THE NEW JESUS MOVEMENT

Last Tuesday I was privileged to minister to over 700 fired up young men and women at Teen Mania’s Honor Academy in East Texas. I was deeply moved by their response and affirmation as I challenged them to be champions for Christ. Almost all of these young people are recent high school graduates. They are investing a year of their lives to grow in their walk with Christ, acquire a biblical world view, and learn how to impact their generation for Him.

No one doubts that there is a serious crisis among our young people. Some dismal statistics suggest that only 4% of America’s young people will embrace an evangelical Christian faith. Frankly, I don’t buy it. There are also very encouraging signs that point toward a new Jesus Movement that could explode worldwide.

• The median age at Global Advance’s Frontline Shepherds Conferences continues to be younger. In fact, at the recent Frontline Shepherds Conference in northern India almost 60% of those attending were 30 or younger! What a privilege it was for me to pour Great Commission passion into this new generation of leaders for the church in India.
  

• Christian teenagers in China are willingly suffering for Christ. There are reports of teenage girls who oversee networks of 5,000 people in underground churches. Tens of thousands of young Chinese are prepared to be part of the “Back to Jerusalem” missions movement, taking the old Silk Road and planting the gospel throughout the Islamic world on their way “back to Jerusalem” to support the church in Israel and the Middle East.
  

I am honored to stand with today’s young Jesus People in the battle to make Jesus known, ardently loved, radically obeyed and lavishly worshiped.

• Thousands of South Korean students are poised to carry the gospel to their repressive northern neighbor, North Korea. And thousands more young Korean missionaries are scattered across the world.
  

• I have personally seen thousands of Brazilian young people weep before God in deep commitment after I called them to invest their lives as missionaries.
  

• Here in America some research suggests that up to half a million young people ages 13 to 30 participate in some kind of cross-cultural missions outreach every year. This has never happened before in the American church – and this may be the single most hopeful sign in the American church today.
  

God has not overlooked this young generation. They have been singled out for great things. This precious, broken-hearted generation, battered and victimized by the sins of adults, is being raised up by God for fulfilling the Great Commission.

I plan to give a significant portion of the rest of my life to mentoring fired-up young people. Forty-three years ago, I entered the gospel ministry in youth ministry. That may well be where I finish the ministry entrusted to me – once again focused on youth. I am honored to stand with today’s young Jesus People as mentor, coach, and friend in the battle to make Jesus Christ known, ardently loved, radically obeyed and lavishly worshiped here in America and throughout the world.