YOUNG LIFE QUAD CITIES
A WALK THROUGH THIS PAST YEAR
Faith • ful -  Adhering firmly and unwaveringly, as to a person, cause, or idea; Loyal, steadfast.
If there was one word that could encompass this past year of Young Life, it would be faithful. God's faithfulness as He  provided over and over again, for the needs of staff, leaders, kids, and the QC Young Life area. The faithfulness of leaders as they consistenly entered into the lives of kids amidst a myraid of circumstaces. The faithfulness of adults and donors who stepped in as the area needed your help and remained steadfast in your support of staff, leaders, and the mission of this ministry in the community.
This year, kids have had life changing encounters with Jesus through Young Life, in large part because of your continued partnership and support.
Thank you for making it possible for leaders to show up faithfully in the lives of kids.
Leaders have walked with kids through academic successes and losing seasons, tireless cheering during all kinds of school events and crushing break-ups. They've seen kids through two rounds of finals and several parent cancer diagnoses, never-ending friend drama and multiple suicides of close friends. Together they’ve celebrated victories, talked through kids' doubts, fears and feelings of self-worth and sat with families and students as they’ve grieved losses.
And the community is being changed because of it.
Kids are encountering Jesus because of it.
And leaders are learning what it looks like to love kids through the absolute hardest because of it.
Because of you. Because you choose to stand in the thick of it with us. To faithfully show up in Love in ways that matter.
Thank you. A million times over.
Join us in celebrating the impact your faithful partnership has meant this year in Young Life Quad Cities.
A Brief Look Through The Year
September
We started the school year off with a bang! We went all out, recruiting, training and equipping leaders, culminating in a leader overnight. We also kicked off  all of our clubs with a lot of mess... and even more fun.. especially if you're a middle school principal willing to take a pie to the face!
This month also marked the beginning of a string of teen suicides in the PV community, and a long road of walking through some grief and depression with kids. 
October
We were all about contact work in the fall! Especially creative ways we could hang out with kids outside of club. The fall saw growth in the amount of kids we know at the school through an increased determination to build relationships with kids we don't know. Whether it's sporting events, plays, and popsicles after school, or scavenger hunts through town, game nights and pizza parties, you could find leaders deep in the world of kids.
This resolve continued on into the spring and is the heartbeat that drives our leader teams.
November
We took 65 kids on the first ever Heartland Region Fall Weekend. The Quad Cities helped staff the following regional fall weekend, from program and head leaders to camp directing and work crew. And in between there, we squeezed in an area banquet! It was exhausting!
We also saw some much needed financial relief this month, as the area finally came out of deficit!
December
Not only did we get to celebrate Hope in the coming of Jesus, but we held our annual all-area Mr. Christmas Tree pagent! A parade of gentlemen, covered in Christmas, competing for a tiny christmas tree spray painted gold. Hilarity ensued.
We concluded a semester of ministry with a leader/advocate christmas party and continued financial provision through some generous end of the year giving.
January
This was a month of difficult decisions. With the help of our regional director, we made the decision to hold off on starting clubs back up until more adults were engaged in supporting the ministry. It was met with mixed reviews in the community, but ultimately communicated the absolute necessity of adult support and committee in the area. We began to walk a challenging road of restructuring committee, creating a system to engage adults at every level, inviting parents and alumni to own the ministry and growing our donor base. 
On a high note, Ally and I got to celebrate 75 years of Young Life (with about 5,000 of our closet friends) in Florida at the YL Celebration.
Febuary
This month saw some dreams of intentional care for college leaders come to fruition. What started out as a senior in college hosting leaders for dinner every Friday night in the fall evolved into a team of 4 adult couples excited about creating a space to regularly pour into college leaders. Plans were made for College Leadership- a biweekly time leaders could meet, share a meal together, and talk about life and Jesus with some adults that really cared about them. We're exctied for the gift this will continue to be in this next year.
March
As part of our continued efforts to re-engage adults, we put on Adult Club. That's right, a club just for adults. It was run by some teachers and adult alumni in the area, and created some long- awaited momentum with adults towards being involved!
This is still a great prayer need for this summer, as we are focusing on forming a financial team. It might be hard to believe, but not many people are jumping at the bit to be a part of this. ;)
April
We restarted Clubs back up in the beginning of April. It's safe to say that everyone was excited for this!
We also dug into some community service projects with our campaigner kids this year. One opportunity our Capernaum kids took advantage of was partnering with a local church in the collecting and assembling of over 200 care bags for a local homeless shelter. Volunteers then take those care packages and every day hit the streets, giving them to the homeless that never come in the doors of the shelters.
How very YL.  
May
A highlight of May, besides many great moments with kids in club, at the school, and in campaigners, was taking a group of college leaders to Work Week at Castaway. We did some really hard work.. all day.. went crazy at club at night, prayed over the entire property in preperation for our own camp trip there with kids in July, and had some great conversations about the need they see for Young Life College at Augustana College. Hopefully, this is the start of some great things: a re-newed area tradition of attending Work Week and intentional outreach to students at Augustana this fall.
June-July
Summer Camp Trips!
This summer has been a blast with our middle school and high school friends. A group of middle students were among some of the first people to camp at one of Young Life's newest camps, Clearwater Cove, on Table Rock Lake in Missouri!
We had a group of high school students have the time of their lives at Castaway in Detroit Lakes, MN and a group venture down to the mountains of West Virginia on a wilderness adventure trip!
It's been a busy summer, but one spent living life to the full and experiencing the love of Jesus in some pretty cool ways. 
A special thanks to the many organizations and individuals who gave towards transportation & scholarships so that more than 60 kids could experience the best week of their life at a camp. 
Financial Support
As you know, this ministry does not exist without the financial support and generosity of you all. Thank you so much for standing with me, these staff, and these leaders as they run after kids and share the gospel.  
Young Life Quad Cities • PO Box 582 • Bettendorf, IA 52722
QuadCities.younglife.org • younglifeqc@gmail.com •  630-774-6847
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PO Box 582
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