1. The need is overwhelming!
Youth are not just parenthetical to what God is doing in this generation, but a central feature of His purpose to reach the nations. How could this not be so when youth comprise such a huge and exploding percentage of the world’s population? Right now:
- Over 50% of the earth’s population will be under the age of 24 by 2030, just 25 years from now!
- The population of many countries’ current population is over 60% youth! This is true of countries in South and Central America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and elsewhere!
2. The need is not being effectively addressed:
- Most mission agencies are focused on the un-reached adult population, but we all know that if a person is not reached for Christ by age 18, it becomes increasingly more difficult to reach them!
- Over 95% of the world’s youth ministry resources are inside the U.S. while about 96% of the world’s youth live outside the U.S.
- Our own experience has confirmed that short-term mission projects among youth, though important, are insufficient as a means of establishing long-term ministry among the world’s exploding youth population!
3. The resources are available:
- Youth Ministry in the United States is inundated with youth ministry resources. Unfortunately, this is only leading to a consumer-oriented youth ministry in which youth expect more and better events, activities, programs, and materials. In other words, our avalanche of youth ministry programming is counter-productive to the spirit of servanthood which the Church seeks to engender among its youth.
- Youth in the Millennial Generation have sensed this reality and seek a life of meaning and significance which may ONLY be found in giving themselves away to meet the needs of others. In so doing, they discover what it means to live a life that is truly significant, because others value them for their service!
- Youth in the U.S. have been better prepared to minister than any previous generation. They are exposed to more discipleship, more missions, more service opportunities than ever before. They are responding in amazing numbers to the call to short-term missions. They want to do something that is hands-on, not just throw money at problems, but throw themselves into service!
4. Others who thrive on hate are recruiting young people around the world for destructive ends:
- Many youth populations around the world live without hope and are eager to participate in a cause that gives them hope, even if it means strapping on a bomb and blowing themselves up in a public crowd.
- Emissaries of hate such as Osama bin Laden have recruited heavily among youth to enlist hopeless young people to give their lives for an empty cause. How much more should we be giving those teenagers hope?
We may be just a few years, or even months, ahead of public perception in the churches, but people of faith are already beginning to rise up to insist that we stop ignoring the world’s huge youth population in our mission efforts! The future history of the world is being determined now by what we do—or don’t do—with our youth! We are not doing enough! Something has to change radically and immediately while there is yet time!
For More Information Contact our Office.
God will reach the youth of the nations with or without us . Our choice is whether or not to join Him in HIS plan. We must act quickly and decisively to reach this generation. Will you help us? You can contact Global Youth Ministry by phone if you have questions at 731-935-0500, or email us at info@globalyouthministry.org. Our website is www.globalyouthministry.org.
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