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Sabrina Serrano Emilia Fuentes Grant English 1101 November 6th 2013

Young Life: Discourse Community or Community of Practice? Young Life is defined by many as a Christian based community searching for a relationship and connection with God. The Young Life community consists of two parts: Young Life leaders and the Young Life members. Not many people would consider Young Life to be a part of a discourse community or a community of practice. This ethnography will clarify that Young Life is in fact, both a discourse community and a community of practice. The Young Life leaders have two kinds of gatherings. One is called Club, and the other is Campaigners. Club occurs every Tuesday night at 7:27. At Club, students gather around to sing the top hit songs of the week, and two Christian songs at the end. In the midst of Club, there are also games and minuscule skits that students take part in. Young Life members/students are the ones that take part in the activities at Club. They also attend an event called Campaigners which starts every Thursday at 7:30PM. Campaigners is an event that members attend to build a further relationship with Christ that surpasses just going to Club. When members attend Campaigners it contains an hour worshiping which mean singing songs about Jesus. After an hour of worshiping, next comes a Bible study which is learning about the Bible. The name Campaigners originates from members of Young Life campaigning for Christ (Young Life) which means teaching and telling members of society about Christ. Young Life leaders and

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Young Life members have two very distinct goals and tasks, therefore a Young Life leader would be its own discourse community, while Young Life members are a part of a community of practice. A discourse community is made up of individuals who share a broadly agreed upon set of common public goals. A community of practice is a group of people who participate in a shared activity or activities (Downs 498). A Young Life leader would fall under the Swales six criteria. According to Young Life leader Ben McDaniel (one of the two main Young Life leaders in the Lake Norman area in North Carolina), Young Life leaders are college-aged or older individuals that meet and build relationships with teenagers in high school, (McDaniel). Researchers have sat in and observed many Young Life leader meetings, which are held in the Young Life office where most events like Club, and Campaigners take place. Leaders discussed plans for Club and Campaigners for the week to come and discuss trips to take with the members. During the meetings, leaders used certain lexis that only leaders would know. For example, before each meeting starts every leader tells a halod of the day, which is a high and low of ones day. As many leaders that are in the Lake Norman area know, things tend to get loud, so they use this phrase called hush yo mama which means for everyone to quiet down. Not only do they use this phrase during the meeting, but they use it during Club and Campaigners as well. Ben McDaniel has been a Young Life leader since he was twenty three and has mentioned that the lexis is constantly changing. New words are made up during meetings (by accident) due to some confusion that may occur or words being pronounced wrong. There isnt a rule that says the Young Life leaders must use the lexis, but Ben says that it comes naturally after hearing people around you say it so

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many times. The lexis used from Young Life leaders has one goal and its to have a sense of relaxation and free flowing aspect to Young Life. Leaders have three main goals. One is to help guide and make members pursue a relationship with God; secondly, to persuade each member to go on Young Life trips throughout the year to spend time with other members and leaders to help building the Young Life community; and third, to help raise and donate money so other kids around the world can hear about Young Life and be able to attend trips and so the Young Life community can keep growing. As mentioned earlier, there are two main Young Life leaders in the Lake Norman area, Ben McDaniel and Ashely Flowers. Both leaders have been involved with Young Life for more than twenty years. Besides the two main leaders, there are regular Young Life leaders in the Lake Norman area some which attend Davidson College. These leaders hope to be consistent, dependable friends that offer not only friendship and support but also hold up a relationship with Jesus as the most necessary part of a full life. To do this, leaders connect to students (soon to be members) by inviting them to Club and Campaigners via twitter, and by meeting them where they are; which is going to where the high school students are and loving on them despite their imperfections and sinful ways. Ben McDaniel stated that leaders think of themselves as missionaries to high school students. Leaders have things called mission fields. For missionaries, these mission fields are the high school parking lot, cafeteria, football games, etc. (McDaniel, Ben) Young Life as a whole wouldnt be possible without its members. Observations show that Young Life members differentiate from Young Life leaders in a countless ways. One major way is that Young Life members dont fall under Swales six

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characteristics of a discourse community. The Young Life members fall under Johns article about being in a community of practice. Members lexis is more or less the same as leaders, for example; hush yo mama, and another phrase commonly used is booya sucka which follows after saying announcements. Members of Young Life have a common spiritual goal but not physical. For example; a spiritual goal is a relationship with Jesus, unlike a physical goal that leaders pursue in. Young Life member Michael Schuring said that there are conflicts within the community, but they are due to people stereotyping. Members of Young Life say that Young Life and its members as a whole get stereotyped by many outsiders. Member Michael Schuring states that yes Young Life is a Christian based Community, and the members in Young Life believe and practice the word of God, but we are still humans and mess up. Observations show that Young Life is in fact a Christian based community that gathers together to hear about Jesus and his journey. Constraints are common in this community of practice, because it is religiousbased. As recorded earlier, leaders have mission fields which are mostly on school grounds. This causes problems between the separation of religion in school, therefore observations show that leaders come in as visitors on school grounds to be able to communicate with their members. Constraints inside the community are the different relationships that the members and leaders have with each other and Jesus. Through recent observations, it shows that Young Life members do have a sense of authority over outsiders that want to be members. Nevertheless, inside of the community, there are two main leaders/area directors. Through interviews constructed, Ben McDaniel and Ashely Flowers are the two main leaders/ area directors of the Lake Norman area in

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Charlotte, North Carolina. Ben and Ashely have authority over every high school and Young Life leader. Below the area directors are Young Life leaders that guide each member throughout their high school experience. However, authority and being an authoritative figure doesnt play a big role in the Young Life community. Young Life area directors and leaders fall under Swales definition of discourse community. Leaders have a set of common goals, both spiritually and physically. Spiritually by building a relationship with God and physically by guiding high school students and raising money for kids around the world to experience Young Life. Leader meetings occur on a regular basis, and they communicate with members via twitter as well. By sitting in on a Young Life meeting, observations show that the meetings are held to initiate a new project or event for members to attend to reconnect and serve people for Jesus. Also, in these meetings, leaders construct flyers, pamphlets, emails, letters, etc. to post around mission fields for teens to see. T he lexis used throughout Young Life whether it be by leaders or members is very catchy, it grasps the attention of teens and thats the start of bringing them to see what Young Life is ab out. Young Life members attend Club and/ or Campaigners to listen, learn and practice the word of God. Each member has a spiritual goal, which is being able to build a relationship with God, and not a physical goal, like their leaders. Through the research and observations presented in this ethnography, one is able to see the two distinct differences between a discourse community and a community of practice. By knowing the difference between the two, it would be clear on how the two definitions of communities pertain to Young Life as a whole, Young Life leaders, and Young Life members.

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Works Cited Downs, Doug, and Elizabeth Wardle. Writing About Writing: A College Reader. Boston: New York, 2011. Print. McDaniel, Ben. Personal Interview. 1 Nov. 2013 Schuring, Michael. Personal Interview. 1 Nov. 2013 Young Life Greater Lake Norman. Hough Young Life. Web. Davidson, NC. 2004-2013. Web. 3 Nov. 2013 Young Life. YL: What is Young Life. Web. Colorado Springs, Colo. 1995-2013. Web 3 Nov. 2013.