Club: Does Club Still Work?

There are many good reasons to have club. But those are not the real reasons -- not if I'm honest. Club is good for me. After 20 years of leading meetings, it still isn't easy. I don't know if I will ever get used to the pressure of wondering whether any kids will come. So why do I still do it? Let me try toarticulate a few reasons: Club still works -- at least in our part of the country. At the end of Monday night when club is over, I'm thankful. Kids had a great time, heard about Christ and were with people who love them. I'm convinced this is as powerful as anything we say. Club keeps me honest. Club and numbers are not THE critical standard, but they are a gauge. They let me know we are reaching a certain group of kids. The challenge is to keep reaching beyond clubs to the different groups of kids that club doesn't appeal to. As much as I hate to admit this, club forces me to deal with the right issues -- issues that I might be able to avoid if I didn't do club. Issues like being dependent, humble and prayerful. Club is a structure that facilitates other activities in Young Life that then attract more and/or different kids. It's very hard to sell camp and activities without a platform. I was in Lexington, KY, and for four years could not establish a regular, healthy club. All of the other activities were harder to develop because of that. Club helps others understand what we are doing. We live in a programmatic world that fundamentally doesn't understand relational ministry. They will never understand the value of contact work (incarnation ministry), which, I believe, is the real power of our ministry. Club helps people understand what we are doing. In spite of all the above, we must be careful not to make club a sacred cow. It may not work for some teen populations, and it may need to look different in others. Let's stay open and always pray for the courage to stop club tomorrow if God gives us a better platform for the Gospel. Till then, I'll see you at club. John Evans Regional Director Mississippi Valley Region