The History of YoungLives
The History of Young Life's Ministry to Teen Moms
Written by Mary Somerville, Mentor Moms* Founder
*YoungLives was formerly called Mentor Moms
In 1991 the Young Life Committee of Tulare County, Calif., appraised the situation
regarding teen pregnancy and parenting in their county and came to the conclusion
that the traditional clubs were not reaching the needy young mothers. As about 1,000
babies were born to teens each year in the county, the committee had a large target
group to reach. They talked and prayed about it over several months and
brainstormed what should be done. The group came to the conclusion that God
wanted them to take action, even though it was not in the budget, and look for
someone to develop a program.
Dave Hanson, the area director, searched for a woman with a burden for this ministry
and was led to Mary Somerville,. who had five years of experience working in
Young Life many years previous. Somerville is a pastor's wife with a master’s degree
in pastoral counseling and many years of experience discipling women. She was
convinced of relational ministry -- that is to win the right to share the Good News
through building friendships and showing Christ's love. She had specifically been
working with teen moms for three years and had seen God use His Word to change
lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. She had seen the tremendous needs of
teen moms and believed that these needs could best be addressed in a one-on-one
relationship. That is why she set up a mentoring program.
The Young Life committee took Somerville on staff to work two days a week setting
up the program, paying her what she would make as a substitute teacher. She
contacted many local churches and set up an informational meeting to present the
opportunity for Christian women to mentor single teen moms as a Young Life
volunteer for the purpose of evangelism and discipleship.
In the fall of 1991, 13 women were matched to teen moms, and the ministry began
under the name of "Young Life's Mentor Moms." Somerville discipled the mentors in
bimonthly meetings in biblical principles relating to mentoring. The mentoring is indepth contact work as the mentor meets with her teen mom at least once a week and
ministers to her at her point of need through friendship-building
activities. Each mentor committed to meet with her young mother for the course of
one year through all kinds of circumstances. These mentors learned a lot about
unconditional love. They learned that they could not mend all the hurts or repair all
the pieces of broken lives. It was hard! But God brought some of the young women
to Himself, and their lives were changed. Some saw what it is to be a Christian yet
remained unchanged. However, they unmistakably felt the claims of Christ upon their
lives and will never be the same.
Over the past 11 years, approximately 187 teen moms have had a caring Christian
woman reach out to them in a one-on-one relationship and many dozens more
through the clubs. The ministry has supported itself. Every fall when the Young Life
fund-raising banquet takes place, a mentor and teen mom tell their story. Mentors are
recruited, and pledges are made for the ministry. The community is grateful that
Young Life is addressing this pressing problem. Different gifts have been given from
service organizations and businesses as well as individuals and churches. Women
who would not be brought into ministry any other way are brought in because of their
desire to help a young woman who has chosen life for her child.
After the program had been going for a couple of years, the vice president of Young
Life asked Somerville to put in writing what was done to set up and sustain the
program so it would be available to others within the mission with the same desire -to reach teen mothers for Christ. "Mentor Moms, A Handbook for Mentoring Teen
Moms" was printed and listed as a resource in "Inside the Mission." The Service
Center began making it available through Mission Assistance.
A seminar was offered by Somerville at the Young Life All Staff Conference in
Orlando in 1996, and interest heightened. She was asked to become the national
coordinator on a volunteer basis in an effort to promote this specialty throughout the
mission. In that capacity she kept a listing of those involved and sent out a Ministry
Memo for five years in an attempt to network.
Seminars were also offered at the 2000 All Staff Conference in Orlando, and more
interest was generated. Chapters began springing up around the country. Mentor
Moms grew to about 30 areas. The first focus conference was held at Oakbridge with
32 in attendance in 1999.
There have been several Young Life camps for teen moms and some areas are doing
their own camps and day trips. Woodleaf had its first teen mom camp in 1996 and
most recently in 2002. These are great tools to expose the moms to a great deal of fun
and adventure, but also to great doses of the love of God and the proclamation of that
love. The bonding that takes place between the teen mom and the mentor is
tremendous. God uses camp in a unique and powerful way. The work crew is
stretched as they give of themselves unstintingly to care for the needs of the regular
campers but also the babies.
It is the passion of this mission that every kid, everywhere, should be given the
opportunity of clearly hearing the Good News, and that includes the often isolated
and ostracized teen who has become a mother.
Betsy Stretar, from Cleveland, Ohio, has been handed the baton to take the teen mom
ministry into its next stage of growth. Stretar's burden for reaching teen moms stems
from the fact that she was once a teen mom herself. She started the teen mom
ministry in Cleveland after joining Young Life staff in September of 2000. In
December of 2001 she became the national director for Young Life’s ministry to teen
moms, now called YoungLives.
We look forward to what God has in store for this exciting aspect of the mission of
Young Life!