A recurring theme on this blog has been my concern for the next generation of Christians. But here's a hopeful bit of information. Millennials are being called the “Social Justice Generation” because of their concern for the poor and oppressed. But, as it turns out, not at the expense of spiritual needs. According to Barna research, evangelism by Millennials is on the rise. Faith-sharing of those under 30 increased in 2013, with 2/3's reporting they shared their faith
with a non-believer within the past year (national average 50%). Why the difference?
Having grown up in the age of free-flowing information and
sharing, Millennials value authenticity and transparency. Consequently, he or she will be more compelled to share his or her personal faith than the more private generations before them—Gen-Xers and
Baby Boomers. If the Millennials keep this up, perhaps Jesus will find faith on the earth when He returns (Luke 18:8)!
Yesterday, I read about a ministry called Global Media Outreach (GMO) which presents the gospel online through websites such as WhoisJesus-Really.com and GrowinginChrist.com. Worldwide, over 5,000 cyber missionaries have been trained to respond to online questions by searchers and seekers. The ministry broke a record last year when 687,000 people made decisions for Christ in one day. More than 15 million people have indicated initial decisions for Christ since GMO's founding in 2004.
You may wonder, as I did, how effective this ministry is in securing lasting professions of faith in Jesus. Well, Global Media Outreach recently conducted a survey of those who had made decisions to follow Christ, and over half reported they had subsequently share their faith with others, and that they read their Bibles and pray daily.
Although we often focus on Jesus’ warning about the birth pains that will precede the days before His return, we should not forget that in the same sermon, He said, "this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." (Matt 24:14). Perhaps I have underestimated the positive power of the Internet in God’s plan to evangelize the world! Evidently, many people are “searching” for Jesus.
Having grown up in the age of free-flowing information and
sharing, Millennials value authenticity and transparency. Consequently, he or she will be more compelled to share his or her personal faith than the more private generations before them—Gen-Xers and
Baby Boomers. If the Millennials keep this up, perhaps Jesus will find faith on the earth when He returns (Luke 18:8)!
