youth workers around town.
• partnerships forming with churches and community organizations. I have seen our partnership with churches and community organizations grow.  God is working through this ministry to change kids' lives, families, and the hearts of those who serve

Thanks for being heroes: for praying, sharing resources, and for being people who follow God's leading. And ultimately, thanks be to God who daily transforms our lives when we say yes to him

A lot can happen in 19 hrs.... WINTER BLAST

Two weekends ago was one of the year's highlights as we hosted "WINTER BLAST," our annual middle school and high school lock-in or minicamp.  In total we had 85 students participate in two nights.  There were 16 leaders being with kids and five church congregations providing food and support.  We flew in an amazing speaker, musician and a gal to do the program and keep us laughing. We made a lot of great memories at the pool, and on the diving board, and a new favorite this year, a photo scavenger hunt downtown.  We also enjoyed playing big club games with balloons, eating snacks, tossing bean bags, and just being together.  Kids also had four opportunities to hear from our speaker about God's great love story and to process what was shared with their friends afterward during cabin times. "It's amazing how much kids can open up in 19 hours," one of our leaders shared.  Winter Blast has become the favorite night of the year for many of our kids. At the end of the event- one of our high school juniors said: "Winter Blast is the best time I have ever had with people."  Thanks for partnering with us as we share God's love. 

Fall is Flying Fast

Fall is whizzing by at breakneck speed and we have many reasons to give thanks. Thank you for being a part of this ministry. We have already had 15 club meetings and over 30 campaigner Bible studies.  We have 4 new adult leaders and met a ton of new kids. There are new people on the  Community Adult Support Team and new members attending our weekly prayer time. Our banquet went well and we are looking forward to finishing the semester strong and preparing for our winter camp called "Winterblast."  Here is a picture that was taken in the bus on one of our high school clubs.  Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Transition

God orchestrates many things in the lives of those who follow him.  As our lives are not our own, it is key that we follow His leading. In Young Life, we recognize that this ministry is not ours, but His.  We, too, need to follow His leading as He directs Sitka Young Life. This fall there will be some staffing transitions for Sitka Young Life.

As I first began working as Young Life ministry coordinator for rural Alaska, my supervisor and I weren’t really sure how the new position would evolve.  We wanted to learn an effective strategy for starting a youth ministry in a native rural village. Over these last six years, I have learned a ton, and I have had the chance to meet and talk with many people from around the state.  There have been opportunities to travel and work with elders and with youth. I have partnered with leaders of organizations who have been ministering to youth in rural AK for generations. I have connected and talked with people in Young Life about effective strategies for new startups. Since I began, we have hired two other people to start ministries in the villages where they live.  These past six years we have learned what Young Life in rural Alaska can look like, and we have learned some strategic priorities that will help ministry flourish. This past year I have been increasingly aware that the next progression for Young Life in Rural Alaska would require more oversight and travel than I am able to commit to. Sitka is a great spot, but far from the rest of the state, and with the arrival of our third baby this summer, traveling will be increasingly difficult.   I still have as much passion and interest in the people from villages, but my position will need to transfer to a team.

Simultaneously, God had been moving in Chris’s heart about the upcoming year.  In early Spring, the Sitka School District asked Chris to consider applying for the position of Director of Special Education.  Through a lot of prayers, both Natalie and Chris felt led that Chris should take the position. Chris’ calling and his passion for the kids of Sitka have not changed, but his hours will shift.  Over the past 5 years, Chris has worked full time for Young Life and part-time for the school district. He will now work full time for the district and part-time for Young Life. He will still work with high school and middle school kids.  Some of the behind the scenes work will now need to be done by someone else.

Over the past 2 years, my work with the local Sitka area ministry has grown to include working with many more adults. I have worked in the background more and have developed a growing interest in how SYL could adapt to become more effective. Through prayer and conversations with my wife, we felt that I should apply for the Sitka Young Life Area director position.

Last month the job position was opened, and I applied.  I went through the interview process and was hired. I feel God has prepared and called me to serve in this place, at this time. I have worked and volunteered in both school districts in Sitka for the past 16 years and have been able to build some great relationships. As our committee chairperson said, “It has been awesome to see God has moved and orchestrated in ways we could not have predicted.”  

