Not Beyond Reach - Equipping the Church to Reach Today's Youth

Did you know that there is hope for today's youth? Some of the people that you would assume are so far from God.

Their independent spirit, their harsh manner, their alternative views and sexuality, politics, and everything under the sun. And underneath that is a longing for hope and belonging, and the Gospel delivers it and is delivering it day after day, right now. So how do we engage people with unconditional love without compromising the truth?

That's today. Stay with me. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge Chip Ingram Room.

Living on the Edge is an international teaching and discipleship ministry focused on helping Christians live like Christians. And in just a minute, we'll wrap up our newest series, Not Beyond Reach, taught by our friend Aaron Pierce. And to help us do that, Chip's sitting here in studio to share what he's learned from Aaron and what we're doing today.

Chip? Thanks Dave. I've learned a ton. I remember the first time Aaron and I got really talking about this and I saw the impact it was having here in the United States, but especially all across the world. And this idea that we have to really listen first, build bridges, make connections.

I recently really put into practice some of these things. I've got twelve grandkids and lots of them are teenagers now, and they're walking with the Lord and they love God, but they're living in a very different world than me. And just taking some of the things I've learned and asking questions and listening and kind of not being that grandpa that happens to be a pastor, that, you know, I have all these things I want them to hear, and instead really listening and asking questions. And we thought, you know, let's wrap this whole time up by talking about how we're going to take this message to not just individuals, but to the entire church and to regular ordinary people that may be listening right now and saying, wow, right now my adult child doesn't want to have anything to do with God and there doesn't seem to be any spiritual interest, and I really have no idea how to reconnect. And so I've invited our vice president of discipleship, Kitty Allen, to join Aaron with the discussion to sort of peel back some really practical ways.

What's this look like in real life? And then what are some things that we've developed to make it easy for you to do what God wants you to do? And that's engage, love, listen, become friends, share the gospel by life and word and see the Lord work the way he is in amazing ways all around the world. Thanks, Chip. Well, let's get to it. Here now is Kitty Allen and Aaron Pearce with today's program. Well, Aaron, welcome. Thank you so much for joining us today.

Thanks, Kitty. It's a real privilege to be part of this. I'm excited what God is doing. Well, Aaron, I have to say your teaching series that we've just aired has been super impactful for me personally. And we've also heard from so many people just how helpful, informative, as well as how challenging some of your messages have been regarding how can we reach and disciple young people in our lives, especially in today's super challenging culture. Yeah.

Yeah. It's my hope that this book and the series that it's not just challenging, but it's also a source of hope, especially for parents and grandparents who are struggling with kids who have walked away from the Lord or pastors who are saying, how do I pastor a church in an increasingly post-Christian context? So my prayer is that this is a source of hope, but also a source of practical tools and next steps that people can use to make a difference in their world.

Amen. Well, and that's part of the beauty of our partnership, by God's grace, Aaron, is at Living on the Edge, we are committed to doing all that God is leading us to, to reach and disciple the next generation. And gosh, every time I read through scripture, especially in passages like Deuteronomy 6 or 2 Timothy 2, God clearly calls us to pass on our faith, the preciousness of our faith in Christ to our children, our grandchildren, our colleagues, every generation.

It simply is not optional. So as you mentioned, we published your book this month, Not Beyond Reach, and it's the first step in our partnership, which we are just so thrilled to be able to release and feature this new resource to help believers better understand these challenges and the opportunities to share the gospel. So Aaron, let's dive in and let's talk about the next resource that we're developing in partnership with you, which is a church-based course designed to equip believers. Can you give us a little bit more of your big vision for this resource and why it's so needed?

Yeah, I am really excited. We're going to be taking the content from this book and producing an eight-week video-based evangelism training series that will equip followers of Jesus to reach people in their lives who maybe wouldn't walk into a church today. And the idea of the series is that it'll be very practical, very action-oriented. And in the end, our heart is that this series will be a blessing to the local church. The vision is that it can be incorporated into your annual church discipleship curriculum and used as a lead-up to major invitational weekends like Christmas, Easter, Fall launch. And this idea that we have these opportunities where people can come to our church and encounter a community and hear the gospel, but this can complement that by sending our people out to engage the world and to develop these friendships and spiritual conversations that walk people into a place where maybe they will come to a Christmas service for the first time in years or something like that. So I think this is going to be an incredible tool that churches can use to reach their communities. Aaron, the first time I met you, I was really struck by how passionate and committed you are to the local church.

