Serving Across Generations

STORY BY JOYCE PORTO

During the WMU Vietnamese Gathering of 2022, a panel of young adult women spoke about the joys and challenges they face as second generation Vietnamese in Texas and how the church has responded to their needs. One of the panelists was Rebekah Nguyen, a young leader from the Vietnamese church.

Rebekah has served as a Youth Leader in the Vietnamese Baptist Church of Garland and has been an assistant director for Camp Fusion, one of the ministries of Texas Baptists supported by the Mary Hill Davis Offering®. She is the secretary and the vice-committee chairperson in her church.

For Rebekah, the key spiritual lessons she learned from the senior generation of Vietnamese is the “importance of prayer and how to care for your church family and those who are in need.” She shares that “they are very consistent and committed and I've seen how much it strengthens our church and its ministry. The caring group is amazing at making sure our members and guests have a sense of family and home and that they're not alone.”

The seniors are impacting the lives of the younger generation by sharing their values of unity and faith which makes a difference in the lives of many Millennials and Gen Z who are willing to find community and ways to serve. For them, spirituality plays a huge part in their lives, and discipleship and mentorship are key to touching their hearts. It is more than just being a distant role model. Leadership involves being present. They desire leaders who will teach as they walk alongside, and give ownership to the future generation as they grow spiritually and mature in ministry.

Rebekah mentions that her “church has always emphasized the importance of a strong Bible- based foundation and that everything is first rooted in God's Word. Growing up understanding this has helped me as I'm faced with challenges or when I need spiritual guidance to always lean on His Word.” From generation to generation many things may change, but the Word of the Lord remains. It is the Word of God that provides a common ground between generations.

Rebekah shares that her generation has a unique opportunity as they “have been born in the States so we have great potential and resources to serve God in different ways that our parents may not have been able to.” Like Rebekah, many young adults see the opportunities God has given them to impact their own generation and transform the world for Christ.

Across generations, God is raising up leaders to serve Him and proclaim the beauty of the gospel of Jesus. Rebekah’s life story reveals the urgency of equipping and mentoring the next generation as all ages serve together to share the gospel to all nations.