JAC Online

ONE Day… Mobilising Young People in the Fight
excerpt by Xander Coleman

'…that our young people would be filled with the Spirit and recognised as contributors in the fight.'

At its inception, The Salvation Army was inherently a youth movement—an army of young people. Primitive Salvationists recruited young people who were fresh and energetic to take the Army across the world. It was seen as commonplace for cadets to be commissioned at 16 years of age, or commissioners to be as young as 23.

Commissioner George Scott Railton lead a group of seven young women to invade the United States of America—only one of whom was over 20-years-old! The Army was not afraid of putting young people in leadership positions because it had nothing to lose and everything to gain for the sake of the kingdom of God.
Things have changed a lot since then. Young people have nowhere near as much prominence in Army ministry. True, they still have entire departments dedicated to them at territorial and divisional levels. But it seems that throughout the past century youth ministry has come to mean ministry to youth rather than ministry by youth.

You see dry bones? In Australia, our generation of young people are plagued with influences such as binge drinking, drug abuse, internet pornography, sexual promiscuity, teenage pregnancy, broken families, abused children, divorced parents, depression, suicide. If ever there's been a generation that needs good news, it's this generation.

We would be naive to assume that these issues exist exclusively outside our ranks.

And yet, out of this broken generation, God seems to be raising up a remnant of the faithful—and not just faithful because they show up every Sunday. Faithful in surrendering their lives to him; faithful in praying for his kingdom to come on this earth; faithful in trusting in his promise; faithful in holiness, in evangelism, in passion, in commitment, in covenant, in truth—an army of young people who are
seeking after him.

God is pouring out his spirit on young men and young women who will receive it, who will surrender their lives for his kingdom. That old prophecy is stirring, echoing, growing louder, 'your sons and daughters will prophesy'. Can you hear it?

The prophets are stirring, have you heard them? Check out The Vision by Pete Greig—part poem, part prophecy, part distant hope, part realised dream: www.24-7prayer.com/cm/resources/28.

The first fruits are emerging—have you seen them? Teenagers testifying to freedom from the power of sin; teenagers from this territory leading corps outposts in foreign lands; teens moving to rough neighbourhoods so they can share God's love with the residents; teenagers writing books on holiness for other teenagers.

Young people have so much to offer! As a good friend of mine says, there is no junior version of the Holy Spirit. If a young person is gifted in preaching, let her preach. If a pre-teen is gifted in leading worship, let him lead worship. If there are gifted evangelists, prophets, healers, givers, leaders, pastors, teachers — let them do it! May our young people be holy, filled with the spirit of God, anointed for ministry and mobilised. An army of young people! 'And this vision will be. It will come to pass; it will come easily; it will come soon. How do I know? Because this is the longing of creation itself, the groaning of the Spirit, the very dream of God. My tomorrow is His today. My distant hope is His 3D. And my feeble, whispered, faithless prayer invokes a thunderous, resounding, bone-shaking great "Amen!" from countless angels, from heroes of the faith, from Christ himself. And He is the original dreamer, the ultimate winner. Guaranteed.' – Pete Greig, The Vision.


Brainstorm
How do we make it happen? How can we mobilise our young people?

What sort of role models are we for our young people? Are we modelling holiness, mission-focus and sensitivity to the spirit?

Research shows that to develop, all children need someone unconditionally committed to them. Spiritually, how can you commit to a young person's development?

Do you think we expect too much of our young people? Too little? Why?

 

 

 

 

   

 

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