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In November 2007, Jeff McSwain, the Area Director of Durham and Chapel Hill, along with others, publicly took issue with the organization’s presentation of the concept of sin. McSwain’s theology emphasizes that “God has a covenant, marriage-like relationship with the world he has created, not a contract relationship that demands obedience prior to acceptance.” McSwain also said that he felt Young Life’s 2007 “statement of non-negotiables” often ended up sounding “more Unitarian than Trinitarian by drawing a sharp contrast between the holy God and incarnated Son who ‘actually became sin.’”

Young Life’s policy also extends to LGBTQ allies. Local leader Pam Elliott stepped down after being asked to remove a photo from her Facebook page showing her support for the LGBTQ community.Regarding young people from the United States, in 2019, there were 93,000 Summer campers; in 2020, 15,000 Summer campers; and by the Spring of 2021, Young Life had received 61,000 requests for the upcoming 2021 Summer camping season (which is approximately two-thirds as much as 2019).

Young Life (USA) allows LGBTQ students to participate in Young Life activities, but does not allow them to volunteer or take leadership roles. In the organization’s forms homosexuality is described as a “lifestyle” which is “clearly not in accord with God’s creation purposes.” Conner Mertens, the first active college football player to come out as LGBTQ, was active in the group as a teenager, and planned to work with the group in college, but was not allowed due to his sexuality.A 2010 book stated, “Clubs became the vehicle to get high schoolers out of their own context and to a fabulous resort where they would have the best week of their lives and at the same time be presented with the Christian gospel.” Young Life states, “33% of all summer campers meet Jesus for the first time. (This is based on our own camp director reports as to how many Bibles we gave out, how many kids went on new believer walk, and those who stood at ‘Say-So.’)” Also per Young Life’s website, they have had partnerships with Fuller Theological Seminary, as well as other seminaries. Capernaum is Young Life’s ministry for young people with developmental disabilities. Wyldlife is Young Life’s ministry for middle school students.Young Life maintains summer camps in 18 American states as well as camps in British Columbia, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Scotland, Armenia, and France. Overall, there are 26 camps, with 6 of these located outside the United States. These camps incorporate Christian messages presented in a camp setting along with typical camp activities.

The Young Life website credits the beginning to Clara Frasher, an elderly woman who around 1933 recruited friends to help her pray for teenagers attending Gainesville High School. In 1939, Jim Rayburn who was a young seminarian started a chapter of the Miracle Book Club. He also worked with local pastor Clyde Kennedy. The Young Life approach is to go where teenagers are and make friends with them, thereby earning “the right to be heard.” In the late 1940s at Wheaton College in Illinois, the organization developed its combination of using both paid staff and volunteers. “Campaigners” is a separate Young Life group for teenagers who have dedicated their lives to the Christian faith.The organization was started in Gainesville, Texas in 1941 by Presbyterian minister Jim Rayburn. Young Life operates globally using several different organizations with different focuses. As of 2019, Young Life had chapters in 8,513 schools, with average weekly attendance at 369,600 across the organization. Young Life also has 67,000 volunteers as of 2019.

According to a 1994 Vancouver Sun newspaper article, out of 350 students attending one particular week-long session at the Malibu Camp in British Columbia, Canada, more than 100 publicly testified during the informal ceremony of “Commitment Night” on the final night saying they had committed their lives to Jesus. According to the Malibu Camp manager about half of the teenagers end up committing or re-committing their lives either at camp or shortly thereafter.

The Summer camps have a definite evangelizing or witnessing emphasis with large-group “Bible talk” once or twice a day often followed by small-group “cabin time” discussions. For example, large group might involve 500 teenagers and small group might be 12 teenagers. One night toward the end of the week, the young people are asked to “to go outside in silence, be alone for 15 minutes and try to talk to God.”Week-long Summer camps are a major focus, and these have a definite evangelizing aspect. For example, there are large-group “Bible talks” once or twice daily often followed by small-group “cabin time” discussions. And toward the end of the week, the young people are asked to go outside, be alone for 15 minutes, and attempt to talk with or commune with God.

Young Life estimates that a third of campers commit or re-commit their lives to Jesus and the Christian faith, with this estimate being based on “how many Bibles we gave out, how many kids went on new believer walk, and those who stood at ‘Say-So.’”

Below you will find a link to a number of “campaigner sheets.” I am not claiming these are perfect, nor are they the only way to do it. But the style and the content has worked for us. Notice that some sheets are titled “Kids” and some “Leaders” Often times we would have leaders leading a group but they were not the ones who put the sheet together– therefore their copy has some prompts to help the discussion work.While Young Life Access is intended for staff and team leaders to pick and choose training for their volunteers, many have asked for recommended training tracks. With that in mind, below you will find suggested posts for basic volunteer training topics. Each can still be customized to meet the needs of your area or team. This is not an exhaustive list of all the posts for each topic. More posts can be found on the Customizable Training Library page. You must be logged in to access or send the posts.

Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of the global population. By 2030—the target date for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that make up the 2030 Agenda—the number of youth is projected to have grown by 7 per cent, to nearly 1.3 billion.Youth can be a positive force for development when provided with the knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive. In particular, young people should acquire the education and skills needed to contribute in a productive economy; and they need access to a job market that can absorb them into the labour force.

