Hey kids...it's time to get 'Wyld' on Daniel Island!

Things are about to get “Wyld” on Daniel Island again. A new season of WyldLife kicks off on September 19 at the home of island residents Kevin and Catherine Brookes, who helped launch the faith-based program for middle school kids on Daniel Island in 2009.

In light of the tremendous growth the initiative has had in recent years, The Daniel Island News thought it might be a good time to check in with Kevin and Catherine, and Daniel Island Leader and WyldLife Director Tracey Thomas, to get the scoop on WyldLife and Young Life, a companion program for high school students.

Q: Tell us how WyldLife and Young Life got started on Daniel Island?

CB: In 2008, Kevin lost his Dad unexpectedly and it was a time of loss and emptiness for him. I remember him coming home one night after work telling me about his high school days in Young Life and that he wanted to get involved somehow. It’s amazing how Young life’s impact on him 20 years later led us to start WyldLife on Daniel Island. Our first club was in the fall of 2009, so this is the eighth year for WyldLife on the island. It is amazing to think that the sixth graders from that 2009 club are now freshmen in college this year. Young Life started back in 2011 for high school students on Daniel Island. Our Young Life Club that meets on Daniel Island is not tied to a certain high school, since kids on Daniel Island attend so many different high schools. Kids that attend YL Club here are from all different high schools. We also have a Young Life Club for Hanahan High School students that we support as well.

Q: For those who don’t know, what is WyldLife?

KB: WyldLife is a party with a purpose for middle schoolers. In WyldLife, the WL leaders love middle school kids! Middle schoolers are full of life and yet experiencing profound emotional and physical changes. Middle school is a time when kids make important decisions about who they are and what they believe. And so WyldLife leaders consider it a privilege to be involved in their lives. The leaders seek to model and express God’s love to these kids by learning their names, hearing their stories and honoring their God-given desire for a life of fun, adventure and purpose. Each Monday night from 7-8 p.m., 50-70 middle school kids, walk, bike, skateboard, or get dropped off by parents to our garage where the leaders lead them in an hour of games, funny skits, and then a short message about a God who loves them.

Q: How is spirituality and faith incorporated in to the program?

CB: The mission of Young Life is that every kid will have the opportunity to be introduced to who Jesus is, to understand how much God loves them, and to grow in their faith. This is accomplished by leaders going to where the kids are - on their own turf. The leaders go to their games, concerts, or just hang out at one of the restaurants on the island. They build a trusting personal relationship with the kids, winning the right to be heard. They love them and spend time with them regardless of where they are with their faith at this age. Our hope is that by building a real relationship with our middle school and high school friends, we’d later get to walk with them as they discover who Jesus is and what He could mean to their life.

Our leaders simply want to help kids see who Jesus really is. In each Club and Campaigners (small group), leaders share about the man they called Jesus. They decipher what He was really like, how He loves us and why that matters. Kids are challenged to not only find the Lord for themselves, but then are cast a vision of what if others in their school knew the same God. Our hope is that kids who have never even considered Jesus would for the first time see Him in a new way, and that others would love their friends the way The Lord loves each of us.

Q: How has the program grown over the years on Daniel Island? How many kids do you serve?

KB: WyldLife and Young Life have seen tremendous growth on Daniel Island! Six years ago we took one leader and four girls to summer camp and didn’t even have a high school ministry. This summer, we took over 70 DI middle school and high school kids for a week away with their leaders and each fall we take about the same number to our Fall Weekend trip. Not only have our summer camps grown on Daniel Island, but our weekly events have as well. Each week we now have 50-70 kids piling into a garage or living room for a WyldLife or Young Life club. We also now have 12 leaders that care for these kids on DI and a WyldLife Director, Tracey Thomas, who is on staff with Charleston Young Life and lives here on Daniel Island with her husband, Pat. Tracey oversees WyldLife on DI and in Mount Pleasant but also still serves as a leader here on Daniel Island.

Q: What are your hopes and dreams for the kids who take part in WyldLife?

CB: Our biggest hope and dream is that every kid on DI would have a WyldLife or Young Life leader pursuing and caring for them. They would know their name, hear their story, and at the least introduce them to The Lord. Even if it takes 30 years to stick! It’s a hefty goal - every kid. But it is definitely a dream our leaders have.

