Looking around The Message’s VARIOUS PROJECTS here in Manchester, I am starting to feel a bit old. The fantastic young men and women around me, sporting daft haircuts and tattoos, are starting to look more and more like police officers do – younger every year. And let’s face it, for a bloke fast approaching 53, to try and be ‘down with the kids’ is more THAN A LITTLE BIT EMBARRASSING.
Thankfully - for everyone else at least - my role isn’t to be an (ageing) rapper, singer or dancer. I’ve realised my role as the founder and leader of The Message is ultimately about just two things: to keep prayer hot, and to keep mission hot. If I can do these, I’ve got a feeling everything else will look after itself.
A friend of mine did some research on church movements which are really cutting it around the world. He focused on the places where people are seeing mass salvation and kingdom advances way beyond anything we have seen here. After interviewing various leaders, he came to the conclusion that they all had two things in common: they prayed a lot and they did a lot of mission. Makes you think, doesn’t it?
I love spending time with evangelists who, even though they’re older than me, have lost none of their fire and are still getting on with the glorious business of soul winning. My wife Michele and I recently had lunch with one such man – Eric Delve. After years serving as a parish vicar, he now spends much of his time on the road as an itinerant evangelist. During lunch, Michele told Eric that she had committed her life to Christ 35 years ago when he preached at our youth group in Manchester. I thought, ‘Wow! What an amazing thing’. Since then, Michele has gone on to be a blessing to so many other people.
It’s no wonder the angels get excited when one person comes to Christ… because in reality, one person never does! When a person gives their life to Jesus, they are placed at the centre of an ever-expanding sphere of influence. When Eric gets to heaven, he won’t only have the reward of Michele being there, he’ll also be able to rejoice in all those whom she has encouraged to join her too.
When a person gives their life to Jesus, they are placed at the centre of an ever-expanding sphere of influence
Later that day, with this thought buzzing round my head, I went off to speak at St Thomas’ Church in Sheffield, one of my favourite churches on the planet. Soon after I got there, a young man came up to me and said: ‘Hi, my name’s Jake and I just want to say thanks, because I became a Christian two years ago when you spoke here’. Then a few minutes later a lovely young woman said, ‘My name’s Rachel and I gave my life to Christ when you spoke at my mum and dad’s church when I was 12.’ At that moment I thought, ‘I love my job!’
Michele and Jake and Rachel – and millions more young people who accept Christ – are the reason why this issue of Youthwork is so important. It’s why our job, along with keeping our foot on the gas in terms of prayer, is to charge our young people to ‘preach the word… in season and out of season’ (2 Timothy 4:2).
On my office wall I have a pair of framed scissors which were presented to me after a talk I gave along these lines. On one blade is written ‘Prayer’; on the other, ‘Evangelism’. Underneath it says, ‘Keep on the cutting edge, Andy’.
Of course we must constantly make absolutely sure our programmes, resources and activities are relevant and on the ‘cutting edge’ for today’s young people. But for me, the real key is to be found right there: in passionate prayer and evangelism.
