St. Mary’s County

Vision: Every adolescent in St. Mary’s County will have the opportunity to meet and follow Jesus Christ.

Mission: To introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them to grow in their faith.

Young Lifeis a 501(c)3 nonprofit, international & interdenominational mission community of Christ-centered adultvolunteers and staff who believe that teenagers are great and that every adolescent should have the opportunity to hear about Jesus in terms they can relate to and respond to. Therefore we GO wherever kids are to build relationships, to walk alongside them through the often turbulent years of adolescence and to share the Gospel with them. This is done through the distinctive, age appropriate and proven techniques of Contact Work, Club, Camp and Campaigners all with the financial, administrative and prayer support of a Committee of adults representing the local community (churches, schools, businesses, parents). By providing mentoring relationships we offer adolescents the opportunity to develop character traits, leadership skills and an attitude of service while allowing them to have fun and experience life to the fullest.

We want every adolescent, regardless of sex, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status or religious background to experience the love of Christ through their encounter with Young Life.

Core Values:In order that we may carry out our mission under the authority of Scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit to empower our ministry through prayer …

We will WIN OURSELVES TO JESUS FIRST (Personal Discipleship)

(1 Cor 2:2, Phil 1:27, John 15:5, Mark 12:29 - 31)

We will BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS(Authentic Community)

(Phil 2:1-4, Acts 2:42-47, Rom 12:10-13, Hebrews 10:24 - 25)

We will WIN EVERY KID TO CHRIST AND DISCIPLE THEM(Gutsy Frontline Relationships)

(Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 1:38, Mark 2:15, Jn 4:1-42; Matthew 9:35 - 38)

We will DO EVERYTHING WITH EXCELLENCE(Stewardship)

(Col 3:23-24, Matthew 5:41, Phil 4:8, 2 Chronicles 7:14

We will HAVE A KINGDOM PERSPECTIVE (Unity in diversity)

(Phil 4:10 – 19, Eph 4:1 – 6, Phil 2:3 & 4, I Cor 12:12 – 14))

We will actively and intentionally…

Ensure that Jesus is at the center of all we do and that we work from an attitude of humility, prayer and boldness in our calling.

Pursue healthy (deep & wide) relationships with all kinds of adolescents with a focus on the disinterested/furthest out.

Provide activities that are safe, fun and age appropriate that foster the proclamation of the Gospel and offer the opportunity for adolescents to experience full life.

Provide discipleship opportunities in the areas of basic Biblical principles, service and leadership that will enable adolescents to be a part of not only the local church body but also the larger Kingdom where ever they may go in life.

Provide life changing opportunities for adolescents to experience God’s creation, adventure and the Gospel lived out in community at camp.

Recruit, develop and care for adult volunteers to ensure the healthy growth and stability of this mission.

Ensure the financial health of the mission by being good stewards of the resources God has given us while inviting partners to participate through giving.

These overarching themes are accompanied by specific, measurable, attainable, goals within a time frame that are reviewed, evaluated and updated annually among the local committee and leadership teams.

Five Year Big Picture Plan*: We desire to grow this ministry over the next five years so that even more kids can have the opportunity to experience the love of Christ, meet Jesus and follow Him. So we hope to…

  1. Transition Years
  2. Vision Casting
  3. Maintain, recruit, transition partners in ministry
  4. Committee
  5. Donors
  6. Leaders
  7. Churches
  8. Parents & Friends of YL
  9. Continue WyldLife at SpringRidgeMiddle School
  10. Continue Young Life at LeonardtownHigh School
  1. Building Years (Deep)
  2. Mission Community/Relationships
  3. Build Traditions
  4. Recruit, Retain and Retire Well
  5. Work Crew/Summer Staff
  6. Adult Camping
  1. Growing Years (Wide)
  2. BeginCollege Life at College of Southern Maryland
  3. Begin Young Life at GreatMillsHigh School
  4. Begin WyldLife at LeonardtownMiddle School
  5. Develop an Alumni program
  1. The Future
  2. ChopticonHigh School
  3. BeginCollege Life at St. Mary’s College
  4. Other Middle Schools
  5. Special Ministries
  6. PAX
  7. Civic Organizations
  8. Missions/Service
  9. Charles & Calvert Counties

* Maybe it’ll take 10 years but let’s go for it!

Annual Goals 2009 – 2010: To ensure healthy sustainable ministry we will strive to meet the following specific, measurable, attainable and realistic goals this fiscal year…

  1. Spiritual Development
  2. Recruit a Prayer Coordinator by October 2009
  3. Develop and implement prayer strategy by January 2010
  4. Develop prayer teams by end of school year 2010
  5. Recruit a Committee Care Coordinator by January 2010
  6. Schedule quarterly times of fellowship outside of regular committee meetings (i.e. Christmas party, summer cook-out…)
  7. Ensure the continuation of devotional & prayer time at committee meetings
  8. Ensure that all staff & volunteers participate in a local church
  9. Leadership Development
  10. Fill vacant committee positions by Fall 2010
  11. Identify priorities (adult support network outline)
  12. Meet individually with current committee
  13. Interest Meetings/Round-up
  14. Begin regular bi-monthly leadership meetings by September 2009
  15. Update and implement training course for January 2010
  16. Recruit a Leader Care Coordinator for each school/club by January 2010
  17. SpringRidgeMiddle School
  18. LeonardtownHigh School
  19. Recruit and train two new adult volunteer leaders for SpringRidgeMiddle School by end of school year 2010
  20. Recruit and train two new adult volunteer leaders for LeonardtownHigh School by end of school year 2010
  21. Resource Development
  22. Recruit and train a TDS Coordinator by January 2010
  23. Recruit and train a TDS/Development team (at least 2) by end of school year 2010
  24. Update and utilize the on-line PPL
  25. Consider/Discuss idea of a separate Development Team
  26. Golf-a-thon in October 2009
  27. Interest meetings and desserts in October 2009 and February 2010
  28. Develop and implement All-Area “Round-up” in Spring 2010
  29. Meet with all current/regular local donors by January 2010
  30. Meet with current church supporters
  31. Recruit an EMMA on-line newsletter Coordinator by end of school year 2010
  32. Meet with Marty Barley and Heritage Printers about newsletter by October 2010
  33. End of Year Campaign
  34. Ensure two end-of-year matching gifts by end of October 2010
  35. Implement end-of-year campaign (letter & call-a-thon)
  36. Direct Ministry
  37. SpringRidgeMiddle School
  38. Ensure continuation of regular club meetings at school and team leader’s involvement
  39. Meet with superintendent and/or principal this fall
  40. As stated above recruit leader care, prayer team and volunteers
  41. Development strategy for camp scholarships
  42. LeonardtownHigh School
  43. Begin regular/consistent contact work in September 2009
  44. As stated above recruit leader care, prayer team and volunteers
  45. Dinner & game nights start in October 2009
  46. Kick off event in January 2010
  47. Campaigners and Club possibly in February 2010
  48. Camp possibly in August 2010
  49. Ministry Support
  50. Recruit and train a secretary (Contacts manager too) by October 2009
  51. Recruit and train a treasurer (Cash Flow too) by January 2010
  52. Transfer other office admin responsibilities to AD in August 2009

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(703)217-9827