Can you tell us a little bit more what's behind that? Well, I think that it's our desire to see the church thrive, to see the church being all that the church is intended to be and to be salt and light in our world. And so I think we are all part of the church and our desire is to see the local church thrive and to see the local church reaching the culture around them, especially the culture that is becoming increasingly hostile, especially in our post-Christian context.

And I feel a lot of pastors that I talk to, they feel that pressure. They feel the challenge of our culture. And I believe that we can put wind in their sails. We can resource them. We can help equip their people to engage, again, people in your own families, but people in our neighborhoods and our communities that are far from God and that the church can grow, the kingdom of God can grow, that people today who would want nothing to do with Christianity will encounter Jesus and be part of a local church community. That's desire.

And so I'm just excited to see that become reality more and more. Amen. A cause that is near and dear to the heart of the Lord himself. Well, Aaron, I know that you've already had some reps in this, training some different groups and different churches just to kind of test out. And you've got some amazing stories of people who are believers, who have now got some great conversation starters, some practical tools in their back pocket to be able to connect with a disaffected youth culture. And so can you share some of these stories with us today?

Yeah, absolutely. And I think it's important to share stories because as a mission, we truly are missionaries and we tend to draw a lot of young creative types to be part of our mission. But this content that we're developing together is really for anyone of any generation in any vocation to engage the culture around them. And so, yeah, I've taught this material in various churches and recently I was teaching at a church that was bringing together an older group. And one of the first assignments in the course is to have people go out and interview two to three people in their life that they know who are not followers of Jesus. So it could be family, friends, coworkers, and then to ask them four worldview questions around origin, morality, purpose, and destiny. And the whole idea is to get people to interact and to engage with people who are different than they are, who see the world differently and ask good questions and to listen and understand how they see the world. And it's an amazing way to have deep spiritual conversations, to grow in empathy and compassion, and to start meaningful friendships with people who are far from God.

And so recently I taught this at a church here in Minneapolis where I live. And after challenging everyone to go out and do this, the following week, a sweet 80-year-old woman came up to me and she was super excited because the previous week she had gone out and she'd asked different people these questions, including a barista at a Starbucks. Now, picture this. The barista had piercings and colorful hair and seemed like the kind of person who wouldn't want anything to do with this conservative old church grandma, right?

Like, think of the differences there. But even though this older woman was feeling a little nervous, she bravely approached this kind of edgy, cool-looking barista, and she told her that she was taking a class and wondered if she might be open to answering a few questions. This barista was super open and nice and invited the woman to sit down, and a few minutes later they were having these deep conversations about spiritual things and talking about God, and this sweet 80-year-old woman and this edgy-looking barista from Starbucks having this powerful conversation about God. And it was so encouraging for this older woman. It showed her that God was not done with her. And she still had influence in people's lives, that she could reach this younger generation no matter how different or unreachable they may have seemed at first. So that to me was a perfect illustration.

This is for everyone. I have another story of a friend of mine. He's a business leader, and he was on a business trip.

He lives in Houston, Texas, but he was on a business trip to the Bay Area, and he was part of this high-tech conference gathering all these high-tech business leaders, and he ended up befriending this young, really sharp guy, 21-year-old guy that was part of a software company, and they started to have a conversation. And my friend told me how he's able to use the friendship spiritual gospel conversation framework to engage with this guy who you would have thought would want nothing to do with Christianity. And they had a powerful series of conversations during that conference, and this guy was open for prayer and learning more about following Jesus, and they connected and shared contact information. So the idea here is you don't have to be a vocational minister, or you don't have to be a younger person to reach another younger person. This is something that all of us can be a part of, and that's my encouragement to all of you listening.

Amen. Well, God's Word does say that we are a kingdom of priests, and so we are called to go forth and minister. And it comes from a heart of love for us to be able to build those bridges and connect with people who maybe look different than we do or maybe have different struggles in life, but to be able to reach out in love with the gospel and make those connections.

