For the past few years, the number of Bridgeport students participating in Young Life and its middle school sister group WyldLife have held pretty steady, said YoungLife Leader Nathaniel Lutyens.

 

What the Christian-based study and activity groups have run short on in recent years is leaders. The Mountaineer Area Young Life has assigned the Bridgeport groups additional leaders and among them is 2016 Bridgeport High School graduate, West Virginia University student and former WyldLife and Young Life member Savannah Blythe.

 

“Savannah is great and she’ll do a great job in that position,” Lutyens said. “We’re excited for her to come along and help with what Kim McCord is already doing with WyldLife.”

 

Blythe is thrilled to have the opportunity.

 

'I am incredibly excited to start furthering the growth of the Wyldlife program at BMS," she said. "Those kids need to know the love that Christ has for them and that we (Kim Mccord and I) as leaders have for them."

 

Her first chance to work with the kids is a girls' bible study and talk session March 23.

 

"My heart is so full of joy and I know that God has sent me where i am supposed to be," said Blythe, a pre-nursing major at WVU. "I can't wait to start sharing the gospel with these kids!"

 

Blythe is actually the first college student to come aboard the organization as an official leader, Lutyens said.

 

“Usually our WyldLife leaders are teachers or other adults in the community,” he said.

 

Lutyens and several other individuals are involved in the decision-making process to place leaders. They recently interviewed college graduates and students regarding their interest in leading Young Life/WyldLife organizations. An extensive training program followed and the potential leaders were asked in what area they would like to work.

 

“Savannah definitely wanted to do WyldLife and I think she had a strong preference to work in Bridgeport,” Lutyens said. “Kim McCord does an excellent job here and has basically run a one-man show. She has others helping out, but no one else is leading. She has been asking if she could get some help, so we thought we’d help her and funnel Savannah in.”

 

Blythe first became involved when she attended Bridgeport Middle School.

 

“She wasn’t super active, but she did come to a fair amount of clubs and things. It was much smaller when she was in middle school,’ Lutyens said. “She really got involved with Young Life during her junior year at Bridgeport High School. (My wife) Gina and I knew her from coaching cross country and track and invited her to come.”

 

In addition to Blythe, Bridgeport WyldLife will be getting assistance from Justin Voithofer.

 

“He was a leader at BHS for a while when he was in graduate school, so we asked if he would jump on and help with WyldLife,” Lutyens said.

 

Blythe’s position is strictly volunteer.

 

“She wants to do it and she’s been called,” Lutyens said. “So she’s volunteering her time, energy and money to do it.”

 

Joining the staff of Harrison County YoungLife, which encompasses Bridgeport, are two additional leaders: Sarah Espisito of Fairmont and Josh Campbell of Nicholas County.

 

Both WyldLife and Young Life meet monthly during the school year and host various other activities. WyldLife meets on a Friday evening and a girls’ group – an offshoot of the local WyldLife – meets separately. Young Life meets on Wednesday evening and a smaller group meets on Monday evenings.  WyldLife Camp will be held June 29 to July 3 at NorthBay in Maryland, along the Chesapeake Bay. Young Life Camp is July 13-18 at Rockbridge Young Life Camp in Goshen, Va.

 

For more information about the organizations, reach out to Lutyens at 304-612-1619. 

 

Editor's Note: Above/cover photo features Savannah Blythe. Also pictured  is a BHS Young Life group from 2015.