"Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth for the Lord has spoken ; I have nourished and brought up sons and have made them great and exalted, and they have rebelled against me and broken away from me. The Ox instinctively knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib ; but Israel does not know or recognized
INTRODUCTION
Any generation that failed to capture the interest of her youth risks her future and her cultural heritages. The fate of every generation therefore, relies heavily on the shoulder strap of their young ones.
"Many churches define youth as 'the church of tomorrow' meaning that youth will inherit leadership roles from adults. This definition is a mistake that has serious ramifications. Youth are the church of today, along with other age groups, and every level of church can profit from including youth in the decision - making arena. "
PROLOGUE
No church is as universal and primitive as the Roman Catholic Church, yet she has been able to convince and keep her young people intact. Jehovah witness moment of all religious sects has been widely criticized, yet she has never at any time lose the confidence of her youth. They remained her greatest strength and workforce. What is their secret?
What did Al-Qaeda promised young Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, that motivated him to attempt to blow up an American Airlines over Detroit on 25/12/ 2009 (Christmas day)? Abdulmutallab, was just 23, a promising young man, two masters already to his credit, from a rich background, the future was already at his finger tips yet he dared death. His actions was not base on frustration but on passion. He has been made to believe in something that he felt was better dying for. Hmm!
What did Borno born Yusuf Muhammad the late leader of an Islamic zealots, Boko Haram promised thousands of Hausa youths that they are willing to die for? For more than a decade now, they have remain deviants (public enemies) attempting to destroy Western civilization with Western made weapons. Hmm! Still asking. It must be something real to them. Something beyond the scope of the unknown. Something they must lay down their own interests and life for. And they are damming the consequence and have kept faith with their late leaders. Don't tell me they are brainwashed, no, no, no. The are convinced about it.
THE CRY OF AG YOUTH
On this note I welcome you to the Assemblies of God, Nigeria youth ministries, founded in the year 1991,about 27 years ago. The ministry has developed over the years from being a merely group that meets weekly to pray to become a group which is proactive and innovative. It is now a strong arm of the church that should not be taken for granted.
The church is indebted to this ministry. She should not assume all is well because we have eyes and we are seeing, and ears are hearing. The church should not stay aloof to the plight of the young people especially going by this new trend. Today we are more divided than ever. It is so disheartening how we have been made to quarrel in the public. And take sides among our leaders.
We have been made to abuse one another even our hallowed leaders. Because when two elephants fought the grass suffers. This crisis is hitting us much because we are the people who use the Internet most , we are getting confused. We want to stay but odds are against us. We have lost our pride. In those days when we tell our friends we are Ag, we rise our heads up.
The church is indebted to this ministry. She should not assume all is well because we have eyes and we are seeing, and ears are hearing. The church should not stay aloof to the plight of the young people especially going by this new trend. Today we are more divided than ever. It is so disheartening how we have been made to quarrel in the public. And take sides among our leaders.
We have been made to abuse one another even our hallowed leaders. Because when two elephants fought the grass suffers. This crisis is hitting us much because we are the people who use the Internet most , we are getting confused. We want to stay but odds are against us. We have lost our pride. In those days when we tell our friends we are Ag, we rise our heads up.
THE CHURCH REPLIES
Have we raised children who have lost respect for their elders? Children who are not interested in what we believed, who questions and doubt what we stand for? Have we reared children that doesn't love us anymore? You call us obsolete and archaic, a system you don't fit in. By the way young people, do you even offer us hope at all ? Are we older than Catholic and Anglican but their youth are not complaining let alone criticizing them in the public like you do on daily basis. Is AG the only church in crisis?
Study church history, crisis is not strange to the Church of Jesus Christ. Don't you know you are leaders of this church today. We must hand you over a healthy church. Not a contaminated church. This crisis is more about you than it is about us, not about anyone either but about the soul of Assemblies of God, church. However, What does future holds for Ag if you young people don't stay and make it happen? What is the reason for this mass exodus of our matured and resourceful Youths to other churches , the church asked.
WHO IS TO BE BLAMED
The youth say they are the victims. The pastors accuse the youths of rebellion, rascality and insubordination. The deacons say the youth are introducing strange fire. The youths complain about the adults primitivity, the adults murmur about numerous giving in the Church. Yes, something is definitely wrong but must we we run away? If we leave in the day of adversity our strength is but small. We GS said, we are too old to change church
THE CHALLENGE
Today, the greatest challenge before the generals, the EC and general council is to ensure the end of this crisis rocking the church. It has been over stretched and over emphasized. It is to make policies that would accommodate young people. It is to live by examples. The issue is not about who is at fault but about what we must sacrifice for peace to return in our beloved church. Secondly, we must of a matter of urgency review our approach to youth ministries.
For instance, we tell them to wait for their time, that it's turn by turns whereas in other churches where they run to they are used as assets. We tell them to come back and see us whenever they are ready to sit down and listen. But outside there, they are part of board meetings. They tell them, you have sat down enough, listened enough, come, join us and work. We tend to suppress their talents but out there, they celebrate them. We're good at nurturing amateurs but are we good in retaining the nurtured (professional) .
