We love Abilene. More importantly we love the kids in Abilene. We care about the decisions they make whether it be where they want to go to college, if they should try out for cheerleader, how to relate to their families and friends…but especially where their lives are going spiritually. As college-age and older adults we know that high school can be one of the hardest times in life, and we want to walk through it with the kids here. That’s why you’ll see us at the lunch rooms at A-High, Cooper, and Wylie. We’re cheering at the Friday night football games (we are in West Texas!), playing a game of ultimate on Sunday afternoons with 50 plus kids, and hanging out after basketball games. Most of us are students at ACU or HSU and for some reason, even if we’ve grown up here ourselves, have been brought to this town to share our lives with these kids. Young Life has played an instrumental role in many leader’s lives as we traveled through high school, and are all about sharing it with others!
Club is a huge part of what we do here in Abilene. Ask any high schooler who's shown up on Monday nights how great it can be…no one forgets the “Spartan cheerleaders”, Chuck Rodgers eating a goldfish, or the Halloween costume contest. It’s a crazy-good-outrageous time…just ask the young lady who licked peanut butter out of a leaders armpit or young man who “washed an elephant”! We like randomness. We like to sing. We like games and we love skits. Don’t miss out. 7:59 EVERY Monday. If you drive by 1st Baptist Church (where we have club) ever on a Monday night you’ll see what were talking about…kids from Cooper, Wylie and Abilene High are crawling all over the place. And that’s exactly how we want it.
Campaigners is another way we leaders show we care. Each school has several leaders who are purposely there to “dig in deeper” about the life of Jesus with their high school friends. We’re ears for listening to problems, we're voices to help answer questions. Sometimes there are questions about things they might have heard at the club talk, sometimes kids just need someone older to listen to them,and sometimes their not sure what they have questions about…but you want to know more. Campaigners gives a more intimate and confidential atmosphere where relationships can grown stronger and deeper. And these relationships are just a reflection of the one that we, as leaders and Christians, feel is the most important one kids will ever have.
As big as Young Life is here in Abilene, high school kids are not the only ones we like to hang out with. WyldLife is the name for contact work with middle school kids. Although a bit younger in age, WyldLife kids have incredible college-age leaders who love hanging out with them!
YoungLives is a YL ministry also known throughout the country. Abilene has the privilege of enjoying an active YoungLives club with young high school mom's, dad's and their children. We are constantly recruiting volunteers to help with this group of young men and women. If your talents are in helping in the nursery, providing dinner, or just plain--helping out--we want you!!! Want to know more about it, or how to get involved? Contact Julie Berry, YoungLives Coordinator, 325-676-1211.