I had it penciled in, or should I say “penned in” because I was just so excited for it and I was not planning on missing out! It was the Young Lives Fall Kick Off event!! This was not just a training day all about Young Lives, it was a wonderful, refreshing day of fellowship and drawing closer to the Lord; which every volunteer knows is the source of our strength.

We were blessed with many volunteers who showed up to see what the ministry of Young Lives entailed, and also those who vowed to serve again this coming year.

Volunteers were greeted with a smile and welcomed with delicious pastries and hot coffee (who doesn’t love that)! Myrna, the director of the Young Lives North OC Chapter, introduced the ministry and gave some details and statistics. Did you know that in the Santa Ana School District alone there are 250 pregnant girls, with 70 of them being in Junior High? I think this statistic alone speaks volumes for why the ministry of Young Lives is vital for these girls, their babies and the fathers, too.

Sherri Bennett was our wonderful guest speaker who spoke words of encouragement to all the volunteers, giving us three simple reminders of ministry! Those three reminders were; to rest in Christ, to take times of refreshment and to have fun while serving.
It was such a great reminder to focus on Jesus above everything else because only He can give us true rest, refreshment and allow us to find fun and memorable times in ministry.
I love what Sherri said “In ministry we must not get so caught up that we forget the main ingredient…JESUS!”

In the following session, I attended, Myrna gave the details of what a mentor in the young Lives program does. We were also given an opportunity to meet other volunteers, by praying together, and exchanging phone numbers. I really enjoyed this short time because it allowed me to get to know other volunteers without having to wait until club or later on in the year. We also saw a sweet video clip of a teen dad who shared how Young Lives has impacted him, many of the volunteers were in tears afterwards because the ministry truly changed his life, saving him from many life altering decisions.

Young Lives had a taco lunch waiting for us and it was delicious as always…I mean you can’t go wrong with tacos and chocolate chip cookies!

Then in the last session, I attended Myrna really went into details of the accountability and the special requirements a mentor needs to uphold in order to be an example of Christ and a proper witness of the gospel to those around them and their mentee, as well.

I attended the mentor sessions so I’m not too sure of what goes on behind the scenes to make the club event each month so amazing. I know that they are so selfless from the cooks, to the childcare volunteers, to the musicians, the craft coordinators, and everyone in between. It really is a group effort and I am just thankful to be apart of what God is doing with Young Lives North OC!

“On your feet now-applaud God!
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into His presence.”
Psalm 100:1-2 (MSG)

• Kelsey Mendez

Group of mentors discussing the mentor commitment