Young people have been at the forefront of activities and initiatives aimed at furthering the 2030 Agenda and meeting the Goals. Youth are engaged in a myriad of ways including awareness-raising, data collection and use, grass-roots and national initiatives, monitoring and accountability efforts, and shadow reporting on progress.In 1995, on the tenth anniversary of the International Youth Year, the United Nations strengthened its commitment to young people. It adopted an international strategy: the World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, which directed the international community’s attention and channeled its response to the challenges that would be faced by youth in the next millennium.The UN Programme on Youth of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), which serves as the focal point on youth in the United Nations, builds awareness of the global situation of young people; promotes their rights and aspirations; and helps increase their participation in decision-making as a means of achieving peace and development. DESA coordinates the participation of youth delegates in the General Assembly and ECOSOC system, where Governments regularly include young people in their official delegations.

To coincide with the 25th anniversary of the first International Youth Year, the United Nations General Assembly, in December 2009, adopted resolution 64/134 proclaiming the year commencing 12 August 2010 as the International Year of Youth. The Assembly called on governments, civil society, individuals and communities worldwide to support activities at local and international levels marking the Year. In December 1999, in its resolution 54/120, the General Assembly endorsed the recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth (Lisbon, 8-12 August 1998) that 12 August be declared International Youth Day. With a different focus each year, International Youth Day helps bring youth issues to the attention of the international community and celebrates the potential of youth as partners in today’s global society. Young people may be called the ‘torchbearers’ of the 2030 Agenda, since they have a pivotal role to play not just as beneficiaries of actions and policies under the Agenda, but rather as partners and participants in its implementation. Indeed, young people have been architects in the development of the 2030 Agenda, and remain engaged in the frameworks and processes that support its implementation, follow-up and review.In 2018, in resolution 2419, the Council reaffirmed the need to fully implement resolution 2250 and called on all relevant actors to consider ways to increase the representation of young people when negotiating and implementing peace agreements.

In November 2015 the CEB endorsed the strategy for the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, a UN system-wide effort to promote youth employment worldwide.In 2012, the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB) discussed the topic of youth and sustainable development in light of the confluence of events during the Arab spring and in preparation for the Rio+20 conference. Executive Heads exchanged views on the various dimensions of programmatic issues affecting youth, including youth employment, political inclusion, health and education. The Board emphasized the importance of greater UN system coordination in support of youth development.

In 2015, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2250, which encouraged States to consider setting up mechanisms that would enable young people to participate meaningfully as peacebuilders to prevent violence and generate peace around the world. As the first Security Council resolution wholly dedicated to the vital and positive role of young people in promoting international peace and security, this resolution clearly positions youth as important partners in global efforts in promoting peace and countering extremism.On the basis of its global convening role, the United Nations is uniquely placed to act as a source of protection and support for young people, and to provide a platform through which their needs can be addressed, their voice can be amplified, and their engagement can be advanced.

Youth well-being, participation and empowerment are key drivers of sustainable development and peace around the world. Achieving the 2030 Agenda requires strong and inclusive partnerships between young people and all stakeholders, so that the development challenges facing youth (such as unemployment, political exclusion, marginalization, problematic access to education and health etc.) are addressed and the positive role of youth as partners in promoting development and sustaining peace is recognized.The ECOSOC Youth Forum is a yearly event that provides a platform for young people to voice their needs and concerns through informal dialogue with other stakeholders—in particular Member States—and to explore ways to promote youth development at all levels. The Forum represents the most institutionalized venue for youth participation in UN deliberations and is an important vehicle to mobilize support among young people for implementing the 2030 Agenda.

Sustainable Development Goal 8 contextualizes the call for decent work. For young people, the issues of unemployment, underemployment and poor job quality have proven to be persistent and daunting. Youth are three times more likely to be unemployed than adults, with the global youth unemployment rate at 13 per cent in 2017. Many young people are engaged in low-paying, precarious or informal work. The challenges of securing and retaining decent work are even more serious and complex for vulnerable and marginalized youth, including young women, those living in humanitarian settings, youth with disabilities, migrant youth, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.While all the Sustainable Development Goals are critical to youth development, the realization of targets in areas of education and employment are underlined by the latest edition of the World Youth Report as fundamental to overall youth development.

Two decades later, the United Nations General Assembly observed 1985 as the International Youth Year: Participation, Development and Peace. Celebration of the Year drew international attention to the important role that young people play in the world, and, in particular, to their potential contribution to development.This statistically oriented definition of youth, in turn, entails that children are considered those persons under the age of 14. Worthy of note, however, is that Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child defines ‘children’ as persons up to the age of 18. At the time, it was hoped that the Convention would provide protection and rights to as large an age-group as possible, especially as there was no similar document on the rights of youth.

A central principle of the 2030 Agenda is the assurance that “no one will be left behind.” The Sustainable Development Goals are meant for all nations, all peoples of all ages and all societies. The universal nature of the 2030 Agenda entails that youth should be considered across all Goals and targets. Youth are specifically mentioned in four areas: youth employment, adolescent girls, education and sports for peace. Moreover, young people are recognized as agents of change, entrusted with fulfilling their own potential and ensuring a world fit for future generations.Many countries also draw the line on youth with regard to the age at which a person is given equal treatment under the law—often referred to as the ‘age of majority.’ This age is commonly 18 in many countries; so that once a person attains this age, he or she is considered to be an adult. Nonetheless, the operational definition and nuances of the term ‘youth’ vary from country to country, depending on relative sociocultural, institutional, economic and political factors.There is no universally agreed international definition of the youth age group. For statistical purposes, however, the United Nations—without prejudice to any other definitions made by Member States—defines ‘youth’ as those persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. This definition, which arose in the context of preparations for the International Youth Year (1985) (see A/36/215), was endorsed by the General Assembly in its resolution 36/28 of 1981. All UN statistics on youth are based on this definition, as is reflected in the annual yearbooks of statistics published by the UN system on demography, education, employment and health.

