Brighter. Braver. Bolder. Younger.

It’s time to listen to a younger voice!

I have been doing youthwork for over half my life, that’s a few years! What continues to blow my mind is the creativity, wisdom and intelligence of the young people I have the joy of doing life with. In our youthwork family we have young people who have preached phenomenal sermons, young people who imagined, planned and created a 24 day video series for advent, we have a young person who is serving the UN and helping them in their conversations about nuclear disarmament, we have young people who write and perform stunning music, young people who spend significant time supporting their friends who are having an extremely challenging time, young people who create, dream and imagine new ways of doing things and an massive array of young people who join us in leading at events and on residential trips.

If these skills and passions were to be utilised by the church the impact for the Kingdom would be mind-blowing, more than that; they would enable a unity and growth not seen in my lifetime.

But yet why as “church” are we still keeping young people on the sidelines and telling them they need to wait until they are older before they can serve in any significant way!?

Do you know the average age of leaders in Europe? No, then let me tell you, it’s 57!!! Also, Donald Trump is 74 and Joe Biden is 78! Other countries world leaders are also pretty old too; Cameroon – 87, Cuba – 86, Philippines – 75, Iran – 71 and Saudi Arabia – 84! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of old people, just look at the 267 Trustees!  Of course God uses all ages, and many Old Testament legends found their calling late in life. But what I want to shout out today is young people, and not just shout them out but encourage you to include them, embrace them and learn from them and their gifts.

Maybe like me you are fans of the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden, she is only 40. The youngest world leader is Sanna Marin in Finland, she is only 35, Sebastian Kurtz is 33 and Chancellor of Austria. I mean Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, is only 37!

So do you have to be ‘old’ to lead, succeed or ‘get involved’? In short, no!

Did you know Louis Braille created Braille reading for the blind when he was 15. Alexander Graham Bell started his invention of the telephone at 18. Trampolines and calculators had teenagers significantly involved in their inception!

Anurudh Ganesan was 16 when he devised a way, using a bicycle, for doctors to refrigerate and transport vaccines without ice or electricity. I mean is that not a beautiful innovation ‘for such a time as this’!

A business website wrote this recently…

“Kids are titans of innovation, from the way they play to the way they create. Despite their short tenure on Earth, we should respect their ability to generate great ideas.

In recent years, some of the brightest young minds have come up with cheap and effective ways to purify water, keep perishable medications cold without electricity, and keep elderly family members safe. These inventions go way beyond macaroni art.”

Nigeria’s population has 60% under 24, the average age is just over 18, 40% are under 14 and half the registered voters under 35! What an exciting opportunity for Nigeria, if the young people are free to get involved and encouraged to lead and innovate.

I read this phrase on Twitter a few weeks ago – “We did not inherit the silence of our parents!” It was said by a young Nigerian and it actually sent chills down my spine, he was talking about the inactivity of his parents in effecting change in Nigeria.

I do not want to be silent about this generation. I ask for forgiveness for my generation if we haven’t listen to young people enough. I am sorry when we haven’t allowed you to use your gifts. I am sorry when we have to chosen to do something ourselves just because it was easier.

Forgive us.

What I will not be is silent! I am going to shout from any platform that I am given, that young people are essential, gifted, creative, wise, gracious and above all, exciting and courageous leaders.

A century ago it seemed that there were a lot of younger voices, both in the church and in society, there were young adults who wanted to get involved in shaping and leading their world. As I read about young Christians, particularly in Japan, stepping out in faith, starting churches and leading significant movements, I found myself being hugely inspired and encouraged. I think we are in this position again but I do not want us to become so deaf to age that we miss out on one of the great opportunities of a lifetime; that this current generation has a significant voice that can lead, create, inspire, save, invent, serve and love. How do we release young people to use their ‘ability to generate great ideas’ and then to give them a platform, and a church, where they can flourish and be a huge blessing. Let us (older people) not be so arrogant that we think we cannot be lead by young people!

David was probably a teenager when he fought Goliath, many of the disciples were teenagers when they embarked on their journey of following Jesus and Esther was probably a teenager when made queen and saved a nation. The bible reminds us not to ‘hinder’ the young or ‘look down’ on them, but to ‘become like them’.

In the Book of Daniel, Chapter 1, we meet Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. They were probably teenagers when they were chosen to stand up for God in a foreign land. This is how the leader of the nation spoke about them…

“The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.”

Daniel 1:19-20

There is absolutely nothing to fear if our young people are ‘ten times better’ than us, actually it should be celebrated, they should be celebrated, they should be encouraged and cheered-on, and then released into the world and onto the church. By doing this we will not only affirm this generation in their calling but we will also help the church to stop dividing itself up into ages and fully live out the ‘one body, one spirit, one hope’ call from Ephesians 4!

I have seen firsthand the benefit of giving young people freedom to serve and lead. We need to be completely comfortable with them leading us. Yes we support, share wisdom, encourage, offer suggestions, but we have to also allow them to experience leading. Through leading they will learn about themselves, other people, ministry, they will learn how to deal with failure and opposition. They will grow and thrive if we create an environment of opportunity, unity, inclusivity and the belief that God can and does use all ages. God I pray my own arrogance, my own insecurities and the need to be the leader/preacher will not get in the way of God using this generation. Forgive me when I choose to do it myself from fear of it ‘not being done as well’!

I believe churches should try and have young people serving in EVERY area of ministry; preaching, leading, hospitality, prayer ministry, church councils, kids work, music, logistics, administration and everything else you can think of.

So as we move into more freedom in 2021 I would seriously challenge you to think about not only what your young people might ‘need’ but also how they can be a central, significant and leading part of our churches, communities and organisations.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Romans 15:4-6 NIV