The previous year we had a large class of students go through new leader training, and that class has become the backbone of our current club leadership teams.  So what happened this year?

We met to discuss that and decided that we just did a poor job of getting out to the UCF campus.  We had very little presence, especially during the crucial summer session & the first week of school in August.  But, why focus on the past?  We’ve got our work cut out for us this year and we’re heading into it the the goal of not so much recruiting leaders, but getting out to the campus and meeting college kids, building relationships with them, and discipling them.  Hopefully some of those friendships result in more leaders coming on board.

We are wasting no time getting to know some of them.  In fact, we started our efforts by using Facebook to connect with Seniors across the state who are interested in having a connection to Young Life when they get to their colleges.  I created a group in Facebook called “I’m going to college in Florida & want to do Young Life.”  As of this morning, we have 118 students (and current YL staff) who are members of the group.  Several things have happened as a result.

1. The leaders & staff in our state have a common place to go & send kids to when it comes to recruiting.
2. We’ve gone where they are.  The group hit about 80 within the first 3 days, because kids are on Facebook all the time.
3. We’ve been able to become “friends” with the kids who are coming to schools in our area.  Though it’s just a virtual connection right now, most of those kids have had person communication with a staff member, who expresses excitement about getting to know them when they get to school.
4. Excitement is contagious.  I’ve heard my seniors talking about the group.  They get to see that Young Life is not just in our area and that there’s a potential for community when they get to their school. 
5. Momentum has already begun to build.

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My dogs eat poop.  I’m not particularly fond of either one of them, but when I saw this I thought it might be the solution to all my problems.  I know how much facebook has helped me feel better about myself.  Who can have a poor self esteem when they have 328 close dear friends.

So, I’m signing up my dogs, Kenzie & Riley, for accounts on You Pet. Check out the tagline – Join YouPet.com Free – A place where pets rule!
Maybe I need to start making Kenzie & Riley feel like they rule instead of focusing on their bad breath.

I don’t know a whole lot about it, because it’s brand spanking new, but I’m sure once Kenzie & I look around we’ll be able to find some sort of social group to join up with other dogs who eat poop.

We feel so inadequate to do this job, then He reminds us that He is the one doing the work. We just need to follow His lead.

Dear Friends,

It’s that time of year when you’re seniors are hearing about which colleges they got into & are either very excited or disappointed. We in Gainesville are excited to meet your high school friends that are heading here for either Santa Fe CC or UF. There’s a couple things that we can do that will help each other in the process:

1. I am deploying our leaders to their clubs back home as soon as school ends for them (there should be a couple clubs left) They don’t want to make an announcement during club or anything like that. But they simply would like to attend to meet, get cell #, emails of any of those kids. They will also take info for kids heading to UCF, FSU, TCC, Flagler, UNF, Miami, Gulf Coast, USF…any other school and I will forward that info toward the appropriate AD. I found this year that kids who had a connection with one of their old schoolmates were more likely to “stick” – so this will be first contact with them. Anyway, you might get a call from one of our leaders and that’s why they’re calling.

2.  If you have any super-duper involved campaigner kids (especially WyldLife leaders), please pass them along to me also. In addition to them potentially meeting one of our leaders, I want to contact them personally. If you know of Summer B starters, we really want to know about them…for those kids, by the time fall hits, they are already committed to something. So we will have some stuff going on this summer in our community.

The idea that I like best is sending our current leaders to their hometown clubs – keeping it all about relationships.  And, something we’ve talked about is those summer B kids who have to come to college during the summer in order to be accepted.  What do they have to do during the summer?  Basically nothing, so what a great time to include them into the YL community and make them feel welcomed in their new town.

Steve Harvey is teaming up with Jaheim to offer a free wedding in Jamaica.  All you have to do is write a letter & send a picture.

Engaged couples are asked to send a letter and photo to The Steve Harvey Morning Show’s Hollywood office at 1438 N. Gower St., Box 35, Hollywood, Calif., 90028. Letters should include a description of how the couple met, how they got engaged, why they want to win this contest and why they want Jaheim to sing at their wedding reception. The letters will be judged on originality and creativity. The top three entries will be posted on the Steve Harvey Morning Show’s Web site (http://www.steveharvey.com/) starting April 14, and fans can vote online until April 17. The winner will be announced on April 18, and the wedding will take place the week of July 10.

My wife, Anne is a former elementary school teacher who’s last day of work was Dec. 2, 2003, the day our oldest daughter was born.  She worked that day & I didn’t.  I was too stressed.

Anyway, Anne has been a stay at home mom now for over 4 years and she’s recently started a blog called Teaching Two.

She loves being a mommy and loves being a teacher.  Everything her 25 first graders got is now poured into our two little girls.  It’s amazing to see her do her thing with them.  The only thing that bothers me is that I have to raise my hand to do anything.

If you are a parent of small children or know any, check out check out what she’s been working on at Teaching Two.

Coordinatr a quick & easy tool to coordinate social events.

Just another fun way to connect with kids & even adult friends (if you have any).

Sean just posted a few questions about his new iPhone, and while reading it I was wondering what types of technology other leaders are using to keep in touch with kids.

For those of you who have been keeping up with their story, I thought you’d like to have this information and possibly get involved in helping them get Parker’s Pals up and running.

If you’re not familiar with their story, you can read about at parkeru.org.