YoungLife

Every Tuesday from 3:30-5:00PM at the Church of Christ on Cayuga St. Ithaca YL hosts what we call Espresso Self (commonly referred to as Coffee House). This is a contact work opportunity for YL leaders to hang out with high school kids. Coffee House is on the same street as the high school, and we get lots of kids coming in. At Coffee House, we serve the high school & middle school students snacks, bagels, and their favorite - milkshakes. There's also a pool table, a ping pong table, DDR, and basketball court (the street out back). We're always looking for help to run the coffee house, so if you're interested, contact Louie Rudin (lrudin@gmail.com).

What is YoungLife?

Young Life doesn't start with a program. It starts with adults who are concerned enough about kids to go to them, on their turf and in their culture, building bridges of authentic friendship. These relationships don't happen overnight — they take time, patience, trust and consistency.

So Young Life leaders log many hours with kids — where they are, as they are. We listen to their stories and learn what's important to them because we genuinely care about their joys, triumphs, heartaches and setbacks.

We believe in the power of presence. Kids' lives are dramatically impacted when caring adults come alongside them, sharing God's love with them. Because their Young Life leader believes in them, they begin to see that their lives have great worth, meaning and purpose.

This is the first step of a lifelong journey; the choices they make today, based upon God's love for them, will impact future decisions … careers chosen, marriages formed and families raised. All ripples from the time when a Young Life leader took time to reach out and enter their world. 

Our Vision

Every adolescent will have the opportunity to meet Jesus Christ and follow Him.

Our Mission

Introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ and helping them grow in their faith. We accomplish our mission by ...

  • Praying for young people.
  • Going where kids are.
  • Building personal relationships with them.
  • Winning the right to be heard.
  • Providing experiences that are fun, adventurous and life-changing.
  • Sharing our lives and the Good News of Jesus Christ with adolescents.
  • Inviting them to personally respond to this Good News.
  • Loving them regardless of their response.
  • Nurturing kids so they might grow in their love for Christ and the knowledge of God's Word and become people who can share their faith with others.
  • Helping young people develop the skills, assets and attitudes to reach their full God-given potential.
  • Encouraging kids to live connected to the Body of Christ by being an active member of a local congregation.
  • Working with a team of like-minded individuals -- volunteer leaders, committee members, donors and staff.

Our Values

  • Living according to and communicating the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ.
  • Carrying out our mission under the authority of Scripture and relying on the Holy Spirit to empower our ministry.
  • Encouraging the welfare and spiritual health of those who do this ministry, that they may minister out of a consistent and growing relationship with Christ and His followers.
  • Researching and developing innovative approaches to reaching uncommitted, disinterested kids around the world.
  • Reaching adolescents of all social, cultural, economic and ethnic backgrounds throughout the world.
  • Working with followers of Christ from a variety of traditions and local churches around the world.
  • Welcoming all those whom God calls to our mission -- men and women of all races, staff and volunteers -- who are linked to a common purpose of introducing adolescents to Jesus Christ.
  • Observing the highest standards of stewardship of all the resources placed in our trust.

    Information taken from YoungLife's website (younglife.org).