Abraham Lincoln was once being criticized for his attitude towards his opponents. "Why do you try to make friends with them?" a colleague asked. "You should try to destroy them." “Am I not destroying my enemies," the President asked gently, "when I make them my friends?"
"Wish good for those who harm you; wish them well and do not curse them."
Friday, January 23, 2009
Monday, January 5, 2009
Priority Focus: YOUTH
Many may know the name of Ron Luce, the founder of "Teen Mania" and "Acquire The Fire." Ron shared recently in a conference a deep urgency that was on his heart. He gave data describing the well-known reality that before the age of 20, 85%of the Christian world received salvation, and after 20, only 6% will come to faith.
Ron told of a newer statistic that only 4% of the Millennial Generation (teens today) beleive that the Bible is the Word Of God. That compares with 16% among Generation X and 25% among Baby Boomers. The decline in this Generation of teens is remarkable.
Ron showed data revealing that the bulk of the Millennial Generation is only five years from passing the threshold of age 20. The conclusion is simple, yet shocking for the people of God. If we do not reach this generation, the Millennial Generation, in the next five years, it will be more than ten times more difficult to reach them as they quickly move to become the leaders of our world without any godly convictions and standards.
The challenge is clear: the people of God must drop all that we are doing and focus our strength on reaching youth now while they are receptive to hear. Ron is encouraging us to take the easiest course of action. If we can throw our resources into an all-out, five-year surge to win youth, the culture will be impacted and the Godly standards, truth, and morality. It is much easier to win the youth now and to bring a culture back today.
If we wait, the culture will quickly turn more secular, displaying more post-Christian characteristics, and building a deep resistance to Christian tolerance and truth. Please join me and pray about this call to priority focus in outreach and ministry to the youth. Please remember that we are called to transform our culture with God's grace, love, and truth. Please consider that reaching youth represents our aim to invest in the next generation and to prepare them for bringing cultural transformation.
Ron told of a newer statistic that only 4% of the Millennial Generation (teens today) beleive that the Bible is the Word Of God. That compares with 16% among Generation X and 25% among Baby Boomers. The decline in this Generation of teens is remarkable.
Ron showed data revealing that the bulk of the Millennial Generation is only five years from passing the threshold of age 20. The conclusion is simple, yet shocking for the people of God. If we do not reach this generation, the Millennial Generation, in the next five years, it will be more than ten times more difficult to reach them as they quickly move to become the leaders of our world without any godly convictions and standards.
The challenge is clear: the people of God must drop all that we are doing and focus our strength on reaching youth now while they are receptive to hear. Ron is encouraging us to take the easiest course of action. If we can throw our resources into an all-out, five-year surge to win youth, the culture will be impacted and the Godly standards, truth, and morality. It is much easier to win the youth now and to bring a culture back today.
If we wait, the culture will quickly turn more secular, displaying more post-Christian characteristics, and building a deep resistance to Christian tolerance and truth. Please join me and pray about this call to priority focus in outreach and ministry to the youth. Please remember that we are called to transform our culture with God's grace, love, and truth. Please consider that reaching youth represents our aim to invest in the next generation and to prepare them for bringing cultural transformation.
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