
DATE: Thursday, November 13, 1997           TAG: 9711120186

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 14   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY TRUDY CUTHRELL, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   73 lines

YOUNG LIFE CELEBRATES A YEAR OF CONSTRUCTIVE ACHIEVEMENT

It was celebration time at this year's Young Life Annual Banquet at the First Baptist Family Life Center on Oct. 23. And the reasons for rejoicing abound.

Reason One: Since the Young Life Club began in Suffolk less than a year ago, weekly citywide meetings have grown to an average attendance of 55 high school teens.

Reason Two: Barton Ford has graciously given Young Life ``a meeting place to call home'' for both Monday night club meetings and Thursday evening campaigners Bible studies.

Reason Three: Young Life has in place a 17-member committee, a 21-member advisory board and an operating budget to help insure that Young Life will continue its work with young people.

Reason Four: The lives of local teens are being touched and changed in a positive way through Young Life Club Meetings, Campaigners Bible Studies, summer camp and other Young Life-sponsored activities.

This year's banquet theme, ``A Time to Build,'' emphasized the giant strides Young Life has taken. ``It's neat to see how God has moved Young Life along in just a year,'' noted committee member Hunter Clement. The theme also alluded to the strong foundation laid locally for this ministry to continue to grow and expand.

In correlation with the theme, banquet decor included construction tools, drafting plans and construction signs. Nearly 200 adults were served by 35 Suffolk Young Life Club members clad in construction aprons.

Western Tidewater Director Keith Lowry introduced banquet-goers to a first-hand look at Young Life with a mock club meeting. The meeting included upbeat singing, hilarious skits, personal testimonies and a hard-hitting message by Lowry. ``This gave those attending a real feel for what a Young Life Club is all about,'' Clement said.

An eight-minute video presentation of the group's formative year gave an overview of activities and explained the group's impact on local teens.

Young Life State Director Scott Hamilton had words of praise for a successful first year and words of encouragement to spur supporters to continue to invest in the lives of teens.

Clement said the Young Life program is funded solely by businesses, organizations and individuals. ``We are fully subsidized by the generosity of the community,'' Clement explained.

October's fund-raising banquet brought in more than $10,000 of the 1997 $25,000 operating budget needs. ``We're very grateful and thankful for all the support we received,'' Lowry said. ``There was such a great response in terms of peoples' involvement as well as their financial help.''

Another fund-raiser, a golf marathon, is scheduled for May 4 at the Suffolk Golf Course.

``We've had such a great foundation laid this year,'' Lowry explained. ``Now, we're beginning to see some real growth in terms of participation . . . But there's still a huge need for volunteer leaders to provide a continuing ministry to high school and middle school students.''

Lowry said the next giant step for Young Life will be the establishment of a Wild Life Club for middle school teens. ``We're asking God to raise up leaders, and we hope to get this group going in the next six to eight months,'' he said. MEMO: Suffolk's Young Life club meetings for high-school age teens

are Mondays at 7 p.m. at Barton Ford, 1600 N. Main St. Campaigners Bible

studies meets Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the same location.

For more information, call Keith Lowry at 399-3664. Donations or

requests for Young Life materials may be made to Young Life of Western

Tidewater, P.O. Box 436, Suffolk, Va. Young Life's e-mail address is

(YLinWTide(AT)juno.com) ILLUSTRATION: Photo by TRUDY CUTHRELL

Celebrating Young Life's first year in Suffolk are, from left,

Director Keith Lowry, state Director Scott Hamilton, Bobby Barton

and Kit Webb.