Visit the NEW younglife.org today! The Young Life Web Site, younglife.org, has a new look. The new site features great stories, photos and videos of Young Life in action. We hope you'll take a moment to visit younglife.org today.   Check out the great new graphic tees at The Young Life Store -your online source for official Young Life merchandise.     Stories from the Field The music and clothing styles may change, but the impact Young Life is having on kids stays the same. Staff and volunteers are still out there, meeting kids and letting them know how much God loves them. Check out a story about one staffer who isn’t afraid to be "a bit cheesy" when meeting kids.   Looking to get involved with Young Life in your area? There are many roles for you - leader, adult committee member, financial supporter, summer camp adult guest or all-around "Young Life Fan!" Get connected!   Holding an alumni event? We can help you spread the word to people around the country and the world. If you'd like to have more exposure and help getting the word out, consider posting your alumni event on younglife.org in the Events section. To do so, please complete the Submit an Event form. Events will be chosen based on the audience and the purpose of the event. If your event is chosen to be posted, we will notify you within three to four business days. ----------------------- Your opinion matters! Please take three minutes to complete this online survey. We want future editions of this newsletter to reflect your interests and engage you in the mission of Young Life.

Welcome Alumni! How many years has it been since Young Life was a part of your life? Maybe it’s been decades or perhaps, as a leader or committee member, you never really left. It doesn’t matter what the time or distance might be from your last club or camp experience, you are a part of the Young Life family and are always welcome!   We are so excited to be able to connect with you through our new quarterly Alumni Newsletter! It will be our way to keep you informed, encouraged and engaged in our on-going mission with kids. And, we'd love to hear from you! Please send us any feedback, questions or stories about your own Young Life experience.              In This Issue   A Note from Young Life's President, Denny Rydberg  Alumni: Your Stories Finding Young Life Alumni   A Note from the President   Several years ago, four members of the Rydberg family made a pilgrimage to one of college football’s most holy sites — Buckeye Stadium at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.    We collected many memories on that Saturday, but what struck me most of all was the band. The Ohio State University Marching Band has hundreds of underclassmen compete for the 225 positions each year. And when the final 225 are selected, they excel.   But it wasn’t that band that caught our attention. It was the other band that choked us up, The Ohio State University Marching Band Alumni. Each year at the first home game, former band members, drum majors and cheerleaders have a reunion. Many appeared to be in their 60s and 70s, but they were members of a world-class band for another 15 minutes in their lives.   As I watched the band, I thought of Young Life. For many of us, we are in the alumni band. There is the “other” band that gets to play at more games, take more road trips and spend more time in the spotlight. That band is made up of volunteers and staff who work each week with kids. But they are really only the tip of the Young Life musical iceberg.    Standing behind them is a group of people who used to wear the uniforms they do, who set the standards and established the high reputation. They raised the bar. And they are the ones who give to the annual band fund so that the 225 members of the other band can wear the uniforms and travel.   Thank you for playing in the alumni band. Thousands of kids will meet Christ this year. Our staff and volunteers will get the credit. But we will quietly know that the Lord used many of you, too. And every now and then, we’ll all march into that stadium and let the world know that we’re proud alums and part of this great mission.   This story originally ran in Relationships magazine.      Alumni: Your Stories   Young Life kids grow up to be some amazing adults! Some even go on to work for Young Life. Susan Anderson has been a part of almost every aspect of the ministry and now she is the smiling face people see when they first enter the Service Center, Young Life's headquarters. Check out her journey.   I began my Young Life adventure back in 1969 at Homestead High School in Cupertino, California. My leader, Joe Kempston is the absolute model for what a leader should strive to be.     While in club, we had winter camp at Woodleaf and Campaigner camps up at Mt. Herman, in the Santa Cruz mountains. We traveled to Malibu for summer camp and for College Prep Week.   An event that we had every year up at Mt. Herman is one of the best memories from my years in high school — Mud Football. The field was a huge swamp of mud, and if you walked away from the game clean, it meant that you were not up there for the weekend. NO ONE was not involved in that game. It brought a whole new meaning to playing dirty! What was always amazing was how that game was used that evening as an illustration during our cabin talks. Some of my best conversations occurred in those evenings.   Over the years – as a student leader, a committee member or as a parent sending my kids off to Young Life camp – I look back on my time in the mission and pray that other kids will have the same opportunities and the same wonderful memories I have now.     Finding Young Life Alumni   Are you in the alumni database? There's an exciting new way to find your Young Life friends and to help them find you. Sign up now!    We'd love for your to forward the Alumni Newsletter to your friends. They can add their names to the database and sign up to receive the Newsletter directly on our Web Site.