The United Nations has long recognized that the imagination, ideals and energy of young people are vital for the continuing development of the societies in which they live. Member States of the United Nations acknowledged this in 1965 when they endorsed the Declaration on the Promotion among Youth of the Ideals of Peace, Mutual Respect and Understanding between Peoples.The United Nations youth agenda is guided by the World Programme of Action for Youth. The Programme of Action covers fifteen youth priority areas and contains proposals for action in each of these areas. Adopted by the General Assembly in 1995, it provides a policy framework and practical guidelines for national action and international support to improve the situation of young people around the world. Learn more about the Programme of Action.

The Secretary-General appointed his Envoy on Youth in January 2013 and a Special Envoy on Youth Unemployment in September 2016. Together the youth envoys work to increase youth accessibility to the United Nations.The place to be on Monday nights at 7:59—yes, you read that correctly. Young Life Club is a time for skits, songs, games, food, and friends. This is the entry point for most of our youth. Club is where students get to meet other students, their other leaders, and find out more about our Creator.

When school’s out for summer, it’s time for Young Life Camp! For students who have been engaged in Club and/or Campaigners throughout the year—they are invited to come to Camp to experience the best week of their lives! Swimming, obstacle courses, sports, game rooms, hiking, horse rides, gokarts and more await our students. While staying in nice cabins, students eat 3 sit-down meals a day, enjoy speakers and worship, and then have Cabin devotions at night.For students who want to dive deeper in their faith—our Young Life leaders lead small group bible studies on Thursday nights. This is a special time to be more intimate, vulnerable, and open about questions, prayer, and faith. They are separated by boys and girls during Campaigners. Please see below for links to resources for planning and running a Campaigner group! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact a Young Life staff person or the Regional Office! What is it about Young Life club that makes it the best night of the week for thousands of kids every week? We like to think of it as a party with a purpose. It’s controlled chaos that’s almost impossible to describe, but kids know it when they see it. And before the party ends, we share a simple message about God’s love for them. After all, that’s what the celebration is a​ll about. Young Life ​Campaigners®​ (a name that points back to the early days when Young Life was referred to as “The Young Life Campaign”) is a weekly meeting for kids who wish to learn more or grow in their faith through study, service and leadership. Young Life leaders also encourage these kids to celebrate their faith through participation in a local congregation. Young Life is making a difference in the lives of kids around the world because we are supported by adults who care about kids in their community. For every talented Young Life staff person, there is a team of dedicated volunteer leaders which works directly with kids. In each community, the local “committee” — composed of parents, Young Life alumni and civic leaders — provides a foundation of financial, administrative and moral support for the local Young Life team.​​​​​Kids consistently tell us that Young Life camp is the best week of their lives. That’s a rousing (and unsolicited) endorsement! But how else would you describe a week where deep relationships are forged in the midst of mind-boggling fun and you experience and listen to what we believe is the greatest love story ever told?

Because kids don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care, Young Life leaders show they care by going where kids are, meeting them as they are, and believing in who they can be. Within Young Life we call the persistent going out into the world of kids “contact work,” but kids just call it friendship.​​Young Life began with a few simple ideas about sharing the truth of God’s love with adolescents. Seven decades later, those simple ideas have become time-tested methods for reaching out to middle school, high school and college students in friendship and hope.At Roanoke College, we work to help every student explore their purpose and identity in Christ, as well as provide opportunities to build community. We believe that every student has the potential to grow to be a ministry leader and Young Life leaders at RC walk with students on their faith journey. Every Wednesday at 8pm there is a co-ed Bible Study called HomeBase where students can connect, learn, and ask questions. There are also women’s and men’s small groups where students can explore their faith in a smaller setting. Several times per semester there are fun events for everyone! Some classics are Dodgeball, Flapjacks and Flannels, and Trivia Nights. All the events and other meetings are advertised on the Roanoke College Young Life Instagram Account. During the first week of classes in the Fall, RCYL always hosts YL Welcome Week with an event scheduled every night to allow new students to connect to each other and to upperclassmen. During the Spring Semester students have the opportunity to participate in Young Life Leader Training where they will explore the possibility of becoming Young Life Leaders at a school in our community. Young Life doesn’t start with a program. It starts with adults who are concerned enough about kids to go to them, on their turf and in their culture, building bridges of authentic friendship. These relationships don’t happen overnight – they take time, patience, trust, and consistency. We believe in the power of presence. Kids’ lives are dramatically influenced when caring adults come alongside them, sharing God’s love with them. Because their Young Life leader believes in them, they begin to see that their lives have great worth, meaning, and purpose. This is the first step of a lifelong journey; the choices they make today, based upon God’s love for them, will have an impact on future decisions – careers are chosen, marriages formed and families raised – all ripples from the time when a Young Life leader took time to reach out and enter their world. Our vision will always be to serve as a lifeline for kids, one kid at a time. To accomplish this goal, we are seeking to expand our ministry into new schools and communities. With a strong support team of adults focused on these areas, we can continue the Young Life legacy in our community. Over the next five years, our goal is to expand into two additional high schools. We have a strategy to get there; we know that all kids are “too important to ignore”.

