This year, our Young Life team dedicated itself to the power of prayer, drawing guidance from Mark Batterson's book, Draw the Circle. Instead of racing through in 40 days, we opted for a more reflective 40-week journey. Each week, before our high school friends arrived for club, the leaders would dive into the week's chapter over a shared meal. Early in our journey through the book, we were encouraged to pray with bold specificity. Although our first year in ministry had been successful, attracting a consistent group of girls remained a challenge. Before one particular club session, as we prepared to pick up the kids, we gathered to pray not only for that evening but also for the upcoming fall weekend and other concerns. During this time, Pam, one of our leaders, embraced the challenge from our book—and ultimately from Jesus in Luke 11:8—to pray with "shameless audacity."
Pam boldly prayed for six girls to attend that night. To some, six might not seem like many, but at the time, it felt as significant as if sixty boys had shown up. And guess how many girls came to club that night? Exactly six. When we noticed, Pam and I exchanged knowing smiles, overwhelmed by the evidence of God's faithfulness. Pam humorously remarked that she should have aimed higher.
Nearly six months on from that prayer, our outreach to girls at East Kentwood has grown significantly beyond those six. My wife, Annika, along with Pam, now regularly hosts Bible study sessions with up to eight girls in our living room every Thursday after school. It’s thrilling to witness the growth in numbers; from our humble beginnings with 4 kids at our first club in September of 2022 to nearly 100 kids at our Christmas Club in December 2023. Additionally, we started Wyldlife Club at Pinewood Middle School this past year, so we can introduce Jesus to our middle school friends too. Currently we are gearing up to get kids to Castaway Young Life Camp in Minnesota, our first out of state camp experience!
Young Life, or any ministry for that matter, however, shouldn’t be about the numbers. The core of the ministry lies in the transformational stories of our Young Life friends, like Bill. This was his testimony from a couple months ago when he was baptized!
“Before I found Christ, I used to expect everything in life to go smoothly and would often blame others when things went wrong, rather than taking responsibility. My journey changed during my freshman year of high school when Jake invited me to a Young Life Club during lunch. I remember walking into club on a Monday night, not really sure what to expect. However, at the end of the club talk, when Jake prayed, something clicked inside me—I felt like I belonged.
The following year, I attended a Young Life camp for the first time. It was a pivotal experience; I grew closer to my friends and deepened my understanding of Christ, eventually inviting Him into my heart. Since committing to Christ, I've stepped away from many negative influences that were impacting my life, and I've discovered a newfound joy. The verse that I chose to commemorate my baptism day, Mark 9:23, reflects this transformation perfectly: "Everything is possible for one who believes."
Stories of change like Bill's are your stories too. Your support helps to make them possible. You've been with us as we've logged 500 hours in lunchrooms, sat with kids in juvenile detention, gave them a pillow to peacefully rest their head on as they were on the brink of homelessness, among many other things that kids are living through. There are also stories of celebration! The decision of six youths to commit to Christ this past year is a direct result of your involvement and prayers.
We thank you for another year of partnership and look forward to sharing more stories from the front lines of our ministry. Your continued support is crucial as we approach the summer and the 2024-25 school year. We are excited to see what the Lord has in store and to share these transformative journeys with you.
Blessings,
Jake Bajema
Area Director-Kentwood Young Life
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