Young Life

Twenty-five years ago there were adults who were concerned about finding ways to reach youths of the community through a nondenominational Christian fellowship. At first, organizers of Young Life met with some resistance from churches that feared a separate program might compete with their own youth groups.

But the experiences and memories shared last month at Young Life's 25th anniversary events demonstrated that the organization for high school and junior high school students in Cape Girardeau and Jackson has had a positive impact in many ways.

Several former Young Life participants are now adult volunteers and have children active in the program, which is funded entirely by gifts from generous donors. Activities include regular meetings and organized trips that broaden the horizons of participating youths.

For many of those youths, Young Life has provided what they describe as a safe and welcoming environment that broadens their experiences of attending church services.

Congratulations to all those who worked hard to organize Young Life and keep it going for a quarter of a century. And congratulations to all those youngsters who participate in the program and continue to make it a worthwhile endeavor.