Evangelicals are a common subject of research, but often the outcomes of that research vary due to differences in the methods used to identify evangelicals. In response to that challenge, the NAE and LifeWay Research developed a tool to provide a consistent standard for identification of evangelical belief.In addition to thousands of churches, schools and nonprofits, the NAE brings together 40 evangelical denominations that seek to collaborate and connect for God’s glory. This NAE Denominational & Network Diagram demonstrates how our denominations & networks are connected by tradition and to one another. Evangelicals take the Bible seriously and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The term “evangelical” comes from the Greek word euangelion, meaning “the good news” or the “gospel.” Thus, the evangelical faith focuses on the “good news” of salvation brought to sinners by Jesus Christ. Our community brings together Reformed, Holiness, Anabaptist, Pentecostal, Charismatic and other traditions. As noted in the statement “Evangelicals — Shared Faith in Broad Diversity,” our core theological convictions provide unity in the midst of our diversity. The NAE Statement of Faith offers a standard for these evangelical convictions.

These distinctives and theological convictions define us — not political, social or cultural trends. In fact, many evangelicals rarely use the term “evangelical” to describe themselves, focusing simply on the core convictions of the triune God, the Bible, faith, Jesus, salvation, evangelism and discipleship.​Middle school is a time when our young friends make important decisions about who they are and what they believe. And so WyldLife leaders seek to model and express God’s love to them by learning their names, hearing their stories and honoring their God-given desire for a life of fun, adventure and purpose. Young Life wants every young person, everywhere to experience the message of hope in Jesus Christ. Kids in every culture respond to this life-changing message when caring adults are willing to first earn the right to proclaim the truth of the gospel. Young Life College leaders want to build a relationship with you, showing up in your life daily and offering weekly events, small groups, trips, and service opportunities, ultimately inviting you to take your next steps in following Jesus.Focusing on communities with fewer than 25,000 residents, the Young Life Small Town/Rural Initiative exists to ensure that young people in small towns don’t miss out on the friendship of a caring adult, the fun of going to club every week, the excitement of spending a week at a Young Life camp, or the opportunity to hear about Jesus Christ in terms they can understand from an adult they know and respect. Military teens move an average of seven times during their school-age years. Imagine having to start over at a new school every other year, all while trying to figure out who you are and where you belong. Along with that, imagine the fear for a deployed parent and the heartache of missing your mom and dad when it’s your birthday, Christmas break, or even high school graduation. Young Life is for all kids. We see tremendous opportunity working alongside the Catholic Church to reach every kid with the gospel. We train staff and volunteers to minister to Catholic teens, equip Catholics to serve, and work alongside parishes, schools and universities.Multiethnic Young Life leaders identify with the community they serve and adapt ministry work to fit the needs of the kids. Multiethnic camp weeks are also a crucial part of this unique Young Life ministry. From small, rural communities to the heart of the inner city, Young Life seeks to bridge the gap and reach this generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.Young Life Capernaum gives young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities the chance to experience fun and adventure, to develop fulfilling friendships and to challenge their limits while building self-esteem through club, camp, and other exciting activities.Young Life ONE is our initiative to reach teens on the margins. The ministry aims to reach students impacted by homelessness, incarceration, the foster care system and/or human trafficking.

Young Life is in the world of high school — learning kids’ names, hearing their stories, having fun and sharing with them the great news of a God who loves them.YoungLives​ clubs are regular gatherings with parenting teenagers and mentors with the support of childcare workers and various community help. Clubs meet around the world offering fun, laughter, encouragement and an inspirational message. Other YoungLives​ activities may include Bible study, group outings, life-skill instruction and camp.

Through DGL sponsorship, Young Life leaders in the world’s poorest countries have access to a future they never thought possible – the opportunity to attend college and make an impact in their local communities.​Young Life is for all young people, wherever they live or whomever they are. We work with students from middle school to college and have specific ministries aimed at ensuring every kid feels a sense of belonging.

YFC Camp Vision | Our vision is to provide an excellent experience through which Jesus Christ would forever alter the life of every person who comes to camp – that they, in turn would be driven to alter the lives of those around them for Christ.YFC Camp Vision, Mission, Ministry Philosophy, Values and Strategy – This document outlines how Youth for Christ’s Vision, Mission, Ministry Philosophy, Values, and Strategies are integrated at YFC Camp. The entire camping experience serves as a tool to accomplish the mission of YFC.

As hypothesized, it was also discovered that purpose in life was indirectly associated with connection and well-being. It appeared that the link between connection and well-being was indirectly connected with purpose in life. This finding suggests that connections may be developed when emerging adults experience supportive relationships with others are important. Hence, the results indicated that the link between connection and well-being via purpose in life may be an important factor for emerging adults to flourish and thrive.