Q: Young Life is targeted towards high school students. How does the ministry change for this group of kids? Is the overall mission still the same?

TT: The basis of what we do in WyldLife and Young Life are the same. Our ministry is built around relationships and so our Young Life and WyldLife leaders do just that - they go to where kids are and build relationships. Each week Young Life and WyldLife have two weekly events - the first is our Club (party with a purpose). The second is Campaigners, which is a smaller group Bible study built for kids to start to decipher what it means to follow the Lord in middle school or high school and how to invite their friends into that. The main differences between Young Life and WyldLife are simply the level we teach on. It’s obvious that middle school kids and high school kids have much different challenges. As a WyldLife leader, I want to share Christ in a way that they can relate to - touching on being accepted and searching for friends, as so much of middle school is built around desperately trying to fit in. Young Life (high school) deals with the same, but does so in a manner that a 16 or 17 year old can understand. Again, our hope is to respect the level of maturity and developmental stages that our high school and middle school friends are in and present the Lord in a way that they can understand!

Q: What sort of challenges do kids in these age groups face these days - and why are programs like this so impactful?

TT: High school and middle school kids face huge challenges these days. Unfortunately, with social media and the internet, kids can’t escape the idea of wanting to fit in. Often their lives begin to revolve around who likes them, who accepts them, and what is their purpose in life. Whether it be Snapchat or Instagram, kids are constantly searching for something to accept them. That’s the scariest part. I think any parent would agree that as kids mature, they ask themselves two questions - am I accepted and what is my purpose? The scary thing is that the world can answer those questions in a whole lot of ways and that high school and middle school kids often find life in all of the wrong places. The goal of our leaders is to answer those two questions the way Jesus answered them. We want to let kids know that they are loved and accepted for who they are, not what they can give, what party they go to, or what they achieve. Our hope is to come alongside parents and reinforce the same ideals that families desperately want for their child. We have seen time and time again middle school and high school friends who turn away from friends, drinking, and the search for acceptance, looking for something more in The Lord because of the relationships and way they saw Christ in Young Life.

Q: Camp is such a big part of the WyldLife and Young Life ministries. Why do you think it is so important for kids to experience this facet of the program?

TT: I think the beauty of camp is that we get to take kids out of their environment for a week. Any parent would agree being at home comes with a whole lot of drama and distractions. Social media and friends cause kids to constantly be filled with what others are doing and what others think of them. Camp is so sweet because for seven days (or five for middle school) we get to take kids away from those distractions and enter into a place that is built for kids to feel adventure and acceptance with their leaders and friends. Our hope is that by being away for a week, kids would have fresh eyes to life, relationships and The Lord, and that our leaders would help them process all that entails. At WyldLife and Young Life camp, a trained speaker shares the Gospel with the kids in a way appropriate to their age group, hoping that they’d know how much the Lord loves them and what a life with Him could look like. And the best part of Young Life and WyldLife camp? Their leaders get to come home with them, continuing to help them decipher what a life with Christ could look like even back in the world of Snapchat and drama. Regardless of their response to the Gospel, kids are invited into a community that loves and cares for them in a real and healthy way here on Daniel Island.

Q: What sort of feedback do you receive from your Daniel Island participants?

KB: Over the past years, we have been overwhelmed with the gratitude from our sweet community. It has been amazing to watch as WyldLife has become a staple for Daniel Island kids these past years. As soon as school starts, kids begin asking when Club will begin, because it truly is a place where they are loved for who they are - crazy, silly middle school kids! We have watched as middle schoolers begin to know the Lord and then are eager to find Young Life in high school and continue to grow with their friends. When it all boils down, we all want to be seen and known for who we are, and the middle school and high school kid we know often tell us how grateful they are for just that - that a leader would take the time to simply know them with no expectations - taking them to breakfast before school, showing up at their football games, and cheering for them during their band concerts.

We also get a ton of feedback from parents. Our hope really is that as leaders we would come alongside parents - working with them to care for their kids. It has been sweet to build that relationship and hearing the ways that parents are thankful for that there is someone else in their child’s life who truly wants the best for them!

