Life, an inter-denominational Christian outreach programme designed especially for young people.

Young Life's mission purpose is "to provide the opportunity for every young man and woman to become wholly everything God created him or her to be: intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually, by sharing Jesus Christ in understandable terms and by modelling Him through a relationship with a caring adult.'' Thousands of children have been positively influenced through their involvement in the local Young Life programme, which has existed in Bermuda for over 30 years and internationally for almost 60 years.

Founded in 1964 by Francis Gosling, who once spent a week at Young Life's Frontier Ranch in Colorado, the local programme has grown with kids making the trip to a Young Life property in the US or Canada each summer.

Since 1972, Young Life's base of operations has been "Living Water'', a two storied house on Pitts Bay Road in Pembroke, which provides office space, meeting rooms for weekly club meetings and other activities, as well as living quarters rented by the staff.

During the school year, Young Life has weekly meetings at "Living Water'' or at the home of Francis Gosling, who is now the oldest volunteer leader in the programme.

The hour-long meetings consist of singing, skits and entertainment as well as short messages on the basics of Christian faith and its relevance to the everyday life of a teenager, according to Young Life director Mr. Charly Franks.

In addition to weekly club meetings, small study groups are offered for those who wish to delve deeper into the Christian faith as well as volunteer leadership meetings for those adults who work with the young people, he said.

"Young Life's hallmark is probably the relational ministry provided for young people by our volunteer leaders,'' he said, adding that the volunteer adults are positive role models who are active members of local churches and the community.

Apart from weekly events, Young Life Bermuda offers an active camping programme during the summer, said Mr. Franks.

Approximately 30 senior high school students, aged 14 to 19, will travel to the Baltimore ashington area and spend three days visiting the amusement park, the National Aquarium and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

"We will also try to visit the FBI shooting range,'' said Mr. Franks. "And students will be free to go shopping.'' The tour will go on to spend a week in one of Young Life's seven major properties in Lake Champion, New York.

Said Mr. Franks: "Students will take part in a lot of activities including a special ropes course, mountain bike riding on mountain trails and water-based sports.

"Each day, kids will also attend club meetings which are similar to those held during the year,'' he noted.

The camp, which is equipped with a gymnasium, pool and jacuzzi, is structured for high adventure activities. It is set up as a "youth resort'', said Mr.

Franks, adding that the cabins, which house up to a dozen people, are similar to a hotel room setting.

Four hundred children from around the world, particularly North America, will be at the camp which provides Bermudians with a chance to meet people from different parts of the world, said Mr. Franks.

A junior camp is also scheduled from July 14 to July 29 this summer for students aged 10 to 13.

Twenty-five students will journey to Orlando where they will spend a week in Young Life's Southland, a junior high school property near Disney World.

They will go on to Williamsburg, Virginia, where they will tour the Water Park, shop and partake in other activities in the area. Then students will attend a soccer camp at the College of William and Mary.

The boy irl ratio for both camps is well balanced, said Mr. Franks, adding that there are usually between five and seven students to one volunteer leader in the camp.

Students can apply for the programme at any time, but the sooner, the better, he said.

"Most kids can earn money for their entire trip through fund raising opportunities provided by Young Life,'' he noted. "We have a booth at the Agricultural show and the kids make kites which they sell for Easter. We also hold a garage sale and a bake sale in May as well as a Trashathon.'' The camps are geared toward a teen's zest for adventure, action and fun, and also provide an opportunity for kids to learn more about the Christian faith.

"They must be seen to be fully understood,'' said Mr. Franks.

Young Life also provides children with local camping programmes in the summer and other opportunities are in the works.

"We can facilitate trips by working with other groups and providing them with our Young Life properties,'' he said, adding that organisations need to get together in the future to aid the anti-violence and anti-drug effort.