Young Life Author Helps Disciple Catholic Kids

How does a Young Life leader disciple a Catholic student who has just had a life-changing encounter with Jesus Christ?

A new book, The Adventure: Living Out Your Relationship with God (Catholic Edition), is intended to help.

Young Life author and Catholic Chris Patterson hopes Young Life leaders and Catholic youth ministers will give this book to their Catholic students, especially those who are beginning to take their journey with Christ seriously.

“The Catholic Edition is a game-changer,” said Bonnie Meyer, a Young Life leader in Kansas City. “I’m so thankful that we now have a resource that allows us to fully meet our Catholic students where they are.

Whether it happens at a Young Life camp, a church retreat, or even privately, there is often a moment when the Holy Spirit opens students’ eyes to the adventure of having Jesus at the center of their lives. In response, Catholic students often need help integrating their faith tradition with their desire for a friendship with God.

The original version of this book, last updated in 2008, was aimed at teens who were not raised in a faith tradition. This time, Patterson’s update not only draws from his four decades as a Young Life leader and trainer — it draws from his Catholic faith.

“It still has the Young Life flavor, but it’s specifically designed for Catholics,” said Patterson, who continues to volunteer for Young Life and serves on the national Young Life Catholic Relations board.

The Adventure (Catholic Edition) defines the risks and rewards of having a relationship with God. It explores how to read Scripture, how to hear God’s voice, and how to talk to God. Speaking to its Catholic audience, the book also talks of how the teachings of the Catholic Church interpret the Bible and the traditions of the faith. It explains the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist, as gifts to help nourish our friendship with God. It shares what Mary and the saints mean to Catholics and that praying “with” Mary and the saints does not mean worshiping them. 

The book is available on Amazon. It’s also available at a volume discount through its publisher, Our Sunday Visitor. And, because it can be given after a Young Life camp experience, the book may soon be found on the shelves of some camp stores. 

The Adventure (Catholic Edition) has been endorsed by Young Life, and it has received the Catholic nihil obstat and an imprimatur, which means the book contains nothing contrary to Catholic teachings.

“Chris Patterson has invested decades of his remarkable life of following Jesus into discipling young people in the Christian faith,” said Young Life President Newt Crenshaw. “As an active member of the Catholic Church, he has written an invaluable resource for new Catholic believers who want to live out their relationship with our God, who invites us all into His great ‘Adventure.’”

Reflecting on the book, Patterson said everyone who has been baptized is already in a relationship with God. "But God doesn’t want us to be satisfied with ‘I’ve got a relationship,’” Patterson said. “He calls us into a friendship with Him, and that journey into friendship is the adventure. Merely being aware of the relationship is like walking inside the gates of a carnival. The adventure doesn’t begin until you are willing to go on the rides.”