Today we’d like to introduce you to Graham Spell.
Graham, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
During my junior year of high school, I was invited by a cute girl to something called Young Life. If you do not know what Young Life is, it is a non-profit organization that brings the good news of Jesus Christ into the lives of adolescents with an approach that is respectful of who kids are and hopeful about who they can be. At the time, I did not know what Young Life was, but the second I arrived at “club,” I was hooked. The leaders noticed me, the other students were friendly, and for what felt like the first time in my life I was valued for who I was not how I performed on an athletic field or in the classroom. Fast forward a few months, and I was on a bus headed for one of their Young Life summer camps, Crooked Creek Ranch. It was there that I heard about Jesus Christ clearly for the first time and decided that I wanted to live my life for God and have a relationship with Christ. Since that summer day, my life has never been the same. I got more involved with Young Life back at my high school and even picked my hometown college over my dream college just because they had Young Life in our city and I wanted to be a volunteer leader. I lead throughout college because I wanted to be a leader to high schoolers like my leader Brandon was for me. I wanted to show them what it looked like to be Christian and live out in the abundant life that Christ offers to us all. Upon graduating from college, I decided to go to seminary and applied to Dallas Theological Seminary to get my Master of Theology degree. I thought my time with Young Life was over, but God had different plans. I received a phone call from the Area Director of Richardson Area Young Life who asked me if I would be interested in a position he had available. My wife and I were ecstatic and drove to Dallas for an interview. We ended up getting the job where I worked for Richardson Area Young Life part-time while working on my masters. Long story short, the Area Director who hired me stepped down to start an adventure camping organization which opened the door for me to apply for the Area Director position in Richardson. I got the position, and here we are today!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Definitely not a smooth road! As I was wrapping up my bachelors and being a volunteer leader in Memphis I was burned out on Young Life and really did not want to continue with them. In fact, I wanted to work for a church or be a teacher. Going to seminary was my way of pushing pause on Young Life, however, God had different plans. My wife and I have always been drawn to diversity and working with kids who look different than me.
The school we were offered a job at in Richardson was as diverse as it gets! There were white kids, black kids, Latinos, Asians, wealthy, poor, Muslim, Hindu, you name it, Richardson High School had it. We loved it. Our Area Director left to start an adventure camping ministry and our area went without a director for a year. That was incredibly tough as the staff had to pull together and make things happen so that our area did not fall apart. Our region ended up hiring a guy from the military who got in a struggled badly with PTSD and was not about to do his job effectively. It was during this time that I felt the need to step up and lead our area. My wife and I planned on moving to New York City after I finished my masters, but then we were offered the Area Director position in Richardson. It has been the best decision we could have made and are so glad we did it. Honestly, every time I have everything planned out God seems to disrupt my plans. It can be hard, but it makes it more fun!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Richardson Area Young Life – what should we know?
I am the Area Director of Richardson Area Young Life. We have four full-time staff (including me) and two part-time staff. We work with three different high schools, one junior high, and teen moms. We have an army of volunteers who work with our various schools and ministries. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. They are the heartbeat of our organization. Our mission is to introduce adolescents to Jesus Christ and help them grow in their faith. We reach anywhere between 500-800 kids on a Monday night, 100-200 kids through Bible studies throughout the week, and take 230+ kids to camp every summer. What I love most about what we do is that we give all kids a safe place to hear about Jesus Christ, develop their own opinion of Him, and love them regardless of their response. I am proud that Young Life reaches kids who would never step foot into a church, yet they will come to Young Life club because they are accepted regardless of who they are or what they believe.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Wow. A LOT of people deserve credit. Our area is a MACHINE because of these people: volunteers, committee, donors, parents, administrations of schools, etc. Without any of these fine folks, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. Our volunteers give up 8-12 hours of every week of the year. Our committee champion our organization to their friends, families, neighborhoods, PTAs and help us with fundraising and ensure that RAYL can keep running like a well-oiled engine. Because we are a non-profit we are 100% supported by our community. Without these folks who are incredibly generous with the money God has given them we would not be able to reach a number of the kids we do. Parents open their homes to various meetings we have throughout the year and care for our leaders by providing meals throughout the year before our clubs. Every day I am blown away by the generosity of the people in our community whether it’s through time, money, opening their home, or even prayer. I wouldn’t be where I am without ANY of these people. They make this happen, not me!
Contact Info:
- Address: Richardson Area Young Life
1131 Rockingham Drive #104
Richardson, TX 75080 - Website: www.richardsonareayounglife.org
- Phone: 9017346396
- Email: rayloffice@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/richardsonareayl
- Facebook: facebook.com/richardsonareayl
