To summarize the current landscape, two key elements emerge: boldness among Christians and hunger among non-Christians.
Foto: [link]Leslie Jones[/link], Unsplash CC0.
Isaiah 54:1-3 serves as a prophetic image for Europe, depicting a barren woman bursting into song and expanding her tent to accommodate more children. This resonates with Europe's current state, where there is potential for growth and unity in creating spaces for the next generation.
Statistics underscore the urgency: 38% of Millennials are leaving the church, 52% of teens never read religious scripture, and only 11% of young people in Europe are committed to following Jesus.
Despite these challenges, there is immense potential among young people, with 80% of Christians deciding to follow Jesus before the age of 18.
The Talking Jesus research from 2022 shows that personal connections and Scripture significantly influence young people's faith journeys, highlighting the importance of engaging with them authentically and sharing the good news.
To summarize the current landscape, two key elements emerge: boldness among Christians and hunger among non-Christians. We are witnessing a 'bold remnant' of committed young Christians who, despite the challenges of the pandemic, wars, and cancel culture, have remained steadfast in their faith.
[destacate]There is immense potential among young people, with 80% of Christians deciding to follow Jesus before the age of 18 [/destacate]This resilience highlights the significant impact of maintaining their commitment to the Church during such turbulent times. For young Christians today, openly identifying as part of the Church is a monumental declaration.
Movements like Revive Europe and The SEND demonstrates that these young Christians are fully committed.
Furthermore, there is a profound spiritual hunger among those unfamiliar with God. This generation, more spiritually aware than ever, is searching for meaning.
The success of The Way in bringing people to faith online is unprecedented, with younger individuals creating and sharing content that resonates deeply with their peers.
This phenomenon mirrors the great catch described in Luke 5, where numerous young people are drawn to faith, often independently seeking out churches, reading the Bible, or crying out to God.
As someone once insightfully questioned, 'Is Europe post-Christian or pre-revival?' The answer lies in recognizing this period as an extraordinary opportunity, potentially the most significant since the Reformation.
I see Generation Z and Generation Alpha as "blank pages" rather than "burnt pages."
Although these generations may have misconceptions about the church, they are generally open and seeking authenticity.
[destacate]Joining this grace revolution is an incredible opportunity, as integrating the pre-Christian context with diaspora churches is profoundly impactful [/destacate]This openness necessitates a shift in evangelistic approaches, allowing us to introduce and invite people to meet the real, radical, life-changing Jesus.
Joining this grace revolution is an incredible opportunity, as integrating the pre-Christian context with diaspora churches is profoundly impactful.
The diaspora church, mainly from MENA (Middle East & North Africa) regions, plays a crucial role in shaping the young church in Europe. With significant migration, diaspora churches are growing and diversifying the Christian landscape.
This trend underscores the importance of addressing socio-political issues like migration and climate change from a Christian perspective, aligning with the compassion of Jesus and the passions of younger generations.
To accelerate the trajectory of Christianity in the next generation, we must recognize and address specific challenges:
1. Own truth vs. post-truth culture: Younger generations build truth in a 'pick n mix' way, valuing personal experiences. In a mutual respect culture, individuals accept each other's truths.
However, when a young Christian declares, "I know 'the truth' [the way and the life], his name is Jesus," they often face the severity of cancel-culture. This situation highlights their struggle to find a more effective apologetic approach.
Yet, in an experience-driven culture, perhaps a direct introduction to Jesus and personal encounters with Him may prove more powerful than traditional apologetics.
2. Cancel culture: Being a Jesus follower is challenging in today's cancel culture, necessitating a strong apologetic and experiential approach to faith.
3. Social justice causes: Engaging with young people's passions, such as climate change and social justice can demonstrate that these issues are central to God's heart.
This engagement can prevent young people from detaching from the church and instead encourage them to lead in areas they are passionate about. The church must ask itself what Jesus cares about and ensure that its actions and values resonate with the younger generation.
4. Harassed, helpless, and hopeless: Addressing the needs of younger generations with compassion and understanding. In Matthew 9:38, Jesus sees the people's needs and has compassion for them, teaching us to extend compassion beyond our understanding.
As followers, we must also embrace this compassionate approach towards others.
5. Understanding their loss: Acknowledge the significant life experiences younger people have missed in recent years.
If we want to know more of what God is birthing in Europe, then we need to raise our the level of our ‘Kavanah’, this ancient Jewish word meaning ‘the awareness of the presence and purpose of God’ - so how do we raise ours so that we are more aware of what God is up to and how we join in with Him more?!
Dan Randall, Nxt Move team co-leader for Europe, senior leader of Life Church Lancashire and a director of The Way.
[analysis]
[title]Join us to make EF sustainable[/title]
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[text]At Evangelical Focus, we have a sustainability challenge ahead. We invite you to join those across Europe and beyond who are committed with our mission. Together, we will ensure the continuity of Evangelical Focus and our Spanish partner Protestante Digital in 2025.
Learn all about our #TogetherInThisMission initiative here (English).
[/text][/analysis]
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