Focus on the Youth in our church

Last Sabbath under Kirmane Allen’s leadership we had a special focus of praying for and with youth.  Today, pastor from Kitchener, Garth Dottin, is speaking to the youth again.  Tonight we are starting a new AY series “Beyond the Search” to facilitate youth, early teens and young adults for spiritual growth.  For the past few years we had been intentionally investing into upcoming teens generation, with a single desire not to lose any more youth.  We admit that a significant number of the previous cohort of youth have left, are not committed to the church mission.  We are thankful to God for the few that remain and are involved in serving as the members of the Body of Christ.

The statistics are daunting. Only 2.5% of the North American Division Seventh-day Adventist church membership is currently made up of young adults. Estimates of our young adult attrition report losing up to 70% of people ages 18-30.  We admit that the culture around us is shifting faster than we can keep up with and the church leaders are finding it increasingly difficult to keep young adults engaged, never mind reach the unchurched with the gospel.

Some are seeing this as “the worst disaster ever experienced,” yet it can be our “finest hour.”  I spoke with a disconnected young adult this week, who has a theological education, had done mission work, had preached in churches, yet choses not to attend to be connected to the church today.  My challenge to him was that we cannot afford to sit idly and wait for church administration and leadership to figure out and fix things. Success will not come from the top down.  Revival begins with me, with you, with each one individually.  When we connect to God and are empowered to reach out in our circles of influence and love those around, when we seek to make a difference in lives of people we care, mission becomes ours! Where is God working? 

My appeal to both young and old of our church – join God at work of mercy and grace in the community all around you, and watch God transforming you in the process.  We need each other.  We must support one another to endure, so that our love would never grow cold, or old J  Model, mentor, pray for and invest in the young generation searching for meaning.