The following is a post I wrote earlier this week for the wonderful Catalyst blog website. You can visit their site by clicking here. I hope you enjoy and are inspired by it.
As a Christian leader in my mid-40s, I constantly struggle with cynicism. Like many experienced leaders, I have faced multiple disappointments, been lied to often, and have often been bloodied and battered. In addition, my generation must fight the feeling that we have seen it all and done it all.
God never intended for this type of unhealthy thinking.
That is why I love the current NextGen Christian leaders. For a week I sat glued to my laptop watching the Passion 2012 Conference as it streamed online. Never in my life had I witnessed a group of Christ-followers unify in such large numbers around such a horrific cause as the 27 million currently trapped in global slavery. Throughout the week, I found myself literally wiping the cynical tears from my eyes. Young leaders were moving me emotionally.
Then on the final evening, Louie and Shelley Giglio announced the numbers:
• $2,566,670 to end global slavery.
• 36,000 towels and 156,000 pair of socks to stock homeless shelters in the area.
And then he made another announcement that hit me like a ton of bricks, “When a couple in attendance saw the generosity of the people here, they gave an additional $500,000 for a grand total of $3,066,670!” Young leaders were moving the previous generation of adult financial leaders to extravagant generosity. [*Note – the last I’ve heard the number now exceeds $3.3 million!]
When I think about this group of NextGen Christian Leaders, I just want to communicate how proud I am of you. How impressed I am. Our future is in great hands with this generation! The following are just some of the many reasons why:
- It is this generation that I feel when a God-sized vision is placed before them, can accomplish just about anything it sets its heart and mind to.
- It is this generation that made us care about global poverty, clean water, the poor, illiteracy, and the 27 million who are enslaved around the world.
- It is this generation that taught us that worship is not just about music. It is about living a life that is so fully surrendered to Jesus that it serves the forgotten and least among us.
- It is this generation that would rather start a non-profit than a garage band.
- It is this generation that inspires adult financial leaders to give $500,000.
- It is this generation that is returning to a love of the scriptures.
- It is this generation that will settle for only unfiltered truth – both regarding the Bible as well as the needs around the world.
- It is this generation that I love praying for.
- It is this generation that I am privileged to financially resource.
- It is this generation that will lead the churches my grandchildren will grow up in and I will grow old in.
- It is this generation that is making me exchange cynicism for optimism.
- It is this generation that reminded us how to dance.
- It is this generation that was asked to raise $1 million, and did it!
- It is this generation that is re-defining generosity.
That is what I think of this generation of NextGen Christian leaders. What do you think?
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