By Larry Rosenbaum
I was saved in 1970 during the “Jesus Movement.” Most of those involved in this movement were in their teens and early 20’s. We were filled with a zeal for God and a passion to reach the lost. This movement brought hundreds of thousands of people into God’s kingdom.
We may be seeing signs of a new “Jesus Movement” among today’s youth. In September 2000, about 400,000 Christian youth gathered for a fasting, prayer, and repentance rally in Washington DC called “The Call.” A second rally on September 22, 2001 in Boston (just 11 days after the terrorist attacks) drew 50,000 young people.
We are seeing an increased interest in evangelism and missions among youth leaders and Christian youth. Each year, tens of thousands of Christian teens participate in mission trips in the inner cities of the U.S. and in other nations. Ministries such as “Teen Mania” have been very effective in mobilizing youth for missions.
Young people have energy and enthusiasm. They are not afraid to be radical. They have plenty of free time, especially in the summer. They need to see that Christianity is more than sitting quietly during church services and being entertained at youth group. We have the important and difficult challenge of reaching the world for Jesus. Those youth who have had a true encounter with the living God will be willing to take up this challenge.
The primary responsibility of a youth leader is to evangelize and then disciple the young people he (or she) is working with. Evangelism training is an important part of the discipleship process. SOS-San Francisco provides an ideal opportunity for youth outreach. We have worked with many youth groups during our summer SOS outreaches and throughout the year. Hundreds of young people have been inspired to live a radical evangelistic lifestyle. Many are still involved in evangelism and missions. Last week I received an e-mail from Eric. He participated in our second SOS outreach in 1981. He came on a bus with a team from “Christ for the Nations” in Dallas. He is still involved in street ministry in Illinois.
Youth groups that come to SOS join with other Christians who are serious about preaching the gospel. We have great times of worship, practical training in evangelism, and opportunities for hands-on experience. This year we will be inviting youth leaders to speak at our meetings. We want youth worship groups to lead worship at our meetings and on the streets. We also will be scheduling youth mime and drama teams for street outreaches.
We need your help. Please talk to the youth leader at your church. Tell him (or her) about SOS-San Francisco, give him some of our literature, and encourage him to bring a team to this summer’s outreach.
