Young Christian Leaders' Alliance

The Balance, formerly the YCLA Bulletin, is a monthly publication of the Young Christian Leaders’ Alliance.  The new title reflects our desire to weigh facts using proper discernment, so that we “turn not… to the right hand or to the left” (Josh. 1:7) and walk the “strait and narrow way.” (Matt. 7:14)  

This newsletter will be publishing encouraging articles by youth from across our nation. Our goal is to amplify Biblical youth-leadership and character training, by providing a variety of perspectives on important issues, while strengthening our foundation in God’s Word.

If you would like to get published, we welcome you to write an article for The Balance.  Our November theme will be “Selfishness: What it is and How to Avoid it” and our December theme will be “The Gifts of God.”  Further month themes have yet to be set.  To submit your encouraging story, poem, paragraph, or essay, or to contribute an idea or question, please email us at yclalliance@gmail.com!  We look forward to hearing from you.

You can now view our newsletters on Scribd (click here for October).  Look for a new, exciting, practical edition every month!

The YCLA is happy to announce that our long-awaited Handbook is now available for distribution on compact disc. The disc contains the full edition of the BEAMS Handbook in PDF format. It also features printable sheets with all the required Scriptures for memorization, the BEAMS info sheet, and several other resources such as a download of the shareware Bible study program SwordSearcher.

Several months ago, we made the decision to forgo the option of paper publication for the time being. Instead, God gave us the idea of placing BEAMS on CD-ROM. More than a simple book, the Handbook will be a part of an interactive system.  Throughout the document, active links will be posted which will connect to other valuable information online. As a PDF, it will be completely searchable, and the Table of Contents will link directly to each page listed. Even better, such an arrangement allows us to include audio and video files which will no doubt play an even greater role in future CD editions.

Another important feature of the CDs will be a link to the login page of the YCLA site, www.YCLAlliance.org. By clicking on a picture of a golden telescope which also appears on the book’s front cover, users will be able to immediately connect to the YCLA online members’ features to post blogs and discuss issues on the forums, and to browse the archives of past newsletters.  If they are not yet members online, they will be able to join through this same link.

The Handbook ranks and material remains the same: a guiding set of achievements which build leadership, teamwork, and trust in God. The Handbook promotes courage by proclaiming God’s power to conquer every possible enemy.

Please pray for and join us in distributing this CD to churches, groups, and individual youth as we seek to train them in Biblical impact strategies.  Also, please consider ordering a BEAMS CD. The CD is $10.00 for members, and $12.00 plus shipping for non-members. You may order one or more at www.youngchristianleaders.org/contactus.aspx. The Handbook, with writing and compilation work spanning close to two years of YCLA effort, will undoubtedly prove to be an important resource in your arsenal of leadership skill for the Bible and its ageless principles.

I just bought a really good mic for my computer today.  I've been practicing and experimenting with it to see how to make good recordings to put online - hopefully I can put a lot of Bible and/or YCLA articles on audio so people can hear them expressed.  (There are of course a lot of good Bible recordings, but most don't sound like a book - they tend to be monotonous it seems like.)  Here's an attempt at something different: http://youngchristianleaders.org/Documents/Proverbs%203%201through17.wma  It will improve with time no doubt, but see what you think.

-Josiah M.

We are pleased to announce that the 2010 BEAMS Handbook is now available online in its current form.

It's entitled "Upholding the Light."  Click here to view it.

The YCLA is happy to announce a new strategic emphasis for the year 2010. Our theme beginning in January will be “Core Communities.” The emphasis of the Core Communities theme will be to build on our individual contacts already in existence nationwide, to create or identify entire centres of principled young people. We will thus be focusing on reaching entire groups, as well as continuing our previous concentration on gaining new individual contacts and members.  The goal is to establish numerous bases of support which can be networked for political, social, and evangelistic action.

One way this goal can be accomplished is through YCLA training events such as Lead the Lemon.  Lead the Lemon is an example of an exciting and fun yet simple event which demonstrates how to “be an example” of Christ (I Tim. 4:12) in “sour” situations. It consists primarily of a round of mini-golf with lemons as the golf balls, followed by a brief presentation, and then lemonade making and refreshments!  Through this and other events, the YCLA will take a broad yet personal approach to growing our network. (You can find out more about the Lead the Lemon opportunity online at www.YoungChristianLeaders.org/lemons.aspx!)  

Operation Pi and BEAMS will also contribute to the Core Communities theme. Operation Pi, an effort to see prayer groups started in schools, will continue to create new centres of young people who are connected with God and who have a heart for serving Christ. BEAMS, an acronym for Becoming Energetic And Mobilized Servants, is an educational option for leadership–minded youth. It, too, has great potential to begin creating a network for principle as groups begin using its challenging rank advancements and Handbook.

The ultimate goal of the YCLA is to unite likeminded young people to serve in reclaiming the culture. For example, thousands of Bible-believing churches have youth groups, but many take\ little time to integrate moral efforts into their activities. Still fewer ever interact with other youth groups, because of a lack of the common ground created by action for common principles. The YCLA will seek to provide ways for these groups to come together in support of the Biblical worldview.  Ultimately, success depends on God’s working and our individual contacts spreading the word.

Will you help us build the network?

"Lead the Lemon" is an event we are currently developing for church or other youth groups, to introduce them to the YCLA while teaching numerous key leadership principles. 

What Happens

The main event is a nine-hole mini-golf match.  Each member of the groupbrings a lemon to use as the "golf ball."  They can pair up withothers, or compete individually.  Each must hit their lemon with a designated instrument - they must not use their hands.  It is generally hard to get the football-shaped lemons into the holes.  After the match, the group can use the lemons to make their own lemonade, to be used in a time of refreshment.  A presentation may be included between the mini-golf and lemonade-making, or may be added at the end.  

The Point

Pushing is not an effective leadership strategy.  If the lemon were pulled on a string, for instance, the game would be much easier.  In leading others, the best way to do so is by example - to live what you believe,"pulling" others along in love.  If people are forced to follow, they usually will not be committed for long.

Also, the saying "when life gives you lemons, make lemonade" can be well-demonstrated in this event.  The lemons may be explained to represent one's life, sugar as the choice to have a positive ("sweet") attitude, and water as the Water of the Word which God has given us to live by.  While our lives sometimes may be "sour," and while God often may have to "squeeze" us some, we should remember that "He knoweth the way that I take - when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as [liquid !!] gold."  (Job 23:10)

What to Do

Please pray as we finalize plans and continue to schedule these events in churches.  If you would like info on hosting a "Lead the Lemon" event at your church, please contact us online or email us at yclalliance@gmail.com.  Thanks!

Our new YCLA site will be launched within the next 2 weeks. Our new YCLA email address is yclalliance@gmail.com.