by Jon Konnerup
As is the case in all organizations, BBFI missionaries are aging and the key to the growth of our future mission force is found among the young people in our churches. The students in our churches need to be made aware of the opportunities around the world to serve God and that He can and wants to use them.
Students today are not like students of the past. Their world is different. In the past, the mentality was “do one thing and do it well.” Today they may have three or more different careers before they retire. This generation is also very relationship oriented and likes to be a part of a team. They look for advice and seek adult direction for service in the world. They listen to adults whose lives they respect, who admit their failures, who tell the truth, and who treat them with sincerity. They respond better when confronted with truth and challenged radically to make a difference.
Given these characteristics, we must encourage them to integrate missions into the world in which they already live; they don’t have to wait until they are approved missionaries. We must encourage our student ministry pastors to mobilize this generation by letting them be actively involved in ministries through their church today. Today’s students appreciate mentors who are veteran missionaries. The older generations have the information as to what problems to watch for and the new generations have the creative ideas to get the job done. The older generations have an abundance of wisdom and experience from which the younger generations need to draw.
Encouragement is necessary, but equipping the next generation to carry out the Great Commission is also vital. This equipping extends beyond their formal training; it begins at home and through their local church.
One of the ways that our office is striving to equip the next generation of mission-minded students is by serving local churches, their leaders, and their students. We believe that if more young people experience missions, then more young people will be inspired to be involved in missions both today and into the future. We are currently working with a team of mission-minded youth pastors to create online mission resources for youth leaders and their students, as well as different youth mission series for teaching on missions. We also want to provide free access to inspiring videos and stories about opportunities for young people to be involved in missions around the world. There are many opportunities for missions and we want young people to get passionate about reaching our world today so that they will be willing to go to the field tomorrow.
These younger generations want to be shown how to make a difference, not just that there is a need. They need a sense of direction to channel their strategies and efforts. All this said, we must work together to fulfill the Great Commission, and it can be done through the churches of the BBFI. Are we up to the challenge?