For more than 80 years, Young Life has been helping teens live fully and freely, and the club in Boerne brings that vision to local kids. With a new school year about to begin, we talked with Courtney Garrison, the director of Strategic Development, about their work and the positive impact they make at our schools and our entire community.
[Responses edited for length and clarity]
What is the purpose of Young Life?
We are all born with a core desire to have purpose and to be known, loved, and valued. [As a Christian organization], we want to love people right where they are—in their disappointments and their celebrations, on the best days of their lives and the darkest. We believe the hope and truth of Jesus transform lives, schools, communities, and all of mankind.
How do you put that purpose into action?
We have trained staff and volunteers who go wherever the students are—school lunches, games, practices, plays, concerts, etc.—to build relationships with them because we believe they are incredibly valuable to God. You may find our leaders in student sections at games, at coffee or lunch hangs, doing Bible studies, laughing hard with kids, and seeking adventure together.
What can a student expect when they show up to a Young Life event?
They should expect to be valued and known. They will experience lots of fun and adventure with friends and their Young Life leader, a leader who wants to know them, loves them right where they are, knows their names, and wants to know their stories.
Tell us about the positive impact you see in our community through Young Life.
When kids have a strong faith journey, it changes everything—the kind of spouse, parent, business owner, and employee that they are. When a kid gets connected to the source of life, everything becomes filled with hope and purpose.
boerne.younglife.org | boerneyounglife@gmail.com
We want to know kids, encourage kids, and walk them into what it looks like to live life to the fullest!