I encountered Christ and a deep ministry of the Holy Spirit in a middle school-age youth meeting.
This wasn’t when I was 12 years old; rather, it was just last year at Foursquare Connection 2024. It started with an invitation to come and minister about missions to the middle schoolers.
While I share about missions often, I arrived and noticed something was different. I was greeted by Pastor Shea Hood, and she assured me that this group would be very receptive. I was concerned about sticking to the time frame, but it was like Shea knew something bigger was up.
“The Holy Spirit isn’t just making waves among children and youth in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and even the Middle East. These waves are crashing on our U.S. shores, too.”
I entered the back of the youth room where worship was underway, and I immediately caught it. God was present. The kind of moment where you experience whiplash when speeding from the “outer courts” right into the “Holy of Holies.”
There were no chairs in this makeshift sanctuary within our convention hotel. Scattered throughout the room, most of the students had their hands raised and were worshiping freely. The worship leaders weren’t just singing—they were interacting. And so was I. I couldn’t help myself; I was drawn right in.
When I got up to speak, it wasn’t so much to an audience of kids; these were fellow worshipers, experiencing the presence of God together. Pastor Shea was right: These students were interested in what God is doing around the world. Better yet? They were ready to jump in on the work God was already doing.
Ministering among the nations
As one with a front-row seat ministering among the nations, I get to experience some tough and painful things, but also the beauty of God’s people and God’s work. Who would’ve thought that rising out of the COVID crisis would be a move of the Holy Spirit throughout the nations among children and youth?
I have witnessed a move of the Spirit among children and youth globally. We know that, historically, out of the mission of God flows revival. But the Holy Spirit isn’t just making waves among children and youth in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and even the Middle East. These waves are crashing on our U.S. shores, too.
Unfortunately, we can’t distill the work of the Holy Spirit among our youth into a simple formula to recreate in our local contexts. But I do know this: Young people have cravings that only the Holy Spirit can fill.
What the next generation craves
In Matthew 3:17 (NIV), God the Father provides a model for us to address our young people’s innate cravings:
Craving for identity: “This is my Son …”
Craving to know they are loved: “… whom I love …”
Craving to hear we are proud of them: “… with Him I am well pleased.”
This is great baseline parenting advice from God the Father—make sure your kids have a strong identity, and let them know you love them and that you are proud of them. This is also a fabulous guide for our role in discipling our children and youth, our future generation of disciple-makers, pastors, missionary workers and more.
Let’s break it down even further.
Identity.
In a world on a quest for identity, we can help secure a shared identity together in Christ. There’s a great word—“mutuality”—that helps me see that “together” is as much about me joining in with you as it is expecting you to come to my world.
Love.
In a world where—as Matthew 24:12 (NKJV) says, “the love of many will grow cold”—the children and youth of this world need to know that they are unconditionally loved. They need to hear it spoken, too. God the Father even declares it to the crowd and shouts in on the mountaintop.
Well-Pleased.
Finally, we can assure younger generations that they are seen and that we are “well-pleased” or proud of them. Look back at your life. You likely can remember adults who invested in you by supporting, praising and encouraging you. This is a holy kind of pride that God is pleased with us, and this is how we feel about our young people. Pause to think about being that adult who meaningfully demonstrates this to a young person.
Let’s jump in.
I really hope you get to encounter Jesus with a multitude of middle schoolers like I did. I challenge you to make intentional strides toward experiencing Jesus alongside young people, whether it’s at your local church, a district youth event or a multinational youth event.
There is a wave of the Spirit rolling, and we are all in on this one: No spectators, no speculators. We don’t set the terms of how God moves, but the Scriptures seem to encourage us to step up, reach out and jump in. Will you join me?
“Kingdom” is bigger than “nation”
Our younger generations are not only digital natives, but they also are likely to be more comfortable in virtual communities with participants from other backgrounds, nations and language groups.
In Foursquare in the past 18 months, young adults have come together in regional events all over the world. Not only have these been lifetime experiences together lifting up Jesus, but a Spirit-birthed fire is being passed across borders and over to people and places that have thirsted for a long time (centuries in some cases).
The U.S. is in on this one, too. We’ve been hearing about the success of NextGen at our annual Foursquare Connection gatherings for the past few years. This is more than just a nursery or a holding cell while their parents do the real connecting. These are students who are receiving the Holy Spirit and learning that they are already equipped to make a difference. I love hearing stories about parents trying to pick up their teen from the youth service, only to discover that the students are still having a great time and don’t want to leave.
The rumblings of revival are being felt in U.S. camps, youth groups and district events. We’ve longed for it, prayed for it, preached that without it we’re doomed and future-less. As Matthew 5 promises, the thirsty and hungry are indeed being filled.
Read more below to find stories about students being mentored, global youth events with young people leaving on fire for Jesus, and our own Life Pacific University training up the next generation of leaders a little differently these days. It makes me excited to see the groundwork we are laying now is supporting a future leader’s journey.
