In the Ancient Times, Capernaum (The Town of Jesus) was a city people could go to be free. At NHS, Capernaum is a club where kids with disabilities can go to be free.

     Young Life is a nationwide club.Young Life is open to everyone to learn about Jesus Christ and grow in their faith. Club meetings include games, music, dancing, singing and talking about their faith. Kids with disabilities tend to struggle with the meetings said one of the club leaders.

     “Young Life is just filled with so much noise and interactions that just don’t fit in with their disabilities,” junior Emily Sell said, a leader in Capernaum.

     Sell also says that the Capernaum branch was formed to help resolve the problems that kids with disabilities face in the original Young life club. The new branch was formed in 2012.

     Each Capernaum meeting consists of a different theme every time. The most recent theme was Halloween on October 8th in AL. The kids start off with a fun snack, then they jump into a couple short games followed by a song/dance, skit and lastly a bible verse read by one of the leaders. Similar to Young Life, Capernaum takes more time during the club meetings to help kids interact with one another and better understand what is going on.  

      “It lets them feel more involved and less of an outsider,” Sell says.

  “The leaders of Capernaum are mainly students at NHS looking to make a positive impact and help change the lives of kids with disabilities, however the kids with disabilities are also greatly impacting the leaders and teaching them new things as well,” Sell said.

     One of these leaders, senior Elijah Laine, was diagnosed with hemiplegic cerebral palsy at birth. To break this down, his condition leaves his left side weaker than his right, and it takes him a longer time to process information.

     “I want to live the best life I can, doing things that any abled-bodied person can do,” Laine says.

He demonstrated this when he climbed Sharptop Mountain at the Young Life experience in North Georgia. He says that the experience was difficult, but he had many people surrounding him and encouraging him to get to the top. Sell says that Laine is amazing and an inspiration for overcoming his disability.

      Laine says he joined Capernaum because it brings joy and happiness to friends with special needs.

     “It gives them a place where they can do things and hangout with others and be themselves,” says Laine. “ Our friends without disabilities begin to be inspired by our special needs friends.”

  Laine has been accepted into the University of Southern Indiana. He plans to be a special education teacher when he graduates college because he wants to help kids with disabilities earn a high school diploma. His last bit of advice to all is to believe in reaching for your dreams no matter what.

  Club meetings take place in the LGI room on AL’s that land on Thursdays. This club encourages all to join and help change someone’s life.