Where are the young people in missions?
By Chandelle Body — Looking around the crowd at Missions Fest Seattle, I was struck forcefully by something. I arrived around 9:30 in the morning on Saturday and left nearly 12 hours later, so I saw most of the people who attended the convention. About 75% of them were over the age of 50. More than half were probably over 65.
Now, I don’t want to minimize the role that our parents and grandparents play in missions work. They are probably some of the biggest supporters (especially in regards to prayer — or is that just a stereotype?) of mission work in general. That is wonderful. But that means that in 20-30 years … who on earth will be supporting missions?
Now maybe you’re thinking, “Well, when I’m old and gray, I’ll have the time and interest to attend a missions conference, whatever that is.” And that sounds plausible, doesn’t it? But I don’t think that will really be the case. I think the majority of the people I saw attending that Missions Fest have been attending similar conventions for decades.
A lot of young people assume that their priorities will magically change when they reach 45. Maybe 55? The older I get, the more I realize that older people aren’t that different from young people, except on the outside. They are, essentially, the same people they were when they were in their 30s and 40s. Maybe wiser, maybe more foolish, probably more sweet or sour than before. Their priorities, however, are the same as they were before.
So, fellow young Christians, my challenge is this: Go home, switch your phone to silent, and look in the mirror for a moment. Don’t look at your wrinkles, your pores, or your hair. Look at yourself and be honest as you ask yourself this question: “When will I make God’s work a priority? Have I even thought about working/volunteering/giving with a mission agency/local outreach/rescue mission?”
I’m not asking you to quit your job and move to Africa. I’m not saying you need to give 50% of your income to missions/outreaches. Start small! Start by attending your church’s missions service or conference. Maybe give 2% to your church mission fund. Pray for a missionary you know and let them know that you did (they will appreciate it more than you know – loneliness is a big struggle for them). Start small—but start now! And maybe I’ll even see you at Mission Fest next year …
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