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Club Beyond® is the name used by Military Community Youth Ministries (MCYM) to identify its ministry with military high school and middle school-aged teens worldwide. Club Beyond staff and volunteers mentor young people and are available to journey with them through the hard challenges of adolescence, providing positive role models and exhibiting Christ-like behavior.
In addition to weekly club meetings, Club Beyond holds retreats (usually one per semester), along with special activity nights, lock-ins, ski trips, summer camps, and service projects. Club Beyond leaders also offer a weekly Bible study for students who want to go deeper in their faith.
Club Beyond staff are vocational youth workers recruited from across the United States, usually from Young Life.
The Beginning
During the 1960’s and 70’s Young Life and Youth For Christ were reaching out to military teens without consistent success. Recognizing the unique needs and stressors of military life, these two agencies joined forces to develop a model of ministry that reflects the specific and particular needs of U.S. military communities and families. In 1980, leaders from both of these agencies met and laid the foundation for what would become known as Club Beyond.
Growth
As Club Beyond took shape and developed an ecumenical outreach we focused exclusively on middle and high school teens whose parents were actively serving in the U.S. Military. Between 1980 and 1990 it grew from 2 programs to 18 communities in four European countries and across the U.S. During that decade Club Beyond reached out to over 10,000 students. The outreach continued to grow worldwide.
Today
Today Club Beyond, in partnership with Young Life, serves on military installations around the world as a Non-Profit, Non-Federal Entity (NFE). As our country continues to defend the freedoms the USA stands for, Club Beyond seeks to continue to serve our troops by investing in military teens who have the potential to become our resilient leaders of tomorrow.
Mission
Celebrate life with military teens, introduce them to the Life Giver, and help them become more like Him.
Vision
Let every military brat believe.
Strategic Objective
Healthy subject matter experts providing effective military youth ministry.
In every generation and in every place, teenagers have struggled to come to grips with their place in the world. Among our nation's youth are some 300,000 teenagers whose parents and guardians have committed their lives to service with our armed forces. These teens are scattered across overseas bases and installations in the United States.
The problems and struggles of military teens are similar to those of the typical teenager but intensified because of their context. Military installations, even in the United States, are often isolated. Military teens are frequently uprooted from familiar settings and replanted in foreign countries with languages, cultures, and customs they don't understand. Further, the heightened pace of military operations has resulted in more frequent and longer deployments, creating temporary single-parent homes for the majority of military families for at least a third of any given year.
At Club Beyond, we believe that there is a great need to be available for these young people, to build meaningful, no-strings-attached relationships with them. We believe that one of the best ways to help military kids is to affirm them and be available to celebrate life with them. Club Beyond staff and volunteers seek to love teens unconditionally and provide a model of Christian hope in our military communities.
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Core Values
Military-Focused Ministry
Exclusively serving military teens, families, and chaplains through volunteers and staff.
Christ-Centered Community
Committed to healthy relationships with God, self, and others.
Incarnational and Ecumenical
Pursuing relational inreach and outreach ministry with every military teen.
Strategic Partnerships
Collaborating with like-minded organizations for the greatest results.
Professionalism and Stewardship
Expecting excellence in ministry administration and finances.
Keeping Teens Safe
The safety of teens is a priority at Club Beyond. Our staff and volunteer leaders know they are responsible for modeling lives of hope and integrity.
Club Beyond has developed mission wide policies and procedures to ensure that kids are protected when they are with Club Beyond staff and/or leaders, as well as when teens are part of Club Beyond-sponsored activities.
Club Beyond's Standard Practices for Keeping Teens Safe
- All Club Beyond staff and volunteer leaders go through a national background process. In addition, there is a process for applying which includes interview(s) and character references.
- All Club Beyond staff receive sexual abuse and suicide prevention training.
- All staff and volunteers have passed the background checks required by their local installation.
- Our leadership team trains new Club Beyond field staff on maintaining appropriate boundaries in relationships with teens. The leadership team also trains Community Directors on how to screen and train their volunteer leaders.
- Club Beyond is structured so that field staff and volunteer leaders all have trained supervisors.
Creating an Atmosphere of Acceptance
At a time when bullying between middle school and high school students is a growing concern among parents and educators, Club Beyond seeks to have a positive impact in the communities of which we are a part. Club Beyond leaders model acceptance and love for all teens, and we encourage students involved in our programs to do the same.
Keeping Teens Safe at Camps & Events
Club Beyond events, held throughout the year, are a significant part of the mission. The priority during these events is to keep teens safe. View the standard practices Club Beyond employs to take care of teens at events.
