About

our mission

To introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith.

How?

By showing the way of Jesus through the way we love.

This simple principle has guided our work since the inception of Young Life Middle EurAsia over 30 years ago.

We go where kids are, meet them on their turf in their culture, and build bridges of authentic friendship.

We invite them into silly games and team competitions, so they may experience the freedom of simply being themselves and the value they bring to others.

We earn the right to share the gospel with them.

We continue to love them regardless of their response.

Imagine stepping into the shoes of a teenager -

Your head filled with questions...mind searching for answers... soul looking for understanding... heart hungry for acceptance and love.

Research shows that teenagers in Armenia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, and Russia are walking through similar experiences as kids in the United States.

Today, among Gen Z, 7 out of 10 kids suffer from anxiety and depression. 7 out of 10 want to turn to adults for advice in difficult situations.

And most feel entirely misunderstood.

This is where Young Life comes in.

our fundamental principles

We make disciples…one kid at a time. Each leader mentors and disciples three kids who then disciple the following three (we call it a ‘leadership tree’).

We are committed to the message of grace, hope, and salvation in Jesus Christ in all we are and all we do.

We are committed to raising and training indigenous leadership in every country we serve.

We are committed to supporting the local church to build and encourage the body of Christ in each country.

We rely on a solid partnership with our community of like-minded adults – our Action Teams - sharing our gifts and resources.

how young life is impacting Middle EurAsia

In 1992, God began His work through Young Life in a single country – Russia. Since then, the ministry has grown to 13 countries in that part of the world, with doors continuing to open up for us to reach even more kids. Here’s our 2024 impact:

13

countries

339

ministries

131

national staff

2,013

volunteer leaders

14,431

kids to camp

pioneer camp

In 2011, we purchased a former communist youth camp property in Armenia, and after several years of renovations, it welcomed its first campers in 2017. We believe there is no better place than camp for kids to see Jesus live out before them and begin their own transformation. And we always welcome volunteers from near and far to come and share His love through friendships and service.