For instance, we tell them to wait for their time, that it's turn by turns whereas in other churches where they run to they are used as assets. We tell them to come back and see us whenever they are ready to sit down and listen. But outside there, they are part of board meetings. They tell them, you have sat down enough, listened enough, come, join us and work. We tend to suppress their talents but out there, they celebrate them. We're good at nurturing amateurs but are we good in retaining the nurtured (professional) .
LIFE is teaching young people that success is not turn by turns but team work, smart work, commitment and service. The youths say to the church of today," give us tasks and watch us perform it, correct us when we go wrong "
Why is CASOR still very much effective Para - ministry arm of the church today which has raised many sons to glory? Isn't because young people are allowed to lead themselves. History shows that greatest revivals ever known in the church were pioneered by young people who were well guided by spiritual and understanding elders. (2 chronicles 26:5)
We should know that faith is no longer taught but caught. You can teach children faith but you must create a program that allows youths to catch faith by exposing them to the practical ministry. No doubt we have the best doctrine ever developed by man but do we have the best practices?
Here is the fundamental questions, when do we start to lose the confidence of our young people, @ what age? At the prime of their youthfulness, after we have finish nurturing them. The moment they caught the fire and ready to explore the grace of God we turn them to our rivals instead to be happy we start making rules without love to cage them, unknowingly to us we lose them.
Here is the fundamental questions, when do we start to lose the confidence of our young people, @ what age? At the prime of their youthfulness, after we have finish nurturing them. The moment they caught the fire and ready to explore the grace of God we turn them to our rivals instead to be happy we start making rules without love to cage them, unknowingly to us we lose them.
THE YOUTH CRIES AGAIN, WE WANT STAY BECAUSE NOW GOD HAS GIVEN US PROACTIVE AND SUPPORTIVE FATHERS
As I listened to plight of this young people both those who have gone out, those about leaving and the Ag 4 Life lifers, I smell an inner, deeper and undisclosed love for Ag. I hear them say we want to stay if we are assured of a desirable future, and if we are giving opportunities to groom and maximize our potentials. We are ready to make things happen if we are included. We to be heard, we to be celebrated at home too.
We want influence the service without having to lead it. We want to stay if we can found people with credibility to mentor us, men who had succeeded in versus field of endeavours. We can stay if we can found faith with substances, love with action,prayers with results, fathers with experience and good examples. If we can found holy ghost power, life with glory.
We want to stay if our pastors would dismiss service on time and still impact our souls . We want to if we can found youth like us as our pastors with strength, vigor, energy like us. We want stay if our leaders can correct us in love without lowering the standard. We want to stay because We all love AG.
We want influence the service without having to lead it. We want to stay if we can found people with credibility to mentor us, men who had succeeded in versus field of endeavours. We can stay if we can found faith with substances, love with action,prayers with results, fathers with experience and good examples. If we can found holy ghost power, life with glory.
We want to stay if our pastors would dismiss service on time and still impact our souls . We want to if we can found youth like us as our pastors with strength, vigor, energy like us. We want stay if our leaders can correct us in love without lowering the standard. We want to stay because We all love AG.
MY ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE
Hey, young people, do you know that before Abraham Jesus was. Do you know that obedience is better than sacrifice and rebellion is worse than the sin of witch craft. Do you know that there can't be a Joshua without a Moses, or an Elisha without Elijah or a Samuel without an Eli? Do you know that the man who started cooking before you have older pots.
Do you know that what an elder sees while sitting, that a young person may not see even when he /she climb an Iroko tree. Why all this rush? How are we sure we are not running faster than our shadows. Look here, zeal without knowledge will lead to untimely death and anointing without experience is accident waiting to happen. Did the Bible encourage us to watch and pray. Hope you still remember our memory verse: Let no man despise your youth but be you an example of believers in words, in conduct , in love , in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Stop rejecting our identity? Stop criticizing what you can't change. Someone has carefully observed that the greatest critics of Ag are her membership. Church is like a shoe, you don't pull it out because it's hurting. Church is like parents you don't determine them. God placed you here, this is where you belong outside here you're a stranger and an intruder. Even when you leave, Ag blood is still in you. Guys, God knows why we're born or raised in AG, is for us to be the change we are in dire need of . Our leaders love us, we must believe in them and in the destiny of this church. Ag 4 life. Writing for the love of God and AG.
Do you know that what an elder sees while sitting, that a young person may not see even when he /she climb an Iroko tree. Why all this rush? How are we sure we are not running faster than our shadows. Look here, zeal without knowledge will lead to untimely death and anointing without experience is accident waiting to happen. Did the Bible encourage us to watch and pray. Hope you still remember our memory verse: Let no man despise your youth but be you an example of believers in words, in conduct , in love , in spirit, in faith, in purity.
Stop rejecting our identity? Stop criticizing what you can't change. Someone has carefully observed that the greatest critics of Ag are her membership. Church is like a shoe, you don't pull it out because it's hurting. Church is like parents you don't determine them. God placed you here, this is where you belong outside here you're a stranger and an intruder. Even when you leave, Ag blood is still in you. Guys, God knows why we're born or raised in AG, is for us to be the change we are in dire need of . Our leaders love us, we must believe in them and in the destiny of this church. Ag 4 life. Writing for the love of God and AG.
Yours in His Vineyard,
Pastor Maxwell Emesi
0 Comments