Welcome Paul Knapp, Southwest Michigan’s New Area Director

High school football games. Dairy Queen stops after Young Life club. Sneaking out of the cabin after “lights out” for an important one-on-one. The smile on a kid’s face when the fireworks explode after the camp carnival. Watching a leader “get it” for the first time. Swaying to Free Fallin’ with friends during club at Fall Weekend. The smell of the cabin after four days at WyldLife camp.

These are a few of Paul Knapp’s favorite things.

Paul Knapp, smack dab in the middle of the student section.

Paul Knapp, the new Area Director for Southwest Michigan Young Life, was born in Traverse City, MI but has lived in Eagle River, Alaska before landing in the southwest corner of Michigan.

His college plans to study social work and become a counselor led him to attend Western Michigan University. It was during his sophomore year at WMU that Paul found himself inadvertently getting involved with Young Life.

As the story goes, Paul attended his first Young Life club one week and just had to go back the following week. Was it the fantastic music and club talk that drew him back? Perhaps. But, according to Paul, “It was the only place I knew how to get in touch with a certain leader who I may or may not have had a crush on. Four weeks later I asked that leader out for dinner after club. But she brought her roommate. Two years later, I married the roommate.” That roommate is now Paul’s wife, Allie.

Allie and Paul Knapp

Since that first club seven years ago, Paul has learned the in’s and out’s of Young Life. He’s been a volunteer leader, team leader, part-time Church Partner and Staff Associate. He’s worked at Young Life camp as Program Director, Work Crew Boss, Special Music for Winter Weekend and as a Summer Intern at Timber Wolf Lake. Mostly recently, Paul has served the Southwest Michigan area as Associate Area Director.

Paul (center) and the Program Team at Timber Wolf Lake

Recent transitions in Southwest Michigan Young Life created space for Paul to move into the role of Area Director. The position had previously been filled by thirteen-year veteran Mike Bredeweg, who has stepped into a new role for the Western Great Lakes Region as Associate Regional Director, working to start up new ministries throughout Southwest Michigan.

Paul has this dream for Young Life in Southwest Michigan: “I want kids, leaders, committee, parents, and staff to know that everyone—including themselves—plays a role in loving the world right again. I want them to know that all of us were created with purpose, goodness and beauty in mind, and that all of us get the opportunity to play a role in creating goodness and beauty in this world.”

Paul (center) with Young Life kids at Pictured Rocks

Young Life kids in Berrien County are already living out this greater love and purpose.

“My first year on full-time staff in SW Michigan I got to take Parker to Timber Wolf Lake,” shares Paul. “Parker had come to club a few times, but hadn’t really connected with any leaders. It was a big surprise when he signed up for camp. He was one of two kids from St. Joe High School that year to go to camp, and I anticipated it would be an initial struggle for him to build a connection with kids from other schools. But it wasn’t. I was so proud of those guys from Lakeshore High School who welcomed Parker into their group. It was the best week of all of their lives! It was such an honor to be a part of it. At the end of the week, Parker came up to me with tears in his eyes and said: Paul, I have never felt like I fit in anywhere in my life and now I finally feel like I belong! I still get goosebumps thinking about that moment.”

Join us in welcoming Paul Knapp as the new Area Director for Southwest Michigan Young Life. We look forward to watching how God continues to work through their ministry to reach even more kids in Berrien County.

Paul touring with Static Cycle

PS: A few more of Paul’s favorite things include his two dogs, Layla and Tackle. Reading and drinking coffee at Clifford’s Coffee Canal in Benton Harbor. Playing beach volleyball and board games. Driving down country roads with the windows down and going to The Big House on Saturdays. Finding a new band and listening to every song they’ve ever written. Any of these favorite things paired with his wife Allie would top the charts!

PPS: One last thing you may not know about Paul is that he toured with a rock band called Static Cycle during the summer of 2008. He says, “I still fantasize about going back to that time and playing music again.”