Several requirements and statistical assumptions were examined before a multiple regression analysis was performed. These requirements and assumptions comprised sample size and normality, homoscedasticity, linearity, multicollinearity, and outliers. Consequently, it was found that the sample size fulfilled the minimum requirement. The present study included eight main variables: confidence, competence, connection, character, caring, purpose in life, hope, and well-being. In addition, the sample size of 400 was sufficient according to the recommendations provided by Knofczynski and Mundfrom (2008). The assumption of a normal distribution was also fulfilled based on a graphical examination, which showed that the data were normally distributed. The values of skewness and kurtosis also satisfied the minimum requirement (See Table 2). By evaluating the scatterplot, the presumption of homoscedasticity revealed that the variances were equivalent. An examination of the scatterplot graph showed that the linearity assumption was met as the predictor and criterion data were distributed along a linear line. The casewise diagnostics was also examined to determine which cases included residuals and which ones were three or more standard deviations away from the mean. Hence, only 393 cases were used in the analysis connected to Research Question 1. Singularity was not violated as the variables for the predictors included independent and unique variables that did not overlap. Multicollinearity tests were also carried out to avoid possible problems of overlapping between variables. Because all the indices of tolerance were greater than 1-Rj2, no variables in the study were removed.

Following the correlation analysis, a hierarchical regression analysis (stepwise) was performed to determine the importance of confidence, competence, connection, character, caring, purpose in life, and hope on well-being (Table 3) as a test of Research Question 1. Gender (male, female), ethnicity (Malay, non-Malay), age, academic performance, and either the participants lived with their parents or mother only or father only or alone were treated as covariates. Dummy variables were created for gender and ethnicity. Because of the explorative nature of this research question, variables with non-significant effects were removed one by one stepwise. Gender, ethnicity, age, academic performance, and participants’ living arrangements were entered in Step 1. In Step 2, confidence, competence, connection, character, caring, purpose in life, and hope were included.Two bilingual speakers translated the questionnaire from English to Malay and, at the same time, adhered to the cross-cultural translation standard requirements proposed by Beaton et al. (2000). One translator was aware of the PYD concepts, while another translator was neither informed nor aware of the PYD concepts and had no background in developmental psychology. The translators and researchers then discussed the discrepancies in the items, and the wordings were changed for any disputed items. Then, a pilot test was conducted among 30 students to determine if the items were equivalent. The final Malay version of the questionnaire was then utilized in this study.

Despite the sufficient sample and the generally acceptable reliability of the scales used, several limitations of the present study should be noted. First, the sample was selected from undergraduate students and is not representative of the entire undergraduate university student population of Malaysia, and is not representative of all emerging adults in Malaysia such as those individuals who are not attending university. Although the level of cooperation was good, the study was lacking in information about those undergraduate students who did not respond. It is not known whether the sample was biased. Secondly, the cross-sectional design of the study, which stipulated that all measures were taken only once, means it was impossible to establish causal relationships, and the indirect associations found in this study are not indicative of statistical mediation which should be examined through future longitudinal research studies conducted with Malaysian university students.

The 5Cs of PYD scale-short form (Geldhof et al., 2014) was used to measure PYD. The PYD-5C is a self-report measure consists of 34 items that serve as indicators for each of the 5Cs (competence, confidence, character, connection, caring). The scores for each PYD construct were calculated as mean scores with high scores indicating high levels of each C. In this study, all the Cronbach’s alpha values for these subscales were satisfactory (competence, α = 0.86; confidence, α = 0.91; character, α = 0.80; caring, α = 0.91; connection, α = 0.88).

Purpose in life is associated with mental health (Van Dyke and Elias, 2007). Various conceptualizations of purpose in life are well-established in the existing literature. Purpose in life refers to “a central, self-organizing life aim that organizes and stimulates goals, manages behaviors, and provides a sense of meaning” (Kashdan and McKnight, 2009, p. 304). According to Kashdan and McKnight (2009), it is central in that it has to do with a person’s identity, and it is self-organizing in that it provides a framework for systematic behavior in daily life. Purpose in life may motivate people to plan and make efforts to achieve a specific goal, and it helps them to make decisions and perform specific behaviors to proceed in life (Hill et al., 2016; Zhang et al., 2018). However, the existing literature regarding young people defines purpose in life as a “stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at once meaningful to the self and of consequence to the world beyond the self” (Damon and Gregory, 2003, p. 121).

This study used a brief measure of purpose in life developed by Hill et al. (2016), which consists of four items (5-point Likert scale). Examples of these items are: “There is a direction in my life,” “My plans for the future match my true interests and values,” “I know which direction I am going to follow in my life,” and “My life is guided by a set of clear commitments.” Summative scores ranged from 4 to 20, with a higher total score denoting greater purpose in life. The Cronbach’s alpha for this measure in the present study was.91.

The studies involving human participants were reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Bergen. The patients/participants provided their written informed consent to participate in this study.

Participants were 400 undergraduate students from 15 universities in Malaysia. Each university provided a minimum of 20 participants that completed an online survey. Out of the 15 universities, 13 were located in Peninsular Malaysia, one in the Northwest (Sarawak) and one in Northern Borneo Island (Sabah). The participants ranged in age from 18 to 26 years old (M = 21.50, SD = 1.21, 66.8%, n = 263 females). The participants identified themselves as Muslims (79.8%, n = 315), followed by Hindus (7.4%, n = 29), Buddhists (6.3%, n = 25), Catholics (3%, n = 12), Pentecostals (1.5%, n = 6), Protestants (1%, n = 4), followers of Kong Hu Chu (0.5%, n = 2), and Mysticism (0.3%, n = 1). Most of the participants (88.6%, n = 349) agreed completely that religion was important in their lives. A total of 75.9% (n = 299) of the participants were living with their parents, while the rest were living with their guardians (5.8%, n = 23), living with their mother only (8.6%, n = 34), living with their father only (1.5%, n = 6), living alone (4.8%, n = 19), or were taking turns living with their father or mother (3.3%, n = 13). Around 13.7% (n = 54) rated their academic achievement as excellent and 29.9% (n = 118) rated it as very good.

