This past weekend my wife and I attended a Youth Harvest Training at Camp Hickory Hills in Dickson, Tn. given by the Tennessee Church of God of Prophecy. We were blessed to be around a great group of people that are involved in the youth camps and children's ministries. My friend, Bishop E. C. McKinley and his wife were in attendance along with other great people of God that minister across the State of Tennessee. I was able to catch up with a school buddy of mine that is pastoring a church in Columbia, Gary Clements, and was delighted to meet his wife and also have them meet my wife and to talk about what God is doing in our lives today.
I want to share with you some "tidbits" from the message that Bishop Randall Howard, General Overseer of the Church of God of Prophecy, delivered to us Friday night. He spoke to us on the thought of "Why minister to the young harvest?" Is this a question that you have heard in the past? Bishop Howard gave us 9 points to ponder on this question: "Why minister - because..."
1.) It was the "passion of Christ" - Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me."
2.) It is the strategy of the enemy - the enemy targets our young people through music, media, tv, friends, etc...
3.) They are our window of opportunity - they are a ready, reachable harvest. Only a small percentage of our young people believe the Bible is God's word.
4.) Key to a vibrant church - they are not only our future church but they are "a part" of our church today.
5.) They are our missionaries in waiting - mobilize them.
6.) Our guides to a new world
7.) Generation transmission essential - we must translate Christ to them - their secular mind is either Theistic, Moralistic, Therapeutic, or Deism.
8.) They are 50% of the great commission challenge
9.) God is calling us - It's our call to reach our young people before the world does!
This is just an outline of what Bishop Howard gave us but I believe that our dedication to the young harvest is vital. We have to minister to them and love them just as Jesus gave us the example to do! Why minister to the young harvest? Because someone ministered to you and was that example to you!
Hi there,what you are saying is true,but as workers in that harvest field we as born again believers,not church named ones,have to be able to let those same youth see that it is a do as I do way of life not do as I say not as I do!!Sadly thats what most see today and they get that from the world,I'll go one better than that they get better than that from the world ,at least with it it's what you see is what you get and they know this and accept this concept.But with church folk they have come not to know what to expect or how to accept what they say to them. LUV MAMA B
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