Our Next Generation Theology

The Holy Spirit does not grow with one’s maturity and development. Children and young people do not receive a junior Holy Spirit. They receive the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

“And in the last days it will be,” God says, “that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17)

• The Holy Spirit is for all people. The Holy Spirit does not discriminate against ethnicity or culture. The Holy Spirit does not treat one gender as inferior to the other.
• The Holy Spirit descends upon all generations. The Holy Spirit does not reject or withhold from any generation.
• The Holy Spirit ministers to and equips all generations. The Holy Spirit does not marginalize a generation because they lack wisdom and experience.
• The Holy Spirit will continue to be available to all generations. The Holy Spirit is present and in the midst of all generations.
• The promise of the Holy Spirit for the next generation is without limits. The Holy Spirit is for all the future generations. The Holy Spirit’s ministry to the next generation is not confined or restrained.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14)

• The Holy Spirit invites and belongs to all generations. The Holy Spirit is grieved when the church restrains and restricts any generation.

We should encourage children and young people to be open to the Holy Spirit, not only to be baptized in the Spirit, but to be used by Him.

• We define emerging leaders as those awakening to the call of God on their lives.
• Anyone can minister, but not everyone can lead.
• Are we looking at what they can do, or are we concerned with who they are?
• Is our focus to do ministry, or to develop them into effective leaders?
• There is leadership potential in every young person.
• Everyone can learn to be a better leader.

Theology of the Next Generation

The Holy Spirit does not grow with one’s maturity and development. Children and young people do not receive a junior Holy Spirit. They receive the same Holy Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

Vision of the Next Generation

• The vision is not for them. It’s for YOU!
• You are the leader. Lead them!
• You can do what no technology can. You can lead the next generation of leaders.
• It will require that we move beyond a mere “welcome” to pastoral events and more investment in their development as leaders.
• If we don’t act now, when will we?
• We must prepare the emerging leaders for the future. This preparation requires relationships.

Audio clip below :: Pastor Andrew Victor shares his story and his heart for the next generation of leaders. Outline above is taken from his talk for the Emerging Leaders workshop. Recorded on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at the Native Pastors and Leaders Summit (PAOC BC/YT Aboriginal Ministries).

A fundamental principle of all cultures is that there is nothing as constant as change. As salt and light, Christians ought to play their part in that change. God is already at work in cultures. Christians need to enter the cultures and work for change from within. Jesus Christ commanded,

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Therefore, the Christian becomes an agent of change whether he likes it or not. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is tied to no one culture and allows the individual to transcend his own culture. This does not in any way imply that we must attempt to establish a “Christian culture.” It is not a call to a particular set of social relations or to a particular cultural bias. Rather, it leads to a specific culture being transformed by the work of grace within the hearts and lives of the Christians living within the culture. No cultural bias is untouched by the unconventional ideas of the gospel. This means that Christians must “learn to live spiritually transformed lives within the context of their community and culture” (Lingenfelter, Agents of Transformation).

A person’s life is not truly Christian unless it implies a radical change, both for the individual and the culture. The Christian organizes one’s life around the Word of God and obedience to the commands of the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are not to make a new “Christian culture,” but rather, transform the existing culture.

You can use any reading plan you would like. However, you are encouraged to read the Bible based on where you are at in your spiritual journey. Pick a completion date that will challenge you. A fast pace gives a better overview. It also helps to make better use of your reading time. You are encouraged to skim through sections that are repetitive or exceptionally technical, particularly in the Old Testament. You can pay closer attention the next time through.

You could also download ReadingPlanner to make your own Bible reading plans.

Bible Team-Reading

Reading the Bible in community assists in understanding, rather than trying to figure things out on your own. Also, it provides accountability and encouragement to read on a consistent basis. This constant, direct exposure to the Bible is what leads to substantial spiritual growth.

Team-reading is a highly dynamic and different approach to reading the Bible. It involves a simple agreement with a small group to read the Bible, and simply report to each other what they’ve read.

The rules are simple. We meet once a week. We read verses that we’ve underlined or journaled in our reading for the week. Each of us has 15 minutes to review as much as he can – there’s never enough time for all the verses. Then we share requests and pray.

Meeting weekly helps keep us accountable to the commitment we’ve made. Underlining or journaling helps us concentrate better on what we’re reading and demonstrates our “homework” to each other. There is no obligation to teach – we just read aloud our selected passages to one another.

What If I Fall Behind?

The dates are a goal to challenge you. The purpose is to read the Bible for flow in the same way we might read any good book: whenever time offers itself. That way you will look at a free evening or Saturday morning as a “chance” to read, not as a requirement in order to meet the daily increment. We encourage you to read the Bible at your own personal pace.