After a tough spring semester and a grueling finals week, I spent a week I could have been at home sleeping at a Young Life Camp in Jasper, Georgia called Sharp Top Cove. As a server in the dining hall, the work was exhausting, the hours were long and sleep was limited. Despite all the hard work and aching feet that never seemed to get enough rest, that week was by far one of the most inspiring and spiritual weeks of my life and just reaffirmed my love of the Young Life College program at Ole Miss.
My time at Sharp Top Work Week is an incredible representation of what Young Life College is all about. Service, community and building relationships with peers and with Jesus are all crucial to this ministry group but are values that are pretty common among other campus ministries and church groups. What makes Young Life special is the pure kindness and enthusiasm for the Lord that everyone there loves to share with others, even those who aren't Christians.
Although we are a Christian group focused on celebrating and loving Jesus in everything we do, Young Life is far from forceful about teaching others about God. The camps are not strictly scripture study and openly invite any and all people to their properties every summer, whether they follow Jesus or not. In "Club" meetings we play games and do skits, sing songs by One Direction and Taylor Swift and plan trips like rafting or camping with friends. Even at small group dinners, conversations aren't solely about religion. Young Life prides itself on not being abrasive about celebrating the Lord. It's an accepting, loving, hilarious and laid-back group, focused on celebrating Jesus actively rather than just studying Him through scripture (which we do, but after jamming out to TSwift). While it's true that this style may not be for everyone, it is certainly a fun change of pace from the sometimes dull and monotonous college life.
Many people have heard about Young Life from their high school days, or even WyldLife in middle school, but it seems like very few people know about the program at Ole Miss or even realize that there's a college component to the national program. From weekly club meetings to monthly dinner gatherings and plenty of small groups to choose from, it's so easy to fit Young Life into a hectic college schedule. Although the times are varied and many people just come and go, the time we spend together is incredibly meaningful.
As an out-of-state student not even from the South, it's pretty daunting coming into the Bible Belt as a non-Christian. But Young Life was welcoming and patient with my lack of Godly knowledge and focused on helping me build friendships during my first months at Ole Miss, rather than overwhelming me with verses. It is through this love and sincere kindness that I began to know and follow Jesus, and I have watched many others become Christians through Young Life as well.
With a new year, new challenges and a new round of rush coming up in the fall, there is no better way to de-stress and take a step back every once in a while than to celebrate and love God with others going through the same struggles.
Young Life welcomes and encourages everyone, Christian or not, and is one of the best communities to join during college years.