Similar to purpose in life, hope also plays a significant role in PYD. It has been identified as a character strength (Preacher and Hayes, 2008; Lopez and Snyder, 2005). Like purpose in life, the hope construct focuses on significant future aims. Hope consists of an element that involves the motivation of an individual to pursue his or her goals. Thus, hope refers to the perceived ability and capacity of an individual to achieve future goals through mental energy and to generate routes toward those goals (Belen et al., 2020). Therefore, hope sees potential pathways to the achievement of desired goals, and it inspires a person to use those pathways (Rand and Cheavens, 2009; Du et al., 2016; Tirrell et al., 2019). Hope consists of motivation (agency thinking) and confidence (pathway thinking), which may spark individuals to pursue goals and produce strategies to achieve the desired goals (Yalçın and Malkoç, 2015; Guse and Shaw, 2018). In other words, hope is the result of believing that realistic plans can be created, and having sufficient drive to achieve important goals. Thus, individuals with mental health might develop hope, agentic, and pathways thinking. The latter definition is believed to capture the essence of that which is involved in hopeful, goal-directed thoughts, and at the same time, it is consonant with the everyday understanding of the term. Therefore, this study relied on this definition of hope. A substantial body of evidence supports Lerner and colleagues’ 5Cs model of positive youth development (PYD) in the United States (U.S.). Nonetheless, it remains unclear whether the 5Cs can be used to identify positive development in the under-researched Asian contexts, such as Malaysia. Thus, this study examined the 5Cs of PYD (competence, confidence, character, connection, and caring) and their importance to purpose in life, hope, and well-being in a sample of emerging adult undergraduate university students in Malaysia. Data were collected from 400 participants from 15 Malaysian universities (132 males, 268 females; ages ranged from 18 to 26 years old, M = 22). A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that two of the 5Cs of PYD (confidence and connection) as well as hope were important to explaining variation in well-being. The findings imply that there are strong links between PYD, especially confidence and connection, and well-being, while purpose in life and hope were indirectly related to the 2Cs (confidence and connection) of PYD and well-being. Therefore, mental health professionals are encouraged to review and redefine their treatment design to include confidence, connection, purpose in life and hope when working with Malaysian emerging adult university students. This study was part of a larger cross national research study located at the University of Bergen, Norway. The larger study concerns PYD and involves over 30 countries. Thus, this study, with its individual study protocols specifying the aggregation of data across sites for analysis and dissemination, was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Bergen. It was implemented in accordance with the guidelines stated in the Declaration of Helsinki. An online version of this survey was administered to the participating undergraduate students. The universities selected were those that were most easily accessible to the research team, and therefore, the student participants comprised a convenience sample.The distribution and descriptive analysis statistics were obtained through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The data were screened for outliers and assumptions for parametric tests. Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficients were used to explore the associations between variables. Then, a multiple regression was performed to determine how much variance could be explained by each variable. The PROCESS macro for the SPSS, model 4 with bootstrapping – a resampling procedure to avoid forcing the assumption of normality for the sampling distribution of the indirect effect – was utilized testing hypotheses four and five regarding indirect associations (Preacher and Hayes, 2008). For this analysis, a sampling distribution was generated with 95% confidence intervals to test for indirect associations, which were considered significant if zero did not fall between the upper and lower confidence intervals (Preacher and Hayes, 2008). In this study, the bootstrapped confidence intervals for the indirect associations were based on 10,000 resamples.Based on Keyes (2002) model, one can expect possible positive associations between the 5Cs of PYD and well-being as a part of mental health. Specifically, Keyes (2002) created a fourfold classification system of mental health based on well-being, in which young people who score high on well-being and low on mental illness are flourishing; young people who score high on well-being and high on mental illness are struggling; young people who score low on well-being and high on mental illness are floundering; and young people who score low on well-being and low on mental illness are languishing. In this way, a concern for others and oneself are necessary to achieve the most lasting form of mental health. Thus, mental health is a complete state that consists of the absence of mental illness and the presence of a high-level of well-being (Keyes, 2002). This model puts forward the idea that mental health is multi-faceted and combines emotional well-being, psychological well-being, and social well-being, as well as the absence of recent mental illness.It is necessary to understand the associations between the 5Cs of PYD and well-being as a facet of mental health, as well as conceptually connected but distinct positive constructs such as purpose in life and hope. However, no study has comprehensively explored the relations between the 5Cs of PYD, purpose in life, hope, and mental health with Malaysian youth or emerging adults. Furthermore, there has been no in-depth investigation into how strongly each factor is related to mental health. Thus, this study, is a first of its kind investigation into the possible relations between the 5Cs of PYD, purpose in life, hope, and well-being as a facet of mental health among Malaysian emerging adults. The following hypotheses and one research question were examined:

