The Future of the Church— and the World— Will Be Decided by Who Reaches the Next Generation
It’s often said that churches once led society, and as often lamented that they do not now. Maybe they did once, maybe somewhere. And maybe they still do in some ways. It’s easy to criticize.
But it is true that more and more people think churches are, at best, irrelevant— a terribly sad indictment. The real Church will be both praised (by those who see its beauty) and persecuted (by those who fear its power). But irrelevant? That’s lukewarm.
And worst of all, many young people don’t even know the Church. They can’t say if it’s good, bad, or irrelevant. But here’s an insight to deal with: Young people feel much the same way about life in the world – life outside the church.
Many people – young and old – openly admit they are part of the worst mental health crisis in history. They would also report that they don’t struggle with things like “broken marriages” because there is little expectation that marriages (and most relationships) would last. The waning significance of churches coincides with tectonic instability in the world (hmm, maybe they are related…).
This post-modern, post-Christian world can be a sad, lonely one. And the pace of change today can be dizzying and destabilizing. Word has it that April 11, 1954, was the most boring day in history; hardly anything “newsworthy” happened. There are no boring news days now! It’s downright disorienting trying to maintain a healthy perspective with the flood of information about all that’s changing and occurring.
Both the world and the church are losing the hearts and minds of young people. That’s bad for both, because youth matter. Youth have vision, energy, confidence, brains. They are risk takers, dreamers, and believers, and throughout history, they lead movements and change. Whoever wins young people, wins everything.
It is often said that the “real” Church must both train its existing members and be on a mission to make new disciples; that the two complement each other, require each other, and develop each other. The missional piece is the hard one, and the one most neglected. Boy With A Ball has found that young people are the key to the missional calling; we urge churches to have their youth engage in local outreach.
Young People have a Church Problem, not a Jesus Problem
Jesus’ method of reaching the world was simple: He reached young people, trained them, and sent them out. The movement He started has grown to include one-third of the world's population in just 2,000 years. Even today, Christianity grows fastest in countries with the youngest populations.
Today’s churches have often reacted to cultural shifts by turning inward, sometimes making the strategic decision to retreat “to fight another day” and sometimes simply neglecting the biblical call to “go and make disciples” (Matt 28:19). This decision is terminal. Not only will churches fail to get in on what Jesus is doing in their communities, it is the fastest way to turn young people off from church. Youth want action.
Young people have always been the essential ingredient to societal change. Why? Because they possess the potential, specific design, and critical characteristics necessary to change the entire world. They are more willing to take risks, more open to creative, innovative ideas, more agile to step into change. And they are longing (intensely) to do something worthwhile and purposeful with their one, emerging life. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. mobilized over 100,000 young people under 25 during the Civil Rights Movement. Gandhi mobilized over a million youth towards liberating India from colonial oppression.
It is tempting for every adult generation to believe that young people are apathetic and disconnected. But this is far from true. Young people are not drawn to dead or lifeless things; they powerfully reject the structures and traditions that make faith feel passive and detached from real life. They want Jesus and to give their lives to movements. Our inability to reach young people’s hearts is an indicator that our own hearts and practices are not His.
Today, young people are frustrated by what they experience within local churches— sitting in a building to passively consume content rather than going out to live their faith and make a difference. The current generation of youth values action above words. Consumers of constant content, they are inundated by sound, opinions, thoughts, and words. Much of it is scary, angry, fearful, condescending, or overstated. As a result, young people are quick to reject the harsh language and cultural war language many churches employ. They are, instead, desperate to believe in and follow Jesus out into action.
Young people do not have a Jesus problem—they have a church problem. In many cases, the church has failed to adapt. Instead of offering a dynamic, purpose-driven faith, it has often presented a static, institution-centered religion. Churches that have moved away from Jesus’ mission to make disciples and reach the lost are experiencing decline. No amount of beautiful auditoriums, talented musicians, or innovative programs can cover the fact that the heart of the mission has been lost. Where churches embrace Jesus’ model of action-oriented discipleship, young people flock to the movement.
The Next Generation in Danger of Becoming a Lost Generation
While churches struggle to engage young people, the enemy is actively working to destroy them. Throughout history, when God has raised up a generation to lead His people, the enemy sought to eliminate them before they could rise. Sadly, parents and social media providers are often allies in this destruction.
When God prepared Moses to lead His people out of Egypt, Pharaoh issued an edict calling for all male Hebrew babies to be killed. Yet, by God’s providence, Moses survived and was raised in Pharaoh’s own palace before stepping into his calling.
In the first pages of the gospels, the story happens again: As God prepared to send His Son, Jesus, to be born of the virgin, Mary. This time the enemy moved in the heart of King Herod who ordered the killing of all male children under the age of two in the Bethlehem area. This event is known as the Massacre of the Innocents. (Matthew 2:13-15)
The enemy’s tactics have not changed. Today, there are 1.8 billion young people in the world— the largest youth population in history. Many of them are struggling to survive. If you lift up a manhole cover in Mexico City, you will find the faces of street children packed into the sewers. In Brazil, law enforcement is ordered to exterminate children in favelas, Brazilian Slums. One out of every two children are born into poverty, and three out of four of them will die in poverty. Every two seconds, someone is forced to leave their home due to war, persecution, or natural disaster. More than half of refugee youth miss out on formal education. Globally, one in seven youth suffer from a mental disorder, and every 11 seconds, a young person commits suicide.
The enemy is attacking this generation relentlessly. Indeed, this satanic attack is an affirmation of the value of young people. The suffering they experience goes far deeper than what a church program or a Sunday sermon can address. They are desperate for hope, for purpose, for someone to fight for them. And while the enemy works tirelessly to destroy them, the church must rise to reach them.
A Road to Joy: The Path Forward
The situation is dire, but it is not without hope. It is perplexing, but we do not despair. The One who is always working, always on the move, is inviting us to go with Him. He continues to say, “Follow Me!”
If we step outside our buildings to go, we will become central to the lives of a next generation of changemakers. Youth have the time, the passion, the physical strength, and the desire to go to the world’s hardest to reach neighborhoods and to participate in what God is doing there. We see this time and time again.
Every Boy With a Ball team around the world relies centrally on young people to go out into their cities' most hurting neighborhoods and play their part in “turning the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). We call this Love Your City. In order for a young person to grow in their character and discover their purpose, they need three tools: a coach, a team, and a playing field. Alongside faith-filled leaders of every age (coaches), our young people (teams) go out into slums, refugee camps, and overlooked apartment complexes (playing fields) looking to serve, love, and innovate within the community to help the residents rise. It works because they find Jesus. Many times, young people go out who are not believers, but they get to know Him as they are put in situations that require His help and hope.
Yes, these youth will quickly find that they are not ready, not up to the task and that still, in their weakness, He is made strong. May these young changemakers find leaders from the church who find, love, and help them as they go.
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Are you a leader looking to reach the next generation in your church? Let’s set up a call to learn how we can best serve you in reaching young people in your local contexts.
