The Next Generation
Pastor Dave Monreal, Lead Pastor
“O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.”
Psalm 71:17-18
One of the beautiful things about our congregation (and there are many) is the value this church places on reaching and discipling the next Generation. My first ministry position out of college was at Shell Point Village church in Fort Myers, FL under the leadership of Dr. Randy Corbin. I remember sitting in the hotel on Saturday night pace and praying. All I saw was a sea of gray hair when I met people and what I would see the next morning in the service. Why was I there? What could I possibly offer to these people? Why would God bring me to such an odd place?
These were seasoned Christians, many of whom were the “who’s who” of the previous generation of the Christian and Missionary Alliance. For unexplainable reasons at the time, I had become convinced that I was supposed to go there if they were “foolish” enough to extend a call to me. They wanted me there, not because I had black hair at the time (my hair wasn’t always grey), but to mentor and minister to me. They saw the position not only as an assistant position to help the senior pastor and organize different ministries, but for the seasoned saints of the congregation to have a ministry in my life!
They took to heart this passage in Psalms. I knew a retired Greek professor who paid his own expenses to travel to Africa to teach Greek to seminary students. Another couple, he worked at the docks as his trade, set up a table every Saturday morning at the Publix grocery store to make balloon animals for the kids and hand out gospel tracts to the adults. Every Monday morning at 11:00 AM a half dozen or more men gathered for what they called a “Revival Prayer Meeting” to pray for the church and for God to pour out his Spirit afresh and bring people to himself. Dozens of volunteers helped with the stamp ministry to support missionaries so they could reach the next generation for Christ. When I got there, they had a thriving AWANA children’s program every week that had dozens and dozens of kids from the neighborhood. (No, there was no one there named Sarah.) In big and small ways, formally and informally people reached out with the gospel to try to help others find Christ.
This is the heart that I see here. Pastor Doug helps Tanner, Lindsey and other volunteers as they selflessly lead the student ministry each week. Anna Jane leads a crew to teach the gospel to our elementary ages and younger, and we provide a nursery so the youngest among us can experience the love of Christ through our committed volunteers. This week I have the privilege of helping the youth leaders shepherd our students at our tri-annual LIFE conference. When you read this, pray for our students to encounter the living God in new and fresh ways. If a student doesn’t know Christ, pray that this week will be her or his week to start a new life. Pray that some from this group might be called into full-time Christian service here or overseas. Thank you for your love, prayers, support, and planning. Because of the foresight of the leaders of this church, money has been set aside to help the students pay for this trip so that no student who wanted to go was left behind. Thank you for your concern for the next generation!
