Why We Do Club

We’re in the middle of a five-part series on the 5 C’s of Young Life. Earlier we learned Why We Do Contact Work. Today we’re digging into the topic of club. Or maybe we’re just diggin’ club. That too. These kids are:

First, imagine yourself back in high school (I know, you may not want to go there right now, but please humor us.) having a conversation like this:

Friend: “Hey! You’re coming to club tonight, right?”
You: “Um, what is club?”
Friend: “Only the best night of my week! Just come and find out.”

That may have been a conversation when you were in high school. But today, a club invite looks like one of these memes showing up in your Instagram or Facebook feed:

Or maybe this:Or perhaps a more personal invitation came in a text from a friend:

“r u coming to club 2nite? its going to be epic.”

Week after week, throughout our region and around the world, adolescents pack into homes, church basements, schools, businesses, barns, and community centers for Young Life club. In the YL 2014 Annual Report, it was reported that there are currently 6,414 Young Life clubs taking place in 95 countries!

Young Life refers to club as a “party with a purpose.” It’s the best night of the week. It’s controlled chaos that is indescribable unless you’ve been there. Leaders often think of it as a celebration of the many hours and energy spent doing contact work with kids during the week. Club is all of those things.

But before the party ends, kids hear a simple, yet profoundly life-changing gospel message, calling them to experience the kind of life God desires for us to live—fully loved, full of hope and covered in His amazing grace.

Young Life leaders spend a lot of time and energy on club. They brainstorm themes, they get creative, they dream, they buy supplies, they pray that kids will come, they plan music, they line up a speaker, they arrange a venue, they invite, they welcome, they sweat through mixers and skits, they’re humbled to share the gospel and then it’s done. What a rush! Only to do it all again another week.

Mike Bredeweg and Paul Knapp—Area Director and Associate Area Director from the Southwest Michigan Area—really know how to do club. They have chimed in to answer a few questions on Young Life club and why we do it.

Western Great Lakes Region (WGLR): For anyone new to Young Life, can you tell us, why is club so important?
Mike & Paul: Club is a shared experience for leaders and kids. It’s a chance to laugh, play and be vulnerable. It’s the best platform for sharing the Gospel.

WGLR: What should someone expect at Young Life club?
Mike & Paul: Club looks different in different places but there’s a certain set of ingredients that make up Young Life club: music, skits, games, mixers, small groups, announcements and a talk—which is where kids hear the good news about Jesus Christ.

WGLR: With all that fun and craziness, how are kids able to hear the Gospel?
Mike & Paul: We hope kids see the Gospel before they hear it. That happens in how they were invited, in how they are valued outside of club, in how they were greeted, in the humor that we used or in the cheering that goes on for each other. Seeing followers of Jesus having fun and laughing at themselves helps kids break down stereotypes and prepares them for hearing the Gospel. Everything we do in club sets the stage for sharing the good news.

WGLR: What has been your secret to keeping kids laughing at club?
Mike & Paul: Laugh yourself and have fun! Let other kids be up front as skit leaders or as run-on characters and program leaders. As leaders, be willing to be the fool or the butt of the joke. Kids can relax when they realize they will not be the goofiest person in the room.

WGLR: Is club ever intimidating for some kids? If so, how is every kid made to feel welcome?
Mike & Paul: It absolutely can be intimidating. We don’t want any kid to feel left out at club. It’s okay to let some kids just be observers, to let them come along at their own pace. For a quieter kid, we believe that the conversations had before or after club are probably more important.

WGLR: What’s up with all the “themed” clubs?
Mike & Paul: Themed clubs give us a common reason to be there. It helps leaders stay inspired and excited about executing club each week and it gets kids excited about coming to club each week.

WGLR: Do you have an all-time favorite YL story related to club? If so, tell us about it.
Mike & Paul: This fall we decided it would be fun to follow a popular Young Life trend…the Clubble! We had three of our engineer-minded committee members design and build a giant, air-filled structure. We weren’t quite sure what to expect that night. We wondered: How many kids would come? Would the structure hold up? Would we be able to pull off mixers and games and music in the Clubble?

We knew the Clubble would be seen from the highway. We designed it that way. The goal was to be a billboard for Young Life. What we never imagined was that it would also be an invitation.

At the end of club, when the dust settled and we started packing up for the night, we noticed a couple extra people helping us out. Devin and his dad had seen the giant bubble from the highway and decided to pull over and see what it was all about.

Since then, Devin hasn’t missed a club. He came to fall weekend, he comes early every week and his parents always come early to hear the talk at the end of club. Had it not been for the Clubble, Devin may have never heard about or been invited to Young Life.

Thanks, Mike & Paul, for taking the time to share with us about club. With every club you implement, you’re helping give kids a picture of Jesus’ declaration in John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Thanks for your faithful work to this end!

Mike Bredeweg and Paul Knapp serve as Area Director and Associate Area Director for Southwest Michigan Young Life.

(Note: All pictures in this post are courtesy of Southwest Michigan Young Life.)