3 minute read
From the President
INNOVATION, Together Drives Deeper Drives GROWTH
YL2020 was a remarkable time for our global mission to worship, celebrate, learn, listen and, of course, laugh together in the presence of our good and loving God!
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I believe the Lord gave me two vital messages for our mission to live out in the coming years. The first comes from John 14:12-14, ESV:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.”
As we grow in our relationship with the triune God, He invites us to creatively and expansively participate in His Kingdom. We must be attentive to deepening our own relationship with Jesus on a daily basis, not taking it for granted because we are serving Him. We need to grow in our intimacy with
Newt, left, having fun with the YL2020 program team: Nsen Buo, Jonathan Drinkwine, Katie Underwood and Devon Accardi.
Jesus followed this previous statement with this powerful promise:
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth.”
We have the most powerful Helper in the universe living inside of us — the Holy Spirit! He will apply all truth to our hearts as we trust in Him and will supply the power to do the works Jesus did, and even greater works!
Keeping in step with the Spirit, and being made more like Jesus, will propel us to find new ways to reach and teach more kids with the gospel. We talk often within Young Life about the importance of innovation, which could be summed up as “finding a way to reach the next kid.”
Here’s the second message I believe is vital for our mission: as we follow Jesus’ example and His command to reach and teach all kinds of young people with the gospel, and as our ministry increasingly and beautifully reflects the kids we are called to reach, we will grow!
Modeling God’s design for unity in the midst of diversity will be a catalyst for our growth in all the communities where He has called us.
One of our speakers at YL2020, Pastor Topé Koleoso, recited Psalm 8, reminding us of the variety within God’s creation, and His delight in that diversity, including the variety within humanity — each of us made in His image.
Our effectiveness in appreciating the Godgiven variety that exists within the body of Christ, and loving one another and seeking unity in the midst of our diversity, will be a great testimony that Jesus is Lord and King. He said so Himself:
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35, NIV).
He went further in John 17 to pray: “that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that world may believe that you have sent me.”
Our oneness within Young Life, within Jesus — empowered by our genuine love for one another — will be the most amazing fuel to drive our continued growth, expanding God’s Kingdom throughout the world.
May the Spirit so empower all of us to love one another with God’s love, so the world of kids may know that Jesus is Lord!