Q: Many folks may not be aware that the WyldLife and Young Life programs on Daniel Island are supported by an island committee of parents and other community members. What role does this committee serve in helping you achieve your mission?

CB: We have been blessed with a great group of people that have given their time and support to WL and YL over the years. However, as our ministry is growing we are hoping to add parents and individuals to our committee. We get together monthly for a quick meeting and to hang out with leaders over dinner. It is something that families can do together which we enjoy. After years of watching WL Club, our boys finally get to come and be a part of it this year as sixth graders and cannot wait! We would love to have more families on DI join us in supporting this ministry!

Q: You both have been involved in the Daniel Island program since the beginning! What has been your favorite part of the experience?

KB: We love hearing parents tell us how much their kids just love coming to Club at our house and hearing how it is changing kids’ lives. We also love that we have been able to experience the mission of WyldLife and Young Life with our twin boys. They were four years old when we started, and now they are about to turn 12 and experience WyldLife Club at our house for the first time this month. Another favorite part of our experience is the Family Camp that Young Life puts on for the Charleston area. For one weekend a year we are able to take our boys to a beautiful YL camp in the mountains and experience what WL and YL kids experience when they go to camp. We have memories there with our boys that we will never forget!

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

CB: Charleston Young Life’s Annual Fundraising Banquets will be held on October 24th & 25th! This is a great opportunity to learn more about Young Life and WyldLife on Daniel Island and how you can be involved. We want the community to know that even though Young Life is especially for kids, parents and other adults in the community are important to Young Life. Adults can support Young Life in a variety of ways — by becoming a member of our committee, by attending our fundraising event, by hosting Young Life in their home or by simply telling others in the community about Young Life and its commitment to kids. We are very thankful for the continued support of our Daniel Island community. Please email Catherine for more information on our fundraising event and to get details on our Clubs: catbrookes72@gmail.com.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Wyldlife & Young Life

6th Grade Girls Interest Night
Friday, September 9, 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Casey and Allison Kellermann’s house
1146 Barfield Street, Daniel Island

6th Grade Boys Interest Night
Monday, September 12, 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Catherine & Kevin Brookes’ house
1712 Doldridge Street, Daniel Island

Join your WyldLife Leaders for pizza, games and info about WyldLife. Parents are welcome from 6:30 to 7 p.m. to meet the leaders and hear more about the program.
WyldLife Club Kick-Off
Monday, September 19, 7 to 8 p.m.
Catherine and Kevin Brookes’ house
1712 Doldridge Street, Daniel Island
Contact Tracey Thomas of Charleston Young Life with questions at (412) 852-2123 or tlengyel91@gmail.com.

Daniel Island Young Life Kick-Off September 12
All City Club!
For details, contact Tracey Thomas at (412) 852-2123 or tlengyel91@gmail.com.

What are kids saying about WyldLife and Young Life?

“Before I went to summer camp, I knew about God, but had a lot of unanswered questions and doubts that filled my mind. In a lot of ways, it felt like I had a “fake” relationship with God. Southwind (WyldLife summer camp) truly changed my life. The people there helped me see God even in my doubts. The speaker made it so clear to me that all I had to do to follow the Lord was to say yes. And I did. Since being home. I don’t have the same feelings of loneliness or emptiness, because God is in me. My relationship with the Lord feels more real than ever.”
Tory Templeton, Daniel Island WyldLife

Dear Mr. Kevin and Mrs. Catherine,
My name is Michael Vinzani and I have just graduated from Wando High School. I will be attending the University of South Carolina in the fall. Today is my last day at Young Life Camp in Colorado. During my time at Frontier Ranch I have loved getting to know the younger guys that have come and watching/helping them grow in Christ. I hope they will follow what our leader has taught them along with the knowledge on high school and Christ I have impressed on them. This week God has shown me my gift to be a leader for Him and that I can talk to and be in a relationship with Him in every situation, seeing him and asking for guidance. Thank you so much for supporting YL in Charleston. It has changed my life and means a lot that you support it.
-Michael Vinzani, Wando Young life

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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