We have had an excellent summer with 30 kids experiencing Young Life camp and watching them grow closer to God through the experience. We had 26 go to camp and 4 serve for a month on the camp work crew.  Through the summer months, Young Life leaders have also been preparing for the upcoming school year in planning events to build memories, thinking of ways to connect with kids, and creating opportunities for sharing about Jesus.  The focus for our teams this year will be growing deeper in Christ and experiencing his fullness.

Thank you for all of your faithful prayers and support as we look forward this year to seeing God move in Sitka and around the state.

Sincerely,
Aaron Routon.

Malibu 2018!

"My week at Malibu Young Life club with Sitka Young Life was a life-changing experience. Being here I was able to fully receive God into my heart. He has shown me that I can fall freely into his arms. What was most meaningful to me was that I was able to find myself during this week. I want to thank you for all your support. Your support has not only change my life but has helped hundreds of kids lives as well I pray that you know that you are greatly appreciated. God bless"

Earlier this month we took 30 students and leaders to Malibu Young LIfe Club in BC and the previous quote came from a student who summerd up her experience at camp. Thank you for supporting these kids and Sitka Young Life. To read more quotes from kids about camp this year, CLICK HERE

"This week changed the way I see myself and life."

"This week was one of the best weeks of my life. It really brought me closer to God. What everyone said in Cabin time has really opened a new perspective about everything God is."

"This week meant a lot to me, I started my journey with God."

"The most meaningful thing to me was the 15 minutes alone because that's when I asked God to back into my life."

"I came to a realization that God forgives me no matter how much I screw up and that is amazing"

"I like learning more in-depth about the Bible stories I have learned so many times but not really getting what the stories meant."

"I thought people would be more mean to me. I thought I would be left out. But thankfully it was not like that."

"My week at Malibu Young Life club with Sitka Young Life was the best week I have ever experienced. Thank you so much for giving me a chance to get closer to God on this trip."

"I love being able to express what was going on and learning how to forgive and deal with issues."

"This trip made my relationship to God much stronger, I feel much more secure about my faith then I did a week ago."

"And now I know that I can find happiness, it is through God and nobody else. Before coming I had a journey with God, but after this week, I feel like I actually started my journey with him."

"This week meant so much to me. If I didn't come here, I wouldn't be as close to God as I am now. Learning more about the story of God being so much to me because I thought I already knew the story, but it turned out that I have so much more to learn."

"I truly truly had the best week of my life."

"Being here, God showed me that I have him fully in my heart and that my waters can be calm. He quiets down my storms and my anxieties."

"This week has been amazing. I got out so much that had been bottled up and have had no one to talk to or trust. And I learned that I can lean on God and Jesus in my tough times."

"At the beginning of the week I didn't know how to comprehend God but by the end of the week, I started to understand it."

"Thank you for supporting Sitka Young Life and helping me experience the best week of my life."

3. 2. 1. Out of School and Off to Camp!

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The end of the school year is a big transition.  For those of us who work with students from Mt. Edgecumbe, summer tends to make us feel like parents who watch their kids leave and we hope we have prepared them. This year we graduated a great core group of seniors who are involved and solid in their faith.  We look forward to seeing how God leads and uses each of them.  

Yesterday a group of 29 left for Malibu Young Life camp in British Columbia.  Young Life camp is an awesome place with outstanding people and they do a fabulous job presenting the Gospel.  Please keep our group in your prayers this week and pray that kids would really open up and respond to God's amazing love story.

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Click here to see more of Malibu Young LIfe Camp.

Spring is here!

Spring is a busy time of ministry for Sitka Young Life.  Here is a brief snapshot of this past month: 

• Club: 8 club meetings with 100 people at weekly.
• Campaigners: 20 times of getting together with high school students to study the Bible and 40 people participating- two times with middle school students and 25 people.
• Camping: Winter blast and a guys discipleship camping trip where 9 guys participated.
• Prayer team: 5 weekly prayer meetings with 7 people participating. ,
• People doing ministry around the state who are supported by Sitka Young Life: Tuntituliak- 40 kids around a campfire heard about Jesus calling his disciples, Bethel - six kids at Bethel Youth Facility who met with a Young Life leader to study the Bible.

Thanks for being a part of this work!

We would like to take 30 kids to camp and looking for people partner financially in giving to the camp scholarships fund.  Our goal is to raise $10k. If you would like to partner- click here.