As hypothesized earlier, it was discovered that purpose in life was indirectly associated with confidence and well-being. In particular, it appeared that the link between confidence and well-being was indirectly affected by purpose in life. Purpose in life involves motivation (Bronk et al., 2010) and may have implications for emerging adults in developing confidence. For instance, emerging adults may build their confidence when they actively search for and develop a purpose in life after they have learnt to do so from the behavior of others (Kashdan and McKnight, 2009). Formulating short-term and long-term goals in life, for instance, may encourage emerging adults to be prospective and future oriented, and goals could include securing decent jobs, professional success and having families.Also, as hypothesized, it was found that hope was an important to the relation between connection and well-being. This finding suggests that the relation between connection and well-being is also indirectly connected to hope. In the context of positive relationships with others, hope may help individuals to improve their relationships during difficult situations. The Adolescent Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (Keyes, 2002, 2009) was used to measure how often a positive mental health event oc
curred within the past month. The original 14-item Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2005) consists of three items measuring emotional well-being, five items measuring social well-being, and six items measuring psychological well-being. Emotional well-being refers to positive emotions, while social well-being refers to social contribution, social integration, social actualization, social acceptance, and social coherence. Psychological well-being refers to self-acceptance, environmental mastery, positive relations with others, personal growth, autonomy, and purpose in life. The participants were asked to respond to items on a 6-point Likert-type scale based on their experience over one month. Each response referred to: never, once or twice, about once a week, 2 or 3 times a week, almost every day, and every day. In this study, the value of the Cronbach’s alpha for MHC-SF was satisfactory (α = 0.96). For this study, the MHC-SF total score was calculated as an index of overall mental health. Thus, a higher score would indicate a higher level of positive mental health. This study demonstrated in this Malaysia sample the importance of 2Cs of PYD and the connection to purpose in life and hope as important to well-being. The main idea in helping emerging adults thrive and flourish is to systematically align their potential and strengths with contextual resources over time for healthy development, thus enabling them to develop cognitive, affective, and behavioral components concerning confidence and connection. Contextual resources were not systematically examined in this study, however, this is an important future research focus. This idea is crucial in observing some emerging adults who seem to be performing better in one particular area but may not be doing so in other aspects of their lives. The same goes for those who seem to be failing in one field but may not be performing poorly in other areas. Based on the findings in this study, it is believed that the 2Cs of PYD (connection, confidence), purpose in life, and hope will help emerging youths to thrive and flourish and to experience greater well-being as a fundamental part of mental health (Keyes, 2005).The Herth Hope Index [(HHI); Herth, 1992] is an adapted version of the Herth Hope Scale, and it conceptually addresses the four attributes of hope described in the Hope Process Framework (Farran et al., 1995). Originally, it is a 12-item (5 point) Likert scale that delineates three subscales of hope: (1) temporality and future, (2) positive readiness and expectancy, and (3) interconnectedness. In the present study, the item “I am able to give and receive caring/love” was separated into two items: (1) I am able to give caring/love, and (2) I am able to receive caring/love. Summative scores ranged from 13 to 65, with a higher total score denoting greater hope. The Cronbach’s alpha for the HHI in the present study was.88.

Hope may also play a vital role in setting one’s purpose in life, thereby, potentially supporting well-being (Ciarrochi et al., 2007; Burrow et al., 2010; Parker et al., 2015; Årdal et al., 2018). Hope is also related to various factors such as life satisfaction (Munoz et al., 2017), resilience (Li et al., 2016; Lenz, 2021), academic achievement (Marques et al., 2011, 2017; Bryce et al., 2020), and subjective well-being (Zhang and Chen, 2018). Further, in the existing literature, significant associations have been found between hope, emotional well-being (Griggs and Crawford, 2017), and psychological well-being (Dilmaç and Kocaman, 2019). To illustrate this point, in a cross-sectional study of 495 college students, after controlling for gender, race, age, and social desirability, a strong linear positive relation existed between hope and emotional well-being (Griggs and Crawford, 2017). Also, Gallagher et al. (2021) found that hope significantly acted as a proactive factor during crisis and improved well-being. We located only one published study that examined the relations between hope and purpose in life in a sample of adolescents and emerging adults (Bronk et al., 2009). Therefore, more work is needed to understand these relations. To conclude, this study affirms that the 5Cs of PYD, particularly connection and confidence, are positively correlated with well-being and theoretically we viewed well-being as a key facet of mental health consistent with Keyes (2005). The results also highlight the importance of purpose in life and hope in connection with well-being. The results of this study can be used as a reference by other researchers who are interested in studying the 5Cs of PYD, purpose in life, and hope among Malaysian emerging adults and more research should be conducted on this topic in general population samples of emerging adults, adolescents, and youth and emerging adults in contact with psychiatric services. It will improve the understanding of other protective factors in increasing the well-being of emerging adults by exploring their strengths, purpose in life, and hope. Likewise, as hypothesized, it was found that hope was important to the relation between confidence and well-being. Specifically, it appeared that the link between confidence and well-being was indirectly connected to hope. This relation suggests that to improve well-being as a key part of well-being, involves supporting confidence and hope, as a way to motivate emerging adults to achieve their goals by determining which pathway they should take to accomplish them. Furthermore, hope plays a vital role during a crisis because it allows individuals to take further steps more confidently to strategize their plans and thus, accomplish their goals.Before completing the online survey, the participants were given a brief introduction to the purpose and aims of this study. Each participant took approximately 40–45 min to complete the online questionnaire. This online survey data collection involved a sample of volunteers who were interested in taking the survey; therefore, it was impossible to calculate the number of participants who decided not to respond. This was a one-time data collection and thus the study design was cross-sectional.

