Merica

 'Mercia Club- U-S-A

This week our theme was America Club or as we say in a bad southern accent, "Merica."
Once again we packed the coffee shop full of high school students.  The energy in that room is priceless.  Kids were chanting U-S-A outside the club doors awaiting the countdown to get in.  Of course we sang "Party in the USA" and "American Honey."  What gets me every time is watching kids be kids.  Watching guys sing at the top of their lungs.  Watching kids grab hold of one another and sway to the music.  I love that at YL Club you get to be a kid.  I love that at YL club no one is "too cool" to not act like a fool.  No one is left out.  Our goals for YL club are simple:  1.  Kids have fun.  (check)  2.  Kids feel welcomed and part of the YL family (check).  3.  Kids hear the truth about our lives and about Jesus (check).

No club next week due to Spring Break.  We are back 3/18.  

Check out our YL calendar:  Be a friend and share it with a friend. 
http://lsyl.weebly.com/

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Wow.  We have had our first 3 clubs of the semester and they have been epic.  We are averaging 130 kids each week.  If they come... they come back.  Our camp trip to Lost Canyon YL Camp for this summer is SOLD OUT with 74 students and a wait list has already been started.  God is good.   Take a look through some pictures of the last 3 weeks and see what is happening through LS YL.

YL Camp is SOLD OUT!!!!  Record breaking numbers this year and excitement to experience the best week of our lives!

YL Club students hearing TRUTH... Week #1- The were created on purpose for a purpose.  Week #2 God came to us through Jesus.  Jesus was 100% God and 100% human. He wants to spend time with us. 
Week #3 Jesus meets us where we are, He runs to us.

LSN Senior girls after club with their mascot of the night- Phish. 

Kids being kids after club. 

A YL leader- Allison Hunt sharing her heart with a few YL girls (while holding my baby).  A great captured moment.  

Students all waiting to bust through the doors to Club!  

Find out more about what's happening and how to support LS YL.

Calendar of Events: 
http://lsyl.weebly.com/

Support LS YL
http://supportlsyl.weebly.com/

First Club of Semester

I am thankful for this team of YL Leaders!  These leaders give up their time, gas money, and energy to share life and Jesus with high school students.  Without these leaders YL would not exist.

Thank you to:  Brian Keller, Josh Fuller, Warren Frevert, Sydnee Mela, Jessica Burton, Paul Moore (hiding in this pic), Kelsi Worihaye, Curtis Edwards, Audrey Lanier, Allison Hunt.  

Thank you to those who volunteer to bring us a meal each week to show your appreciation for all they do.  Each week before club we the leader team meets, eats, and prays for students.  It has become such a blessing!  If you would like to donate a meal we have some dates left.  Contact me at:  traceecobb@gmail.com

Last night we had our first Club of the semester.  130 students showed up.  Three things (well four this week) happened:

1.  Students had FUN!  2.  Students felt welcomed and a part of the YL FAMILY.  3.  Students heard TRUTH about Jesus.  That God created them on purpose for a purpose.  That after He created them He saw it was VERY GOOD.  4.  We introduced Otto Cobb (my 2 month old son) with an epic intro!  He came in during the "Circle of Life" from Lion King and was held up as Simba.  He's got a big fan club of high school students and is so loved!

For more info on YL Club:
http://lsyl.weebly.com/

And so it begins...

And so it begins...

Life.  Isn't that what we are all about? Young Life is about John 10:10.  Believing that Jesus came for us to offer LIFE and life abundant.  Let me say that welcoming our son Otto Joesph Cobb into the world December 4th was a life changer and life starter.  We love him and he gives us so much joy already!  This winter has been full of life, new life, growing life, and celebrating life.  Thank you all to have shown such love for us and him in this time.  He is blessed to have hundreds of high school friends and a wonderful community.

