Oct 1, 2020
By Andy Samuels
Chief Executive Director
SDB Missionary Society
If we’re all honest, we would have to admit that our local church could do with some revitalization; new life, new vigor, new vitality. Of course, all of that comes through and from the Life-Giver himself, the Lord Jesus Christ. But how does it happen?
One of the ways is to seek to engage the young adults in your congregation and create for them an environment which helps them to belong, be purposeful, and be excited about playing their part in furthering the mission of the church as it fulfills the Great Commission.
Specifically, send your young adults this year to the virtual CROSS for the nations conference. It will be live-streamed Tuesday, December 29, and Wednesday, December 30, 2020, for 18-25 year olds. Their motto is, “Make your life count. Make HIS name known.” For a measly $10 per person, your young adults will hear speakers like John Piper, David Platt, Trip Lee, Wayne Chen, and Kevin DeYoung.
John Piper says, “We don’t want to make your life easy, but to make your life count.”
In the plenary sessions of the conference, they will explore the life-changing message of the Lord’s prayer.
According to their website, CROSS exists to mobilize a generation to lay down their lives in pursuit of the glory of Jesus Christ among all the unreached and unengaged peoples of the world.
God’s plan has always been that the name of Jesus would be known in every corner of the world. We all have a part to play in this grand, global story of God—CROSS exists to help you find yours.
Their purpose and philosophy are articulated below:
Purpose—Help everyone play their role in making Jesus’ name known around the world.
Philosophy—
Some Go—Goers cross boundaries to proclaim the name of Jesus where it has never been heard or where there are few Christians.
Some Send—Senders leverage their lives to support goers with prayers, finances, encouragement, and other means.
All are Called—We are all called to give our lives away to make the name of Jesus known around the world. This is the reason God created you, saved you, and calls you. You have a part to play in God’s plan for the world.
Last year, twenty-four people traveled with the Milton Seventh Day Baptist Church to Louisville, KY, January 2-5, 2019, for this missions-focused conference for young adults. “What a blessing it was,” says Micah Crandall, one of the attendees. He indicates that there were 7,500 in attendance experiencing great worship, great preaching, great prayer for the unreached, serving one great God. And here is what is so cool: As a result, nine of the twenty-four are prayerfully considering a call to missions.
If our young adults can be set on fire for the Lord, so can our churches and our congregations.
Listen to Bethany Crandall, another CROSS attendee in 2019: “However messy, often difficult, and mundane the local church can be, she is the bride that Christ has chosen— the means given to keep us, grow us, and glorify God through us.
“Since we can clearly see the importance of the local church, we must directly apply this to missions. Our goal in missions must be the establishment and growth of the church. In making disciples and discipling believers, the church must be the goal. If we are excited about going into the world to bring people to Jesus, but not excited about our local churches, then we are misinformed and misleading those to whom we preach. Likewise, if we are dedicated to the growth and vibrancy of our churches, but not concerned with bringing people to them and sending our members out, we are not fulfilling Christ’s mission for the church. The local church grows, trains, supports, and gives for people to go. It is our duty as the church to teach the importance of missions. It is our duty to provide support and opportunities to members interested in global missions for whatever length of time. It is our duty to encourage the spread of the gospel in the local context as a body and as individual members.
“Invest deeply in your church. Seek mentorship from older members, encourage younger members, give of your gifts and talents freely, and understand that in this you glorify God and honor Christ’s bride. Make it your mission to go out and make disciples, bringing them into the loving community of your church.”
As Jesus has sent us, let’s send our young adults.
