A Pastoral Word. . . Generational Impact
Pastor Kevin Freeman
May 9, 2024
Last Saturday I was in the Barn on our church campus, where the youth normally meet. Often, my roles with the youth put me up front – on stage – but on that night I was in the back, not leading but watching. I was one of a handful of adults present as a group of young people – all Generation Z youth – held an event called “MYCRO.” The name is a hybridized acronym taken from Psalm 23, where the psalmist responds to God’s goodness, writing, “MY Cup Runs Over.” The teens who planned this event poured their hearts out in worship to God.
Yes, this night of worship, prayer, and biblical encouragement was initiated, planned, and carried out 100% by teenagers. Two of our youth in particular – Grace and Lily – put it together. And they did a great job! Through their influence, 40 or so youth from various churches came to the event.
Sometimes we hear discouraging – even foreboding – news about the next generation, but I am often encouraged by what I see. In one of the youth-led prayers on Saturday, a young lady asked God that their generation would seek the truth in a world of lies fed by “the algorithm,” her reference to the ideological onslaught that bombards this generation through social media feeds. A young man prayed for LGBT youth, that they would know God’s love and find their identity in Him and His Word. How encouraging to hear from this generation!
But Generation Z does not exist in a vacuum. The young people who pursue Christ have almost all been influenced toward Christ by prior generations, just as each of us enjoyed the investment of older generations who poured into our lives. Those generational investments matter, and they carry enormous impact. Consider the role of generations in this Psalm:
My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth.
I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past --
things we have heard and known
and that our ancestors have passed down to us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD,
his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.
(Psalm 78:1-4 CSB)
How are you passing the wisdom you have been entrusted with down to the next generation? Curiously, we sometimes gripe about a generation’s shortcomings without realizing we have not helped equip those coming behind us.
Our roles will vary. Some work directly with the next generation, while others support remotely. Some offer periodic encouragement, while others receive occasional help that allows a new generation to develop competence. Some mentor; others pray.
I encourage you to find ways to support our young people – youth and children – through encouraging them, volunteering your time, and praying for them. That support may come through a regular childcare role or serving RBC Camp, or it may come through a kind word and a smile to a young person. It must also come while you are on your knees, interceding for this next generation to our Lord.
How great it is that we are invited into generational impact, “that the next generation may know” the Lord!
Your partner in ministry,
Kevin Freeman
Yes, this night of worship, prayer, and biblical encouragement was initiated, planned, and carried out 100% by teenagers. Two of our youth in particular – Grace and Lily – put it together. And they did a great job! Through their influence, 40 or so youth from various churches came to the event.
Sometimes we hear discouraging – even foreboding – news about the next generation, but I am often encouraged by what I see. In one of the youth-led prayers on Saturday, a young lady asked God that their generation would seek the truth in a world of lies fed by “the algorithm,” her reference to the ideological onslaught that bombards this generation through social media feeds. A young man prayed for LGBT youth, that they would know God’s love and find their identity in Him and His Word. How encouraging to hear from this generation!
But Generation Z does not exist in a vacuum. The young people who pursue Christ have almost all been influenced toward Christ by prior generations, just as each of us enjoyed the investment of older generations who poured into our lives. Those generational investments matter, and they carry enormous impact. Consider the role of generations in this Psalm:
My people, hear my instruction; listen to the words from my mouth.
I will declare wise sayings; I will speak mysteries from the past --
things we have heard and known
and that our ancestors have passed down to us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but will tell a future generation the praiseworthy acts of the LORD,
his might, and the wondrous works he has performed.
(Psalm 78:1-4 CSB)
How are you passing the wisdom you have been entrusted with down to the next generation? Curiously, we sometimes gripe about a generation’s shortcomings without realizing we have not helped equip those coming behind us.
Our roles will vary. Some work directly with the next generation, while others support remotely. Some offer periodic encouragement, while others receive occasional help that allows a new generation to develop competence. Some mentor; others pray.
I encourage you to find ways to support our young people – youth and children – through encouraging them, volunteering your time, and praying for them. That support may come through a regular childcare role or serving RBC Camp, or it may come through a kind word and a smile to a young person. It must also come while you are on your knees, interceding for this next generation to our Lord.
How great it is that we are invited into generational impact, “that the next generation may know” the Lord!
Your partner in ministry,
Kevin Freeman
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