Young Life is an event every Wednesday night from 8-9. It takes place at different peoples’ houses that are a part of it. What do students do at this event? There are games, a raffle, singing, and little skits each night, but most importantly, it’s about getting closer to God and sharing good experiences with the new people you’ll meet.

“Young life is a youth group type of thing. It’s super fun. We sing lots of songs and play games and just go crazy. It’s a great thing to look forward to in the middle of the week,” Katie Dougherty said.

One thing Young Life hosts is MuckFest. It happens once a year with all the Shawnee Mission schools. It’s an event where there are messy and fun games. You throw all sorts of gross and slimy things at each other, hence the name MuckFest.

Hannah Kenton and Chris Katterhenry are the leaders who make this event happen every week, but where did it all begin?

Young Life was officially born on Oct. 16, 1941 by Jim Rayburn, a young Presbyterian youth leader and seminary student in Gainesville, Texas. He developed the club idea with an emphasis on showing kids that faith in God can be not only fun, but life changing.

Each year, Young Life hosts a camp where kids getting away from the pressures of everyday life, having fun with friends and their Young Life leaders, and hearing the message of God’s love in terms they can understand.

“My favorite experience with young life was going to Castaway Camp in Minnesota my junior year. A lot of my best friends went too and we had so much fun with all of the activities like the zip line, the rock wall, and tubing,” Lindsey Eck said.

More than 100,000 kids around the world spend a week or a weekend at Young Life camp, having an experience that many describe as the best of their lives. Kids are treated to resort-quality facilities in multiple locations. They don’t announce where it will be held that year until November.