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