We Are Here!!

LS YL leader team

Bus Ride

Winter Park 

 We made it to Crooked Creek Ranch.  After a long bus ride and a few naps and movies we have arrived.  Crooked Creek is beautiful and kids right now are exploring camp.  Most of our girls hit the YL store in the first 30 minutes.  Now they are swimming, blobbing, rock climbing, playing frisbee and hanging out.  Tonight we will have our first epic club, share our first meal around a table together, and participate in some crazy obstacle course.  Stay tuned for more.

4 Days Away!

In 4 days a charter bus full of students from LSN, LSHS, LSW, and BSS will head to the mountains for a week of adventure and relationships.  Kids will get to be kids.  I know they have been counting down the days for this trip.  Buses will leave at 11:00pm Sat. July 25th from the Lee's Summit North Parking lot by the tennis courts.  The send of party has already been planning a tailgate, which makes me smile.  Each year previous campers, YL alumni, and friends meet to hang out and send off the new group.  This year, I believe, a tailgate is in the works.  Hope to see you there.  Whether you are a camper, parent, or alumni.

Finale

YL Seniors

Wow, what a finale.  Our last club was one of those moments you hope to see.  Moments where you are affirmed that your calling to share Jesus is validated.

Senior after senior got up on stage to take the mic.  To say what a difference YL has made in their life.  That camp truly is the best week of their life.  That their leader has been a huge influence and how good it has felt to be known and loved.  And how much they love the YL family.  But you know what was the best? Not the compliments to leaders, or myself, or the talk of YL family, or camp.  It was that seniors stood up front and proclaimed that they know Jesus.  That because of YL, camp, and the YL family they know Jesus and that relationship rescued them and continues to do so.  

Kids literally had to be asked to leave at the end of club.  They wouldn't go home.  They didn't want this to end.  They hugged, cried, and took pictures.  At 11pm I was still in the parking lot of club hanging with students who sat in the parking lot remembering their favorite moments refusing to close this chapter.  God is good!  Thank you for supporting this ministry and making a difference in the lives of kids.

Although, Club is over for the school year, YL is not over.  Our big YL Camp trip will be July 25- Aug 2.  We have a few spots left.   http://lsylcamp.weebly.com/  YL leaders will still pursue kids, have hang outs, and some small groups.  We will also be fundraising to sustain LS YL this summer with our annual Golf Tourney.  Please consider being a sponsor or a golfer.  http://lsylgolf.weebly.com/

I would like to especially thank our supporters.  YL is a nonprofit and needs financial support of the community. Those that donate their finances, time, prayers, and support we could not do this without you!  To my team of volunteer leaders:  I'm so proud of you living out the Gospel day in and day out and pointing kids to Jesus.  Thank you for being an incredible team!

Tracee

A Proud Parent Moment

A LS YL first to crowd surf at our All KC Metro YL Club @UMKC

Students from 8 areas come together as one big YL family.

I had a proud parent moment Monday, not with my adorable son but with the LS YL family.  We loaded 2 school buses to embark on our long lost tradition of a KC wide YL Club.  As we unloaded the buses and led the students into the lobby to wait.  I was beaming.  These are my people.  I love them.  They are full of questions, life, energy, hype, and pursuit of truth.  The doors opened for club to begin and as our tradition LS YL was there waiting at the door to make sure they raced in and go to stand front right of the stage.  That's our place... front right.  At camp our students poach outside the club doors to get our front right spot.  I love that our students always want to be as close as possible to Jesus, to John 10:10 life, to crazy games, to real fun, to the party with a purpose.  I love that our students were the first to crowd surf and turn the KC Metro Club into a party.  I love that when one of our own was on stage for a game she was asked her name and where she was from and LS YL kids cheered so loud that she couldn't even get out the words Lee's Summit and the leader of the game said, "You must be from Lee's Summit."  I love we have a reputation of being crazy, loud, fun, hyped, and also respectful, caring, and encouraging.  I love when a special needs student won a raffle prize LS YL kids went crazy for her.  I literally am crying writing this.  I love these kids and so do my leaders.  They are kids that are trying to live for God in a way that makes sense to them and trying to be a family to those around them.  I am such a proud mom of these kids.  I think of these seniors who will have their last club this next week.  I think of their character and its shaping over the last four years.  I think of their journeys with Jesus and their heartaches and healing.  Oh what a joy it is to know them.  They will go out from this family and meet new families.  Some will serve as Yl leaders in their college town, some will join a Bible study or lead one with kids in their dorm, some will step foot on the mission field this summer, but what I love is that LS YL kids leave a legacy and they always come home.  God is good.  

"How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He’s the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ." Ephesians 1:4-5

Young Life=Family

Audrey speaking to a packed house at Younger Life Club

Lee’s Summit Young Life leaders and kids have been calling our community “family” for quite some time so we were more than thrilled to invite our “extended family” in on our amazing (not so) little secret the past few weeks.

March 31 – “Brothers and Sisters”
Two weeks ago we split the family up just slightly for a Girls/Guys Night Out at LSCC.  The boys met outside and did very manly things such as playing basketball and Frisbee before listening to an amazing guest speaker named Ruffin Bailey.  I’d love to share more but I wasn’t invited!

As for the girls, we held an “open mic night” as we like to call it it Young Life; this basically means the other leaders and I passed the
microphone to the kids and gave them a chance to share their hearts.  One by one the girls stood in front of their sisters and friends and talked about whatever they wanted to speak about.  These amazing and brave girls offered advice and encouragement, shared stories of what they have overcome and where they see Jesus in their lives; many simply wanted to say “thank you” to a friend, to a leader or to their “Young Life family”.  It was a beautiful night that far exceeded our expectations.  I believe that the over SEVENTY girls that showed up left feeling better apart of this family and encouraged by the many ways Jesus is ever-present in their lives.