So those are cool stories. But I also know, as you well do from your team around the world, there are young people who are absolutely passionate followers of Jesus and who really want to reach their own generations for Christ. So can you share a couple of examples from some faithful young folks who have had those kind of conversations and perhaps what some of the relational outcomes have been?

Yeah, absolutely. So many young Christians today, they want to be part of something that is making a difference in the world. They want to use the gifts and talents that God has given them to share Jesus in their world. And so we're seeing so many young people hungry .

I have so many examples. One of them is a young man called David from Sacramento, who went through some of our training and was so inspired that he gathered a group of friends and regularly have been going out and going to places and in situations where they could connect with people, young people of their age who would normally not walk into a church and they've been using creative tools to do it. Their whole idea is, how can we use creative ways to spark conversations? So they're doing things like this where they created this masterpiece artwork and on it, it said the greatest masterpiece. And then they would go out and they would talk to people and they'd say, hey, do you want to see this amazing piece of work, this art, this masterpiece? And they would talk about it and describe it. And then the people would say, yeah, I want to see it.

What are you talking about? And then they would pull open the panel and it would reveal a mirror that was looking back at them. And they would say how they were talking about them and revealing the fact that you are of infinite worth. And they would talk about the reason for that is because you were created by God and he knows you and he loves you.

And there is nothing you can do to separate you from his love. And they just spoke of the incredible value and love that people had because they were made in the image of God. And they use this really simple tool. Another time they went out and a lot of people, younger people today, they really drawn to activism and wanting to fight for something that matters, for justice. And so they went out and they had a big board and on the board it says, your message to the world, what do you want to say to the world?

And then they went around and they invited people to write down what they wanted to say. And people were really engaged and they began to share and they began to talk about things that they cared about and they were passionate about. And what it revealed in people is that they have a hunger for justice, a justice that's based on a moral framework of absolutes.

It's a justice that's based on human value and dignity. And so they were able to use those things to spark spiritual conversations that led to Jesus, praying with people on the streets, praying with people in these clubs and bars and places where normally people would not think that they would encounter someone that's telling them about Jesus, but they were doing it in a winsome and relational way. And because of that, they're beginning to engage, take down contact information and stay in touch.

And so we've had people in different places who then start Bible studies in cafes and in places where people who they're not ready to walk into a church, but they're hungry to learn about truth and they'll study scripture maybe for the first time. And it's always a really powerful thing to see. So what we're actually seeing happening right now is somewhat of a movement where young people, they're taking these resources and they're engaging them kind of in their own creative way and finding ways to connect with people.

And the more they do it, the more they see God move through it. The more they see that people are open and hungry, the more it fuels this movement, the more other people begin to engage. And so we actually have chat groups online where people are sharing pictures from outreaches they did or people that they're praying for or Bible studies that they're starting and it's essentially growing a organic Holy Spirit fueled movement of young people that are passionate about reaching their friends. That is so encouraging, Aaron, and just really inspirational for me to hear as I care deeply about not only my beloved millennials, but the next generation as well. And that's super encouraging to hear about those key ambassadors, especially in this culture where people tend to talk at one another.

How winsome is it for young people who struggle with some of these really important issues for them to feel heard and listened to. And that's so encouraging. And yes, the Holy Spirit is on the move and it's so wonderful to hear those stories.

So thank you for that. Well, as we know, we are focusing on developing the church course. That's our next big project that for our listeners, I want to let you know that it's going to be in development over the next few months.

But Aaron, in fact, you have about 10 churches that have volunteered to help pilot test this. And I wonder if you could speak to that. There must be a hunger. There must be a real felt need. So I'd love to hear from your perspective in these conversations with pastors what they're looking for.

Yeah. In my interactions with church leaders and pastors around the country, I just sense there's a holy dissatisfaction. I had a friend of mine, just a faithful pastor, been serving for decades.

