International (MNN) — In a world that changes as rapidly as ours, leaders have to learn to adjust in order to lead effectively. The same is true for leaders of the Church. Global Advance has a new project focusing on the up and coming leaders of evangelism around the world.
Ken Janke says, “As 2016 began, we launched our NextGen initiative with the goal to help train millennials to lead and contribute their voice to the Great Commission globally.”
Since the initiative NextGen Engagement, started, Global advance has interacted with a number of millennials and have comprised a preliminary list of four common assumptions among them.
How are you investing in the next generation? Start with prayer (Photo courtesy of Global Advance).
These four assumptions are challenges, or in the very least, things that must be taken into consideration with regards to leadership in the coming years.
The first assumption is that there is a deficiency of authoritative teaching and preaching.
The second is that there is a generational leadership gap that needs to be closed. In the meantime, it could inhibit effective communication from one generation to the next.
The third is that the next generation of possible leaders—those who want to use their talents and resources to impact the world for Christ—have a desire and strong will to use their entrepreneurial instincts to do something new and innovative to engage their world.
The final trend millennials are reporting is that they believe the Church will look different in some way for their generation of leadership.
An investigation
Global Advance wants to know how widespread these assumptions are and if they are the impinging characteristics of the world for the next generation. In order to find out, they’re asking up and coming leaders worldwide.
“We’re in the process, right now, of facilitating an assessment. It’s a survey that we are beginning to offer out to multiple groups on multiple continents,” Janke says.
This global needs assessment will help them know how to begin developing training tools and resources to equip millennials so they can better engage their world with the news of Jesus.
For example, if it is true that many millennial leaders have new ideas that they want to incorporate into their leadership roles, then Global Advance wants to help them get there.
“One of the things that we’re hearing from millennials is a real hunger and desire to have mentorship—that some of them feel a little bit alone in their ideas and would like to have someone walking with them, discipling them, helping equip,” Janke says.
Mentorship, in this case, would be one of the tools developed specially to aid millennial leaders.
Plans for the future
This year, Global Advance is planning on holding conventions in Ecuador, Colombia, and Chile for training and assessment as part of their development process for training materials in the following year.
Janke says these gatherings are either geared to ignite or implement the gifts and desires of millennials.
This year, Global Advance will gather youth to discover training tactics. (Photo courtesy of Global Advance).
The big question they are asking is what kinds of mechanisms need to be developed to aid in leaders spreading the Gospel as the world changes?
Janke says you can pray for Global Advance as they gather information from millennials. Pray that they will be able to develop effective tools to help the next generation of leaders reach out to the lost.
He requests special prayer as they engage millennials in difficult areas—particularly the Middle East.
“We ask the global Church to pray for them because they are our future.”
To learn more about Global Advance and their projects, click here.
