Day 1 SYL Renewed2021

COVID-19 has brought a lot of changes into our daily lives. It has given us different routines and rhythms and brought new definitions for words like social distancing. Some of these changes are challenging to adapt to, but some will have a positive effect on youth ministry in Sitka.  This break in routine has given us an opportunity to look at the dramatic shift in youth culture and has also allowed us a chance to adapt our strategies in order to better meet kids.  Culture has been changing a lot over the last few years.  Young people today grow up with a lot more technology and they have a lot more vying for their time and attention. Through their screens, kids are inundated with different voices, values, and philosophies. On their devices, young people face amplified comparison, polarization, and isolation.  Kids today are also exposed to more at much earlier ages and processing all this can be difficult for young minds.  Being a kid today is not simple or easy. As Young Life leaders we get to bring smiles to faces and create safe places where kids can be themselves and feel valued and accepted. We listen carefully, we walk closely, and we encourage. We get to point kids to Jesus- the one who knows them the best and loves them the most.  And that is what Young Life leaders are doing in all 50 states and around the world in 104 countries.  We laugh, we listen, we love, and we share. Volunteer leaders from Sitka and around the world are being trained and sent out to be with young people.  That is what you are a part of when you join the Sitka Young Life team. COVID-19 has forced us to be innovative and to try new things. Over the next four days, we get to share with you some of these exciting new ways in Sitka that we are digging deeper, increasing church involvement, and reaching out to young adults. Tomorrow we will be sharing about the things we have been doing with students in town and also how we have been involved with the students at Mt. Edgecumbe High School. DONATE HERE Sitka Young Life P.O. Box 2046 Sitka, AK 99835

Donate Here

BIG NEWS

BIG NEWS: 

1. We have been invited to start Young Life club and campaigners on campus at Mt. Edgecumbe High School!  Sitka has been on Covid high alert since July and so the MEHS administration has invited Young Life on to campus in order to provide a positive activity in which kids could be involved.
2. We had our first Sitka Youth Combined meeting with youth leaders and kids from churches around town joined together with YL leaders and kids in order to dive deeper into faith together. (More details will follow)
3. Our Online Giving campaign will take place November 19-24. If you are on our regular email list, you will receive daily emails.  If you know someone who would enjoy the updates or want to receive a text link update on your phone during this campaign- use the following link:  Sign up   

   

   Pumpkin carving night with kids and leaders

   

The Ball is rolling!

                                        

The ball is off and rolling here with Sitka Young Life! Last week we met with kids to carve pumpkins, laugh and play games! We also met with a team of youth leaders from churches around town! The goal of meeting with Young Leaders was to help strengthen and encourage the youth programs and empower ministries and grow relationships with young people in our local churches. 

 And this is just the beginning. SYL will continue to host a monthly youth ministry leader training! SYL will host a monthly all-Sitka youth rally night where Young Life leaders and church youth leaders come together with the young people of Sitka. We will be using the curriculum from Alpha to dive deeper into conversations about faith and how Christ makes a difference in each of our daily lives.   Thanks for your involvement! Here is a picture from Saturday's youth ministries training:

Sitka Young Life Celebrates:

 

 A bonfire at the park

Things to Celebrate: 

• Meeting with kids for our campaigner Bible studies.  In the last week of school, between 4 different campaigner groups, we had 33 kids meet with 9 different leaders to enjoy a time of food, community, and to dive into God's word.
• Gatherings with young people are becoming more frequent
• This summer we are planning on having many ways to connect with young people in Sitka- including hiking, campfires, topic conversations, games, and a local camping trip.

Thanks for your prayers and support.

One of our campaigner groups

Giving kids...

Our faithful prayer team meets weekly to pray for kids

We are giving kids:

• a listening ear and a safe place to be themselves.
• positive experiences with peers and leaders.
• an example of what Christ can do in life.

We are with kids

• tonight as we meet with high school kids for a chance to be together, play games, and laugh!
• tomorrow morning in person for our campaigner Bible study!
• in the upcoming week(s) as we meet with middle school friends to go harvest some herring! 

Thanks for your prayers and support!

                 Contribute to Sitka Young Life- updated link

Back at it!

There has been a lot of changing gears. This year has been unpredictable, but in a way, it has helped us get back to our roots, to what is important.  Young Life is committed to praying for, seeking, and supporting the middle school and high school students.  This has continued to be the case during these last five months.  We didn't have graduation parties, but we did host 70 on a Zoom Baccalaureate event. We didn't go to summer camp, but we connect for virtual Bible studies.  We didn't share breakfast, but we continued to meet with kids individually or in small groups. And that is what we will continue to do this fall.  Last week, we met with youth leaders from six local Sitka churches to collaborate on the topic of youth ministry and reaching the children of our community during this trying season.  This fall we will be diving deeper with leaders and kids about transformational discipleship. God is moving, and it has been exciting walking through these times with young people.  And as always, thank you for your prayer and support. 

 

Zoom, chat, post

These last few weeks have taught us that we shouldn't take relationships for granted.  Quarantines and new routines have given us all time to reflect, to reach out, and to be bored. During these times, we are continuing to reach out to kids as we are having Young Life club on Zoom with our high school friends.  We are also still having campaigner Bible studies and have been able to include some of the kid's other family members.  In this way, we have been able to bring Sitka Young Life to many different communities across Alaska. 

YL Club, Campaigners, Leader's meeting, committee meetings, and prayer groups are all meeting virtually on Zoom

It seems that our whole world has changed during these past weeks.  Some days the sense of fear and hopelessness seems physically tangible.  Today is Good Friday and I can't help but think back 2,000 years ago and remember how the disciples' whole world changed in one night.  Their hope disappeared and they were afraid.  But days later, the most amazing thing happened that changed the world.  I  know that these weeks will change all of us, but as Christians today, we have a real reason for hope, and a real reason not to fear.  May we continue to keep our eyes on Jesus today, tomorrow, and in ALL the future holds.