And he's like, Aaron, I just don't want to play church. I want to see the world reached. I want to see people in my community reached and I'm hungry for something. And so I think God's doing something, right, where I'm not just content to do what I've always done. I want to see this culture reached. We read about the statistics and the rise of the religiously unaffiliated and all the challenges, but yet God is moving and yet He has not forgotten this generation. And so I think there's a hunger for hope to see this generation reached. I think that there's pastors that are willing to say, okay, what I have done in the past, maybe that served its season, but I'm ready for something new.

How can I mobilize the people that God has entrusted me to go out and to reach a culture that is different than it was in the past? And so I don't know, I sense a sense of, there's a sense of hunger, a sense of humility, sense of, like I said, holy dissatisfaction. And because of that, this is resonating. And I wonder if God is up to something here, that He's beginning to, I believe a lot of times before He moves, He stirs in our heart a sense of like, God, I need more. I need more of you. I need more of your power in the world.

My words, my strategies, my efforts are not enough. And so that, I say that because that is my prayer too, right? And we don't need another small group curriculum.

We don't need more content. We need God to move. And so my prayer is that God would take this and other things that He's using to fuel a movement that we truly would see the church awaken.

We would see people that are far from Him encountering the living God and that all the challenges that we've experienced would really drive us to our knees in prayer and God would move again like He has done so many times in the past. Amen, Aaron. And I just love the passion and also the sense of humility that pastors are like, please, we need some help. It's, especially the last few years, pre, post COVID for pastors, it's been a real, real struggle. And so, Chip and the Living on the Edge family, we're very passionate about serving pastors and giving them practical resources as well to mobilize the body of Christ. So that's super encouraging to hear that we've already got some connection there. Aaron, just a moment ago, you mentioned that this new course that we're partnering together on is not just another small group study. So could you please take a moment and just share from your perspective, how is this church-based course going to help challenge us and push believers out of our comfort zone, perhaps even challenge the status quo of how churches do what they do to disciple and reach people?

Love to hear your thoughts on that. Yeah, I think when you think about the challenges that we face in our country, and most of us are aware of it, right? We've read the articles, we've heard about the statistics, and there's a lot of challenges that we're facing in a changing culture. And if you look at how the church has responded to those challenges, often it's tended to be one of two ways. On one hand, it's that whole idea of, I'm going to assimilate for the sake of being relevant. I want to maybe change or adopt or compromise my views, my morality, my theology, in order to connect better with the changing culture.

That's been one response. And then the other response maybe is to isolate ourselves, to separate ourselves, to become so holy that we disconnect and we have no engagement or interaction with the world because we're afraid of being contaminated or we want to separate ourselves from what's going on in the world. And my challenge and my vision for the church is that we could enter into the world, not compromise, not change, but to influence, to shape the world by bringing in the power of the gospel, which the power of the gospel is no different today than ever before.

It is still as powerful as ever and it's still the thing that the world is looking for, even if they don't realize it. And so can we see a vision in which we are both relevant and holy, where we go into the world uncompromised, but not isolating ourselves and bringing truth in a way that connects and bringing truth in a loving way that people hear what we have to say. And that rather than seeing Christians as the enemy or it's us versus them or antagonistic, we could enter into their world like Jesus did. And I think that's the vision for the church in America. Yeah, we don't live in a nominal Christian nation anymore, but we have an opportunity maybe more than ever because the light shines brightest in dark places to bring the truth to a world that is desperate for it.

Amen. Amen, Aaron, from your lips to God's ears. And for our audience, I would simply ask that you would please pray for God to work powerfully through our partnership with Aaron and with Steiger International. It will take a movement of prayer warriors to be able to have this cultural impact to reach and disciple young people over the coming years to create an even bigger movement of discipleship that will have impact, of course, both this side of heaven and throughout eternity. So thank you in advance for your prayers and your commitment to the ministry of Living on the Edge. Well, Aaron, thanks so much again for joining us today. As we wrap up today's program, would you close us in prayer and pray for our audience and pray for our ministries for God to be glorified through all of this?

Yeah, absolutely. Lord, we just come before you thankful for who you are and what you have done. And Lord, we know that even though we face challenges, this is a generation that is not beyond reach.

