Change starts with one leader, rooted in Jesus
We plant mango trees,
not tomato bushes
We Go.
We don’t invest in buildings, properties or events. We invest in people – leaders, kids, families, communities – in order to build relationships with them, and model the love and hope of Jesus in their lives.
We Lift Up Jesus.
We believe there is nothing more powerful and transformational than to introduce young people and their families to Jesus.
We Partner.
We are ruthlessly committed to finding, equipping and coming alongside local men and women to reach kids in their countries. We are convinced that God has prepared leaders everywhere we go, and He will direct us and them.
We’re Patient.
We want to reach every kid and every country, but we know the way to reach the continent is to reach one kid and one neighborhood first. The slow way is the fast way in our ministry. We go slow and deep and the Lord honors and multiplies His people.
We Disciple.
We know we are called not to make believers but to make disciples who in turn make more disciples. Our visual guide is our Leadership Tree, which we prepare and expect every volunteer and staff to be planting in their countries.
We Live.
We laugh, sing, welcome, accept, risk and persevere. These are the marks of a full life, and these are the marks of our lives, which we share with kids. This is the life we feel Jesus is inviting them to be a part of, and we give them a taste of that in all we do.
We Rely.
We hold onto a strong interdependent partnership between Young Life Africa and Young Life in the United States – a sharing of gifts and resources. We believe God has blessed the Young Life Africa family with unique gifts (faith, love, life in the Spirit) which are desperately needed in the United States – we want our friends in the U.S. to experience these and grow together.
Young Life Africa has reached over
a million kids by going slow
There’s an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Our discipleship model includes a staff person or leader getting to know a kid, introducing them to Jesus then helping them to grow in their faith once they make a commitment. Then that kid might choose to become a volunteer leader and possibly receive a scholarship to attend university through the Developing Global Leaders program and then come on staff with Young Life. The cycle begins again as that staff reaches out to one kid and so on.
Our leadership programs
We make disciples who in turn make more disciples. Our visual guide is our Leadership Tree, which we prepare and expect every volunteer and staff to be planting in their countries.
Developing Global Leaders
Developing Global Leaders (DGL) is a Young Life program that grants a college education – free of tuition – to international students around the world who serve in Young Life. Not only does it provide a college degree, but DGL provides an unimaginable opportunity for growth, for learning, for challenging and for changing an entire generation.
DGL Student Ruth (Liberia) from YL Developing Global Leaders on Vimeo.
Want to stay connected?
Get involved and find out what's happening in Young Life Africa