April 7 – “Parents”
A week ago we invited our parents to club for “Old Life”.  It was incredible to stand at the front of the room and look out at all of that support (or stand in the middle of the dancing parents mixed in with their kids throughout the night). The night was full of energy and was topped off by a guest appearance from THE KC Wolf, Mr. Dan Meers, who also happens to be a parent of some of our Young Life kids.  Dan shared his wonderful story with us, including how one even becomes professional mascot; but most importantly he shared the perfect love of Jesus Christ.  (If you missed Old Life and don’t know Dan’s story, I encourage you to check out his book Wolves Can’t Fly, it really is an amazing story with an even better message.) Thank you, parents for being a part of that night, please come back anytime. 

April 14 – “YOUNGER Brothers and Sisters”
Finally, this past week we invited out younger brothers and sisters. Our goal was to share the night with our middle school family and I’d say we did. They mixed right in with their big brothers and sisters; in fact it was hard to even tell where most of them were except by their
size! The best part of the night was watching new leader, Audrey Copenhaver share the story of God’s messy, protective, tough, unconditional love through the story of her relationship with her late
father and a room full of 6th through 12th grade students learned that even through sadness, struggle, tough times and loss. #HisloveNEVERfails.

Thank you siblings, parents and students for Lee’s Summit Young Life and for allowing me to be part of the best day of my week, so many amazing lives and this incredible ministry.  I love this family.

Thanks to Jessica Burton for writing this post!

We All Need a Doctor

  I'm so thankful for a team of leaders who love students and love Jesus.  Last night one of our leaders Sam spoke truth from her heart, her story, and from Mark.  Check out some of her words here:  

Mark 2: 15-17

15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were religious leaders saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus is seen here eating with the “tax collectors and sinners” the tax collectors who were dishonest and greedy and the sinners who were people who disobeyed the things Jesus had taught. These were the outsiders. The others. The ones that didn’t follow the rules. Yet, Jesus chose to find friendship with them. Jesus chose to commune, hang out with and eat with those who weren’t what society said they should be. They weren’t the good people. How crazy is that?? Now, many of us are like the religious leaders and ask “but why would Jesus want to eat with the worst people? The people who are dishonest, the people who are outsiders?” and then Jesus tells us the most awesome thing. That he came for those who are sick, those who are the ones least like him.

He says “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Jesus says, “I am a doctor, let me heal you” I mean, could he get any more clear about what his purpose is? He is here to save those who need him most. Those who are sick.

I don’t know about you, but I needed a doctor. I was sick. I was looking for approval in all the places that weren’t going to give that to me. And I feel like a lot of you are sick too. Are you also looking for approval in other people? Are you going to that party because you know then that boy will like you if you do? Are you turning to alcohol or drugs to fill that hole? Maybe you’re only focusing on the negatives of yourself, constantly finding your flaws, rather than finding positives....Maybe you’re greedy or dishonest like Levi. Maybe you put others down because it makes you feel better? Maybe you’re trying to please everyone by doing things you wouldn’t normally do...I’m not sure why you might be sick, but I have such good news. It doesn’t matter why you’re sick because Jesus is a doctor for all of those things. And he tells us that he’s here for us...those who are sick, outsiders, and alone.

It’s really humbling though to admit that we can’t do things on our own, that we need a doctor.  Many of you know I was in a pretty serious accident last year and it resulted in a broken back and some pretty messed up knees. I was pretty helpless. I couldn’t dress myself, I couldn’t drive, I couldn’t pick things up off the ground. I needed doctors, I needed my parents, and I needed my friends. Yet it was hard to admit that. It’s hard to admit that we aren’t capable of doing everything on our own. It’s hard to admit that we are helpless. And it is even harder, when we feel like others don't understand what we’re going through.

Jesus is our doctor. He is here to save us and to heal us. And he loves us regardless of what our past is. But some people don’t know that about him. So what is almost as important as realizing he loves us regardless, is that he calls us to love each other the same way.  He came to save us, to love us even though we are sick and the outsiders and we have his love regardless of what we’ve done. It’s hard and humbling to admit that we’re sick. I know. But once we get that, we have to know that others are feeling the same way. So we are called to love the outsiders too. To love those that are different, or don’t have what we have, or those who even have done us wrong.  


Parents, teachers, church leaders, middle school students- Please join us for these two special clubs:
April 7th OLD LIFE CLUB @LSCC 7:47pm (Bring your parent to club!)  Guest speaker- Dan Meers- KC Wolf
 
April 14th YOUNGER LIFE CLUB @LSCC 7:47pm (Middle school parents and students invited!) 

I Don't Understand God Sometimes

Last night students piled into our club room and we had a blast.  Dancing, singing, games, skits, and a message of truth.  This week we wrapped up our talk series- Questions students have about God.
We had a panel of leaders attempt to answer hard questions about God using truth from the Bible and truth from their own stories.  What a night.  What we have learned as leaders through this series is it is okay to say, "I don't know."  To also know that God is big enough for us to question him.  That it's okay to not understand God sometimes but life with him is worth it.  We closed our night with an incredible video that sums up all of this so well. 

Check it out:
I Don't Understand God Sometimes

I also want to personally invite you to attend a club and come and see what we are all about.  Try attending one or both of these dates.  Old Life will be a club where students invite their parents to observe YL Club, Dan Meers (KC Wolf will be giving the talk).  Younger Life will be a night were middle school students are invited to join us as well as any parents who are interested. 

April 7th OLD LIFE CLUB @LSCC 7:47pm (Bring your parent to club!)  Guest speaker- Dan Meers- KC Wolf
 
April 14th YOUNGER LIFE CLUB @LSCC 7:47pm-9:30pm  (Middle school parents and students invited!)