As many of you know, WyldLife in Ladera Ranch is on a roll! Our Friday morning campaigners meetings have been going great, and I am blown away by the number of kids that are coming out this year!
I am excited to announce that we will be starting CLUB this week! If you don't know what club is, the best way to describe it is that it is a party with a purpose. Its a time where kids get to be the messy, confused, wild middle schoolers that they are, all while being in a safe place with caring adults that are right there getting wild with them. We believe that laughter is extremely important, and that having a place to act crazy and have fun can be incredibly healthy for kids, especially now, when so much of their lives are ruled by competition and the pressure to succeed. We also believe that laughter breaks down walls, and helps us earn the right to speak into their lives. As they watch us make fools of ourselves, and as we invite them to play games they don't normally play, something amazing happens, and they begin to realize that we are doing it because we really care about them... and they begin to trust us enough to listen to us as we share about our lives, and how amazing Jesus is.
Last year our club nights were crazy. I would say they were just slightly controlled chaos, but, when it was time to talk about Jesus at the end of the night, it was never very hard to get the kids to sit and listen. They were open to what we had to share because we gave them space to go nuts and be kids.
This year, club will be every other Sunday night, starting this week, from 6:30-8. We are working on getting a clubhouse in Ladera as a permanent location. The dates for club this year will be: 10/19, 11/2, 11/16, and 12/7. THIS WEEK we will be meeting at McDonalds for "Eat the Menu." We will be meeting from 6:30-7:30, this Sunday night (10/19) for a time of pigging out on some extremely nutritious and classy food. This will be the first time we have done this in Ladera, but the other WyldLife clubs in the area have been doing this for years and the kids LOVE IT.
Winter Camp is coming up, November 21-23, at Oakbridge, a Young Life camp built for WyldLife in Ramona, CA (east county San Diego). We will be leaving Friday the 21st after school, and be returning the 23rd in the early afternoon. The cost will be $150, and we will need a $75 deposit in order to hold a spot. Spots are filling up VERY quickly. If you have any questions about camp, please email me, call, or text at 949-293-6443.
In other news, we will be starting to have parent info meetings after campaigners on the first Friday of every month. This will be a time to stop by, meet the leaders that are spending time with your kids, learn about the mission of Young Life, and ask any questions you may have. This will happen from 8:30-9:30, at Founders Park, on the same picnic tables where we have campaigners every week. It will be a relaxed time and feel free to stop by whenever. The first meeting will happen November 7.
We are in the works of creating something specifically for 8th graders on Wednesday mornings. This will be something that is more focused on learning about Jesus and what it is like to follow him. I am excited about this and hope that this is a time where the 8th graders that want to know more about Jesus can come and learn, ask questions, and see what a life following him is like. I am hoping to start this in the next couple weeks, but as of right now, we need a few more leaders who are able to come on Wednesday mornings, specifically, female leaders.
Lastly, WyldLife is a non-profit organization 100% funded through local support, because of this it is extremely important that we raise the support needed to continue to do what we are doing in Ladera Ranch. I have been blown away by what is happening at LRMS, and as we have a big 8th grade class going to Tesoro next year, I am hoping to be able to get Young Life started there next year. None of this will be able to happen without the financial support needed to keep ministry happening. It is my prayer that you would be willing to come alongside this ministry financially to ensure that WyldLife and Young Life in Ladera Ranch is something that becomes a part of the fabric of Ladera Ranch for years to come. If you are interested in becoming a supporter in this way, please email me, call, or text me. I would love to share more about this with you.
We love middle school kids! They are full of life. Middle school is a time when kids make important decisions about who they are and what they believe. We consider it a privilege to be involved in their lives, modeling and expressing God's love by learning their names, hearing their stories and honoring their God-given desire for a life of fun, adventure and purpose.
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