Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Young Life and YoungLives?

  • Young Life is a non-profit Christian outreach organization that seeks to share Jesus Christ with students and help them grow in their faith. YoungLives​ is a branch of Young Life that specifically serves expectant and parenting teens.
  • YoungLives​ leaders go to young parents, build bridges of authentic friendship, and introduce them to Jesus Christ.

Who does YoungLives​ serve?

  • YoungLives​ serves expectant and parenting teens across the world.

What are different ways I can get involved or support YoungLives?

There are many ways to get involved with YoungLives, whether you are a caring adult in the community, a church, a teacher, a parent, a teenager wanting to serve in your community. Various roles include:

  • YoungLives​ Mentor/Leader: a YoungLives​ mentor is someone who walks alongside a teen parent, doing life together throughout the year
  • Area Volunteer: a caring adult that helps to coordinate meals for YoungLives​ events, rides for teen parents, childcare at YoungLives​ events, and other crucial things that go into running YoungLives​ programming.
  • Camp Childcare Volunteer: anyone 13+ who can volunteer their time to go serve at YoungLives​ camp by caring for campers’ children while they experience aspects of Young Life camp.

To get involved:

  • Contact your local area coordinator. Click here to find that information.
  • Click here for more information about serving at camp: goyounglives.younglife.org

How can men be involved?

  • We welcome male volunteers in almost all of the above roles, primarily as Area Volunteers and Camp Childcare Volunteers. We aim to pair each teen mothers with a female mentor. However, we have many areas that are serving teen fathers, which provides an opportunity for male mentorship.

What is YoungLives​ stance on abstinence, abortion, and adoption?

  • YoungLives​ embraces a nonpolitical, Jesus-centered approach to these topics, valuing the woman, child, and family equally. This approach is echoed in the work of one of our partner organizations, Prograce. In their vision statement, they affirm our stance on these hard topics: "As we reflect God’s grace, He can create pathways of hope for all impacted by unintended pregnancy and abortion.

As a teen parent progresses through YoungLives, how do you define success?

  • YoungLives​ exists for expectant and parenting adolescents to grow in faith, grow in life, and grown in leadership. These three tenets of our purpose may look different in each young parent that we work with and there are a vast number of potential outcomes. "Success" could be defined as a young mother coming to know Jesus as her savior, a young father taking the next step in his faith journey by joining a small group Bible study, or a young family going to a retreat or praying together regularly. It can also look like a young mother graduating from high school and going to college or trade school, a young father finding steady, gainful employment, or a young family finding stable housing. "Success" can also look like a young mother serving as a leader-in-training at YoungLives​ camp, a young father leading a group on a parenting technique that has worked well for him, or a young family helping to plan activities for other young families in their area.

How can a church collaborate with YoungLives?

  • YoungLives​ values collaboration with followers of Christ from various traditions and local churches worldwide. YoungLives​ desires teenagers and their families to have a lifelong faith community through their local church. Every day we see churches providing support with mentors, childcare, meals and financial support for local YoungLives​ groups. To learn more about how Young Life partners with local churches, click here.

How is YoungLives​ funded?

  • YoungLives​ is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies solely on local donors, grants, funds, foundations, and more. YoungLives​ around the world would not happen without generous people like you! To find out how you could partner financially with your local area, click here.

Do you take in-kind donations? (diapers, cribs, clothes, etc.?)

  • Yes! Local areas are always welcoming donations to support and provide resources to the teen parents they serve and reach. In addition, each summer, YoungLives​ camp teams around the country create Amazon Gift Lists​ to supply their nurseries and support the children attending.

How do we meet the complex needs of teen parents?

  • "YoungLives​ collaborates with professionals in a variety of fields to care for the physical and emotional needs of teen parents. This varies state by state. Please contact your [divisional coordinator- who should this be?] for more information related to your community."