I was asked to present at a ICWM Roundtable in late August on the topic “The Next Generation: Are We Missing the Boat? A look at the next generation and what we need to do to equip them.”
As I was preparing for the event, New Life Church Kelowna, was going through a heart wrenching transition in leadership. (See The Power of Forgiveness). David Ruis, a founding pastor of New Life, preached the Sunday before I left for
“I can see Main Street, and I can see hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of people with their hands in the air and they’re twisting and turning and all praising and adoration is going up to God and prayer. I see us all marching, the whole congregation, we are marching, but we are not just marching. Each person has someone on their shoulders and someone on their shoulders and someone on their shoulders. It’s like this is the foundation of a huge ministry that will touch the world. This is a foundation. This is a foundation. You must listen to my Spirit, you must do all the things that I tell you, you must move in the direction that I tell you to go. You must pray for unity, for solidity and stability, for this is the foundation for a huge outpouring of my Spirit and many, many, many, in the world will ride on the shoulders of this movement that is starting right now.”
This word reflects the calling for New Life to mobilize for global mission. If you visit our sanctuary you will notice it is surrounded by flags. These flags represent various nations where members of our congregation have ministered. (See If Mission is What the Local Church is There For, New Life Church Kelowna Serves as a Model).
As I reflected on Ruis’ message and prayed for the upcoming presentation at the Roundtable, I thought about those standing on my shoulders. I represent the ground level of the congregation. Upon my shoulders is the “next” level, or the “next generation”.
The question I was asking God is how am I providing them the foundation for their calling? How am I facilitating the stability and the solidity so that they can march forward?
His answer to me was “It’s not about the next generation following you into the future, Mike. It is about you following them into the future!”
“What do you mean, Lord?” I asked.
He answered, “You want to equip them for ministry, right?”
“Yes Lord, I do” I replied.
“So are you going to equip them for what I have called YOU to do OR are you going to equip them for what I have called THEM to do?”
“Well, I suppose I want to equip them for what you are calling them to do.
“Exactly, they are on your shoulders. They have been called by me to be the future of my church. Are they following you into the future or are you following them?”
“I am following them, Lord!”
“Okay, so ask them what I am calling them to, equip them, facilitate them, and provide them the unity, the solidity and the stability so that they can lead my church into the future.”
“Amen! Yes, Lord! Show me how I pray!”
So his direction has been for me to connect with the next generation, make myself available to them, begin the empowerment process as to how I can best be the shoulders for them to stand on so they can go forward into God’s future.
This morning was my first opportunity. A friend of mine and I met for breakfast with my 18 year old son, Ben, my nephew (in the Lord), Lumuno Mutungu (also 18) and their friend Jeff (17) for a conversation about faith.
It went well. We asked questions. We shared stories. We connected. So I think we are off to a good start.