This winter YL did not stop.  Ministry that is life on life keeps going.  Leaders hung out with kids, attended concerts, had bible studies, went ice skating, went to games, talked, texted and checked in.  Students began 514 our work crew training, leaders attended a KC Leadership day, and celebrated 2013 and the favor God has given us.  Not to mention on December 3rd we opened camp sign ups to students and only have a few spots left!  Over 69 students are headed to Lost Canyon Ranch this summer!

Please join us in praying and expecting God to great things in the lives of students this semester.  Check out our calendar of YL events and join us for 2014.

Blessing-
Tracee

YL 2014 Calendar:
2/4/14  YL Hangout @ Freddy's in LS- 7:47pm-9pm
2/11/14 RED Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
2/18/14 Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
2/25/14 Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
3/4/14 Merica Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
3/11/14 No Club- Spring Break- No school
3/18/14 Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
3/25/14 Denim Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
4/1/14 Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
4/8/14 YL Instagram Scavenger Hunt starts @LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
4/15/14 WACKY TACKY PROM CLUB @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
4/22/14 Club @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm
4/29/14 Senior Club- Open Mic Night @ LSCC Coffee Shop 7:47pm

Helpful links below:

YL CLUB online calendar:
http://lsyl.weebly.com/

More info about our YL Camp trip:
http://lsylcamp2014.weebly.com/

Wowzers

Just a few students enjoying Yl Club.

Wowzers...

Every once in a while we have a YL Club that blows me away.  A club that is so epic that kids stick around after and won't leave, where I go home and can't sleep, where Twitter blows up, and the next day I have what I call a Yl Club hangover.  That happened this week.  Words won't do it justice but I will try my best to give you a snapshot of what happened.

This week club was "open mic" night.  Where we invite students to share what God has been doing in their life this past semester.  Over 150 students showed up to hear about their peers lives.  More than ever we are hearing the theme of brokenness.  Students were very bold in their openness and sharing how life is hard, how broken their lives are with depression, addiction, divorce, and struggle and how God and the YL family has stepped in and given them hope and assured them they are not alone.  That He is real and they can make it.

YL is not the answer...Jesus is.  We cannot rescue...He can.  Students need us to be beside them and point them to His feet. The world is broken and Jesus came for the sick and for the broken. What a gift it is to know that we don't have to fix people, that there is a God that loves unconditionally, and promises to never forsake us.  What a joy to know there is a source that never runs out and to share that with students.

Hear from those that were there:

From an adult who attended Club:
"Wow...again...wow.  I called my husband on the way home and told him this is real life.  That this is real and we all need a Savior.  Walked out with a crazy different perspective.  You are a difference maker!"

From an adult who attended Club:
"Kids shared the deep problems they’ve had -- and have.  (They experience so much pain – loneliness, depression, suicide, loss of loved ones, physical injury and disorders, etc, etc, etc.)  They shared how YL has helped them.  They have come to know and accept Jesus, are learning how to get up after a knock down and live life with Him, and (in effect) experience what life in the Body of Christ is like.  They were telling other kids “others helped me, I’d like to help you.”   Wow, what a ministry this is."

From a leader:
"Last night was awesome!  Such a powerful reminder of the junk going on in the lives of kids.  I hope it was a call to all of our leaders that kids are crying out, so desperately, to be known and loved and guided to Jesus!  Some tough stuff, but I think there is a lot of space for God to work through us and this ministry."

From students on Twitter:
"So glad I went tonight.  Thanks YL for letting me open up and listening and caring.  Means a lot."

"No one can explain the love you feel when you walk into a room full of YL kids, but let me tell you it's amazing."

"You never truly know what to think of anything until you experience it... let's just say you're truly missing out if you don't go to YL."

"We all have a story and we all need some Jesus.  YL Club was epic."

"My heart is SO full. God is on the move in LS #YL"

"I love YL so much we are a forever family."

"So much love and passion in one room tonight.  YL has been an absolute blessing to me.  Huge thank you to everyone who shared."  #openmic






AMEN.