This is a generation that your heart yearns for, that you love, that you are pursuing. And Lord, we desire to be part of what you're doing in pursuing this generation, Lord. So I pray that you would equip us first and foremost by giving us that broken heart that we need that will fuel and motivate us and then drive us to our knees in prayer, Lord, because we need you. We don't have enough wisdom or persuasive words or strategies that we can conjure up on our own, Lord.

We need your power. So Lord, would you guide everyone here, Lord? I pray especially for the parents and grandparents who are mourning their son or daughter who's walked away from the Lord. Lord, I just want to pray a prayer that you would provide hope and encouragement.

Their story is not yet done, Lord. I pray that you would bring hope. I pray that you would bring opportunities to these lost children who have walked away but you love and you are pursuing, Lord. I pray that you would bring about people and circumstances that would draw them back to you, Jesus. And Lord, I pray for pastors and church leaders that are asking you, Lord, how do you want me to live in a time such as this? Give them the wisdom. Give them the courage. Give them the insight to know how to do all of this, Lord. But I pray that these tools and these resources that you've given us, that they would be an encouragement, that they would really move people out into the world to be winsome witnesses for you, Jesus, and that many people who today, who are far from you, who have misconceptions about who you are and what it means to follow you, that many of these people would encounter the true living God.

They would see that you are real, that you are not just religious activities but that you are real and you have the power to transform lives. So, Lord, would you do a move in our country? Would you do a move in our own hearts?

And would you reach this next generation? Because, Lord, we desire that and we want to be part of that. And so we praise you, Lord, for your goodness in all that you are doing and all that you will do.

And praise you in Jesus' name. Amen. What an insightful discussion about what today's church can do to better engage this next generation with the power of the Gospel.

This is Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. And before we go, Chip, you know it's clear through what Kitty and Aaron talked about today and this entire series how passionate our ministries are in reaching today's global youth. Well, that's why Aaron shared this teaching with us and why you traveled to Germany to provide discipleship training for Aaron and his staff. So as we wrap up, talk a little bit more about this partnership because the mission we've embarked on together is very significant. Dave, you're absolutely right.

This isn't a series or we just created a book and it's a nice new resource. We are committed. I mean, I'm a father.

I'm a grandfather. I've connected with pastors here and, by the way, all around the world. The issues are the same. The problems are the same.

The culture of the global youth in all 100 cities that Steiger works, they're the same. And at Living on the Edge, we have a calling from God to make disciples and that's of every demographic. And what we see is a needed bridge to connect pastors and parents and grandparents and give tools to people right here in the United States that obviously will get used all around the world.

And so, yes, I went and did that training. It's a long way. It's a long flight. But we're connected, you know, not just at the head, we're connected at the heart. We've invested a great deal of time, energy, and financial resources to say to the Living on the Edge family and those beyond, we're committed to reaching the next generation because God is. And we've only been able to do that because of the very prayerful and generous support of the Living on the Edge family. We're stepping out.

We're developing resources that are costly, but it matters. And we're going to get them in the hands not just of people, but of churches. And we can only do that because people listening to my voice right now pray and they give generously. And I just want to invite those of you who have done that to continue and those of you who say, I'm thrilled at what you're doing. I want to be a part.

There could not be a better time to make a financial gift to Living on the Edge than right now. We're going to press ahead and as we do, we're going to have to partner together. We will do our part, but we need people that pray passionately, give generously, and then ask God to work among our youth like never before.

Will you stand with us? Thanks, Chip. As you prayerfully consider your role with this ministry, I want to remind you that every gift is significant. When you partner with Living on the Edge, you multiply our efforts and resources in God-sized ways all around the world. Take a stand with us today by visiting livingontheedge.org or the Chip Ingram app, or text donate to 74141.

That's the word donate to 74141. We appreciate your support. Before we go, let me encourage you one last time to get your copy of Aaron's new book we've helped create called Not Beyond Reach. Order it today at livingontheedge.org or through the Chip Ingram app. Through it, you'll learn how to skillfully and intentionally tell others about the truth of the Gospel in this post-Christian culture. Get your copy of Not Beyond Reach today by visiting livingonttheedge.org or through the Chip Ingram app. Until next time, I'm Dave Druey saying thanks for joining us for this Edition of Living on the Edge.