In 1944, members of the Youth for Christ Movement held rallies in Canada, England and the United States. Saturday night youth rallies began during the late 1940s and early 1950s, and Billy Graham became the organization's first full-time staff member, according to the agency's Web site. By the mid-1960s, the concept of Campus Life was born to minister to senior and junior high youth.

In the Chicago area, Campus Life chapters can be found in Barrington, Downers Grove, Lake Zurich, Elgin, Wheaton, West Chicago, Arlington Heights and the northwest side of Chicago.

Sometimes the groups pick a teen's house to meet at, and others, like Elgin's chapter, use community centers. Joel Longshore leads the Elgin group, which meets at the Elgin Recreation Center.

"It's just a safe, fun place where teens can come together and discuss different issues current and relevant to them," Longshore said. "It's a place where we're not afraid to explore God and how God can work in our lives."

But not all of the teens who belong to Campus Life believe in God. And not all of them are Christian, Longshore said.

"It's for anybody and everybody," he said. "Certainly a Youth for Christ organization focuses on Christ, but we also just like to make sure students have the opportunity to express themselves and what they believe."

For details, call (630) 588-0700.