As expected by Conway et al. (2015), it was discovered in this study that the 5Cs of PYD, namely competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring, had a significant and positive correlation with well-being as a facet of mental health. These findings were consistent with those of previous studies (e.g., Årdal et al., 2018). These results seem to suggest that as the levels of competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring increase, so does well-being and vice versa. Going back to PYD theory, this can be explained in terms of the developmental relational systems theory that the 5Cs of PYD are important to other aspects of healthy or positive development. Furthermore, it was also found that purpose in life and hope had a significant and positive correlation with the 5Cs, and this was consistent with a previous study by Bronk et al. (2009). In Malaysia, few studies have been conducted to examine such associations. However, previous findings have shown that the relation between PYD and well-being is mostly positive (e.g., Park, 2004). The results of this study revealed that 2Cs (confidence, connection) were important factors, and had a significant and positive direct association with well-being. The term ‘confidence’ can be explained as a belief in someone’s ability to accomplish goals, form connections with others in various situations, and overcome many obstacles. As a result, it should have a meaningful impact on life. Thus, the ability to initiate connections with others such as peers, family members, neighbors, and communities reflects a higher level of confidence among emerging adults. Furthermore, establishing connections with others may help emerging adults to improve their lives and the lives of those around them.Throughout the past decades, most researchers focused on exploring and determining mental health using measures of mental disorders (Vaillant, 2012). Until recently, studies linking the 5Cs of PYD and mental health have been relatively scarce compared to studies about mental disorders. In the PYD field, a great deal of research attention has been spent on studies that examine the psychometric properties of the 5Cs of PYD (Chen et al., 2018; Dvorsky et al., 2019), positive development in relation to positive and negative mental health (Holsen et al., 2017; Zhu and Shek, 2020), the development of instruments to be adapted into local contexts (Chai et al., 2020), and the effectiveness of interventions using a positive development approach (Ciocanel et al., 2017; Smith et al., 2018). Despite this diverse range of research, the exact associations between positive development, the 5Cs in particular, and mental health are still being examined, with little of this research having been conducted in Malaysia.

Participants were asked several demographic questions such as their gender, ethnicity, age, religion and its importance in their lives, current living arrangements, and self-reported academic achievement. Example of question on current living arrangements: “Who do you live with?” (e.g., mother and father, mainly with mother, mainly with father, as much with mother as with father, with adults who are not my parents, live alone). Example of question on academic achievement: “How would you rate your academic performance?” (5-point Likert scale from poor to excellent).Psychology Program, Center for Research in Psychology and Human Well-being, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia

Commitment is among the most difficult “C’s” to embody as a leader. It relies on a principled, resolute approach, wherein all avenues have been explored and all ideas investigated. It also requires a good degree of self-confidence, and a belief that your approach is best for the outcome of the wider business or project.

To be an effective leader, you will need to display confidence. You can demonstrate this trait through both the way you conduct yourself and your actions. It’s important to be aware that being confident does not mean being brash and pushy. Rather, you can display it through more subtle actions, like being decisive and having faith in your abilities. Being a good leader requires excellent communication skills, this means possessing the ability to listen to people as well as the ability to share ideas. These skills also relate to the capacity to negotiate when necessary and manage issues of conflict. Effective leadership takes many forms and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution on how to step up to the front. But by gaining an understanding of what it takes to lead, you can set your sights on the top and make achieving your goals a little simpler.Gaining leadership skills isn’t easy, and it’s fair to say that some people find taking the lead easier than others. But no matter what your background, experience or character, everyone has the potential to become a great leader – provided they take the right steps to build confidence and hone their skills.

Do you aspire to become a great leader? Perhaps you’re already halfway there? Whatever your goals for the future, a distance learning course from Oxbridge can help get you there. For more information or to browse our complete course range, visit the homepage or call our expert learning advisers today on 0121 630 3000.

In this guide, we’re exploring some of the key concepts and themes surrounding leadership, specifically the so-called “five C’s” and how mastering them can help propel you up the career ladder. We’ll also take a look at a handful of distance learning courses that can help on your journey to leadership greatness.

Cultivating this ‘C’ can be tricky, and some people are naturally more creative than others. But with self-confidence and experience, you can learn to open up and look at situations from new perspectives, which is essential to building creativity in and out of the workplace.The five C’s encompass the key traits that are considered the bedrock of effective leadership, including credibility, communication, commitment, confidence and creativity. By harnessing these characteristics – managers, supervisors and team leaders can demonstrate a positive leadership style – a balanced approach that blends fairness and authority.

You can improve your leadership skills by undertaking one of the management courses offered at Oxbridge, including Management Level 3 Certificate QCF. These distance learning courses can help you develop the skills and techniques required for any form of leadership.Effective leaders work hard to build rapport and trust between the people they work with. Learn to balance your time to allow for frequent communication with colleagues and co-workers, and use all platforms at your disposal to enhance your communication skills at every stage of your career.

US President Abraham Lincoln was known by the nickname “Honest Abe,” supposedly due to his dislike of the lying he encountered during his law career. It does stand to reason that gaining credibility as a leader is linked to being perceived as honest and reliable.