Empowering Young People for More

In 2011, the groundbreaking book You Lost Me by David Kinnaman dropped a staggering statistic that rocked many in the church, especially those working on the front lines of youth ministry. The statistic, based on over a thousand interviews with young adults aged 18-29, reported that 59% of those with a Christian background had left the church (either temporarily or permanently) at some point during their 20s. Eight years later, that statistic had grown to 64%. In recent years, that number has remained at around 65% and should give pause to parents, pastors, and youth workers alike. The question many asked then and are still asking is, what can we do to prepare students to approach their 20s with a firmly rooted faith? Though the answer is multifaceted, this blog will focus on one facet: empowering our young people to experience more.

In our current Western culture, distraction is only an arm’s reach away (with our phones). Much of our teens’ and young adults’ lives have transitioned to being conducted online, where apps, games, reels, and more vie for their attention. Personal relationships have taken a back seat in many cases to virtual “social” relationships, and students are drowning in higher anxiety and depression rates than ever before. A big part of the challenge of empowering young people is helping them to be present in their daily lives. Encouraging them to slow down to seek God in His Word and in prayer, to communicate authentically with their peers and parents, and to take the time to acknowledge and identify what they are feeling are huge keys to living present, intentional, and effective lives.

But how do we encourage and empower young people to do this? One way is by calling them into experiences that connect them to the bigger picture of what God is doing in the world around them. A 2019 follow-up book by Kinnaman, based on the research presented above, identified five practices for inspiring what he calls “resilient disciples.” Two of these practices I’d like to unpack here are experiencing intimacy with Jesus and engaging in a countercultural mission.

What does intimacy with Jesus even look like? How can I develop closeness in a relationship with someone whom I can’t see, touch, or hear? This has been the question for many as they begin to follow Jesus. As the apostle Thomas says in the Angel Network series Testament in episode 3, “The question isn’t whether I can see Jesus, but does he see me?” A search of the scriptures reveals the answer is a resounding YES! Psalm 139 speaks to being seen and known intimately by our maker. This is a great resource to read with anyone who struggles to know that Jesus sees and cares for them. Romans 1:19,20 speaks to his character being known in creation. For many, all it takes is to step outside and quiet oneself, and we will see the evidence of God all around us. As to hearing from Jesus or feeling his presence, he has made pathways for closeness in those areas as well. He has given us his Word, whereby he speaks to us, and his Holy Spirit that interprets and applies the messages sent in the Word. Also, in the practices of praise and prayer, we can feel his presence and experience his care. A relationship leading to intimacy requires time, intentionality, and presence, and as we encourage young people in these authentic disciplines, they will develop their own personal relationships with Jesus Christ.

Engaging in a countercultural mission is not only a call to join the mission of Jesus, but also to live out the model of Jesus, sent into the world, not to take on its qualities or values. The mission of Jesus, beautifully illustrated in the book of Acts, is to take his name from where you are to the ends of the earth. In Matthew 28:19 Jesus says, “(you) Go and make disciples…” The original Greek word used here, go, actually means to go OR having gone. This means that wherever you go, or wherever you are already, you can engage in the counter-cultural mission of Jesus by boldly sharing his love, praying for others in his name, and showing kindness to those you encounter daily. Truly living out the great commission is counter-cultural because it flies in the face of our me-first, live-your-truth, you-do-you culture, encouraging disciples to give away their lives for others. This is the only way to find a life with meaning; as Jesus says in Matthew 10:39, “...whoever loses (spends) his life for my sake will find it.”

Experiences that invite young people into countercultural living foster the practice of empowered living. Short-term mission trips and other similar experiences, where students live outside their comfort zone for extended periods, encourage them to broaden their perspective. They must wrestle with discomfort, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. This wrestle is being brought on by what they are experiencing. Oftentimes, for the first time, they are seeing how the world works outside of the bubble of their home environment. At the same time, because they are partnering with the mission of God on the earth, they are seeing God move in and through them. The experience lends itself to a season of iron sharpening iron when undertaken in community with other believers. As young people come to the end of their understanding and strength, they are primed to learn about how to lean into a loving Father who desires to provide for all their needs. It is in these times that Jesus can lead them into green pastures and beside still waters. He wants to give rest to their souls and fill them up so they can serve from a place of identity in Him. As students experience Jesus in this way, it has the potential to propel them into a lifetime of seeking and serving Him in full dependence.

The practices of experiencing intimacy with Jesus and engaging in a countercultural mission are two research-proven ways that we can empower our students for more: more foundational truth, more selflessness, more Kingdom influence, more peace, joy, and purpose. When we do our part to equip and empower students, we get to join in the work God is doing in and through them. Check out our Royal Servants trip for examples of how Reign Ministries is practically equipping young people to live great commission lives with great commandment hearts.

Holding fast,
Jeremy Lyle Hinshaw

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