The Urgency of Reaching the Next Generation

In the race to a childs heart...the first one there wins.

George Barna
We are in a race.
How are we doing? Inside the church
Stats show kids dropping out of church
33% of pastors kids walk away from the faith
Katy Perry. Marie Claire magazine she said, I dont believe in a heaven or a hell
or an old man sitting on a throne. I believe in a higher power bigger than me
because that keeps me accountable. She added, I believe in a lot of astrology.
I believe in aliens. I look up into the stars and I imagine: How self-important are
we to think that we are the only life-form?
Miley Cyrus. Daughter of singer and actor Billy Ray Cyrus. She was raised on a
500 acre farm outside of Nashville. Miley grew up in a Southern Baptist Church,
made a profession of faith and was baptized. In her early teenage years, she
wore a purity ring.
Her personal pilot said the young star had a sincere faith and moral convictions.
He felt confident she would not trade her character for fame.
At age 11, Miley auditioned for a new Disney Channel television series about a
schoolgirl with a secret double life as a teen pop star. She received the lead
position and Hannah Montana premiered in 2006. The show quickly ranked
among the highest-rated series on cable. This propelled Miley to teen idol status.
Through her Hannah Montana years, she maintained a kid-friendly image for the
most part. But as she grew out of this role, she quickly began to distance herself
from the squeaky clean image with risque performances, drugs and blatant
immorality.
Miley has turned her back on the Bible truths she was taught as a child. She is
very vocal about where she stands in matters of faith. Here are some of her
quotes.
"I am literally open to every single thing that is consenting and doesn't involve an
animal and everyone is of age. Everything that's legal, I'm down with. Yo, I'm
down with any adultanyone over the age of 18 who is down to love me. I don't
relate to being boy or girl, and I don't have to have my partner relate to boy or
girl."

"You are all stardust. You couldn't be here if stars hadn't exploded, because the
elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, all the things that matter for evolution)
weren't created at the beginning of time. They were created in stars. So forget
Jesus. Stars died so you can live."
Outside the Church Nones
"Nones" are people that self-identify as atheists or agnostics, as well as those
who say their religion is nothing in particular."
Boomers 14%
32% Millennials
Gen Z - ?
There used to be this view that there was a religious life cycle, that when you got
older and married and had kids you got more active in organized religion. But
that doesnt seem to be happening. In the past 20 years, we really havent seen
a lot of evidence of that cycle continuing.
David Hout, Professor at NYU
The Urgency of Reaching the Next Generation
How?
STAY FOCUSED
Keep an outward focus.
Luke 19:10 Son of man came to seek and save that which was lost
His heart beats for the lost families of your community
2 Peter 3:9 not willing that any should perish
By October of this year the earths population will reach over 7 billion. That
means in the next 100 years over 7 billion people will die and spend eternity
somewhere.
Reach out in the community
Meet families where they are and love them to Jesus.
s Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax
collectors booth. Follow me, he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthews house, many tax collectors and
sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw
this, they asked his disciples, Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and
sinners?

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the
sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice.[a] For I
have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
Matthew 9:9-13
Luke 19:5-10 (Zacchaeus)
When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, Zacchaeus, come
down immediately. I must stay at your house today. 6 So he came down at once
and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, He has gone to be the guest of a
sinner.
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, Look, Lord! Here and now I give
half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of
anything, I will pay back four times the amount.
9 Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because this man,
too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the
lost.
Luke 7:34 (friend of sinners)
4 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, Here is a glutton and
a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.
Luke 14:15-24 (parable of banquet)
-things going well in life
-reach people when they are down on luck
-where spiritually sick families find help not a museum where perfect families are
on display.
STAY RELEVANT
-keep looking and evaluating
-change what doesnt work
-not 1980, not 1990, not 2005
study and know the culture
STAY PASSIONATE