Links:

http://lsylcamp2014.weebly.com/

http://lsyl.weebly.com/

Follow Me

Another great YL Club last night.  Kids flooded the room and we had a party on a school night.  The best part for me is the way they listen, the way a room over 100 high school students put their phones away to tune it to truth.  Last night we heard from a leader about her story about her journey to truly follow Jesus.  Jesus invites us over and over again to follow Him.  He promises He is worth it, that He will never leave or abandon us, and that He loves us.

Students listening to volunteer leader Jessica Burton

I wanted to give a "shout out" to some pillars behind the scenes of LS YL.  We call them the grandparents of YL, Jim and Margie McCoy.  They had a vision and heard Jesus say, "Follow Me."  They helped start LS YL over 14 years ago.  They often show up at YL Club and soak in the beauty of kids hearing the Gospel.  They serve on the LEAD team, pray for leaders, raise support to sustain LS YL, have adopted me as a family, and love, love, love Jesus.  They are a blessing and a part of this ministry that is changing lives.

Jim and Margie McCoy

I invite you- adults- to join us next week for LS YL Club.  Come meet the McCoy's and sit with them in the back of the club room and see the ministry in action.  Next week is one of my favorite nights- Open Mic Club.  Come hear what God has been doing in the hearts of kids.  Your hesitation maybe- you will be in the way or a distraction to students.  You won't, come sit in the back- arrive at 8:08pm and see what it's all about.

LS YL Calendar

Support LS YL

YL Camp 2014 Details

Growth

Just one year...

The top half of the picture above is our YL 10th/11th grade girls from LSN small group one year ago and the second half is that group now.  Growth.  I would say that group of girls who attend YL Club and their small group Campaigners has more than doubled.

We announced where we are headed to camp this summer last week at Late Night.  We are headed to Lost Canyon- July 26-Aug 3rd.  I have 80 spots.  I am not taking sign ups yet... however 35 of the girls from above have already texted their YL leader saying they want on that bus!

How are we growing?  How is that group so huge and so receptive to what YL offers?  I believe all students want truth.  Truth from the adults around them, truth from peers, and about purpose.  This group of girls share that truth and continue to invite their friends to experience that in YL.  One of the reasons why it continues to grow is because their volunteer leader continues to share life with them.  I asked their volunteer leader, Audrey Lanier, a few questions.

Audrey in the middle with two of her YL girls. 

Audrey went to LSN and was one of my YL kids when she was in high school.  She attends UCM now as a junior and this is her 3rd year of leading.  She has been with this group of girls since they were freshman.

How have you seen favor of God in YL?
In a million different ways.  I love seeing girls interact and love on one another.  I know God gives me the energy to give to the girls too.  I'm super busy with work, rugby, 18 hrs at UCM and He continues to fill me.  He gives me love and truth to give them.  And just recently He answered my prayers about needing help to lead this growing group by calling my best friend Kelsi to be a YL leader as well. 

Why are you serving with YL?
I'm not going to lie it's hard.  There have been times when it gets hard like I don't have gas money, and times when i feel empty, but I feel the Lord calling on my heart to keep going to keep serving  I know these girls need loved on and Jesus wants me to lead and give up my time.  He continues to bless me with friends and favor.  I feel inspired often by the girls I lead. 

What do you hope for the girls you lead?  
My hope for my girls is for them to own their faith.  To continue to go deep in a personal relationship with Jesus.  I want them to have identity not in YL or a church alone, but in Jesus.  I know they will go off to college and go on their way and I want them to have identity in Jesus, so no matter where they go they have that as their source.  
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YL is growing.  It is exciting.  I am so thankful for leaders like Audrey and the rest of our team who give up their free time to do life with kids and share truth.

Thank you:  Paul Moore, Brian Keller, Connor Hartnett, Josh Fuller, Allison Hunt, Jessica Burton, Audrey Lanier, Kelsi Worihaye, and our junior leaders:  Clair Mulvihill, Megan Garica, Katie Davila, Savanah Thorne, Taylor Downey. 

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