>Kathy, I am hearing wonderful reports... Please give us a headline-update on what is going on with LOVE2020.
KATHY ~ The LOVE2020 Headline would read: An Acceleration in the Activation, Demonstration and Proclamation of the Love and Message of Jesus Christ
>Collaborative initiatives often turn into event-based-programs. Do you see signs that LOVE2020 is becoming more a movement than an activity?
KATHY ~ I am thrilled to see ongoing ministry that includes ongoing collaboration. LOVE2020 partners are making long-term plans to serve together not just for a moment but to keep pace with the movement. Yes, we are great at hosting conferences and events or even promoting one another’s projects; but what I am experiencing more and more often are various ministries coming together to serve a particular community, region, or area of cultural influence with Prayer-Care-Share strategies that could never be accomplished alone. UNITY is actually happening as Christ-followers, churches and ministries are viewing one another as co-laborers – necessary and appreciated to complete the Great Commission.
>LOVE2020 is an invitation for every Jesus-follower to love their neighbors as they express a prayer-care-share lifestyle ... This sounds too simple to be an effective strategy...
KATHY ~ Prayer-Care-Share is simple and it is very effective. As a matter of fact we are just following in the footsteps of Jesus; as you read through the gospels you see Jesus do these three things every day throughout His life on earth. I call this simple strategy, “Every day along the way;” As Jesus was … sitting on the shore, walking through a city, sailing on a boat, eating with friends, etc… He prayed, cared and shared the Kingdom message of His Father and the purpose of His ministry. These are footsteps we can follow as you are… driving, working, learning, eating with friends, playing ball, working out, etc… you can live a prayer-care-share lifestyle that shares the love and message of Jesus.
>To reach every person in every place, everyone reading this must multiply themselves many times over. Tell us how we can mobilize our family, ministry groups, churches, workplaces...
KATHY ~ This all begins with prayer and is saturated in prayer. Prayer prepares your heart and life to live out Prayer-Care-Share, but it also prepares the hearts and paths of the people you will minister and model this strategy to each day. Share this strategy with friends, neighbors and coworkers; make it practical and fun. Bring people together, spread hope, meet needs, better your community, and most importantly share the Good News of Jesus.
>Please write a prayer we can each pray daily that will fuel LOVE2020 as a movement that results in a revival of love that brings the Gospel to the lost and those with less and those we love...
KATHY ~ Jesus, thank You for loving us. Thank You for calling us to love and for modeling that love all the way to the cross. Thank You for showing us how to love those in need, the sinner and the searching. Thank You for showing us how to love our enemies, to get to the heart through prayer, compassionate care and the heart-felt sharing of Your message of love and hope. Continue to move us and to move hearts. Open doors and open minds. Give us courage as we commit to share Your love and message across the street and across America. We love You and thank You for loving us first. Amen
Interview with LOVE2020 National coordinator Kathy Branzell
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LOVE 2020 INTERVIEW WITH FORREST TURPIN
EVERY STUDENT. EVERY SCHOOL.
1. What is an Affinity Sphere?
Let me give you several ideas of what we call an affinity sphere.
Many of us have heard of the cultural mountains that explain the various influences that impact our lives. Several samples are government, art and entertainment, business, family, media, and religion.
Education is our focus which is one of those spheres, that in our culture, has a major influence. We have identified for LOVE2020 PreK-12 Education Sphere as our target area. Our intent is mobilize individuals, organizations and community groups to bring God’s love and truth to impact education’s influence on our culture.
2. What is the impact potential/significance of this sphere across our culture?
From my point of view, along with past experience in education, Love 2020 PreK-12 has a power potential to influence our culture if and when local communities work together to bring God’s love and truth into their local schools. This is especially true for K-6 elementary buildings. Assuming Barna Research is correct that students in K-6 are the most likely individuals to be moved by receiving God’s love and truth. Students will carry these concepts with them as they transition to middle and high school.
3. How is the message of God’s Love and Truth in and through Christ being expanded in this sphere?
Let me begin with the most fundamental actions we must do intently and regularly. They are PRAYER, CARE, and SHARE. All community groups must earn their right to be heard in our public schools. Prayer is what helps to break down the “law of fear” and caring with acts of love allows the ability to share. Examples of this taking place:
a.) A sample where local churches, Christian university, local businessmen , and a superintendent gather to agree how to move forward so that H.S. students, elementary students are in their school with strong academics along with very positive environments assist students in constructive attitudes and a desire to excel to their best. Teachers demonstrate caring attitudes and a willingness to go the extra mile.
This model from Phoenix, AZ is called School Connect and reaches and develops the best practices to build supportive, collaborative community around schools. We utilize the principles of “Asset Based Community Development” to focus on what various partners have to offer and how to use the best assets of the community to build sustainable, mutually beneficial relationships.
HOW WE DO IT! We accomplish all of this the same way we help schools; we build relationships. School Connect meets with superintendents and principals about the benefits of collaborative partnerships. We talk with leaders of the faith community and help them connect to a local school. We connect the schools to business partners, universities, nonprofits and other community leaders.
We host serving events such as Love Our School Day, with thousands of participants from dozens of churches and community partners serving at hundreds of Arizona schools. We help school districts host a CAFÉ Community and family engagement meeting where the school principals and staff meet with their community partners to strategize a collaborative plan for their school’s success. Once a year we host the School Connect Summit, an event where community partners can learn best practices or building collaborative partnerships around local schools.
Join Love Our Schools ‘Day at (http://App.SchoolConnectAZ.com) or School Connect at TraceyBeal-+beal@pureheart.org (602)670-6513
b.) Another example can be found at Grace Church in Eden Prairie outside Minneapolis. Significant educators and school connection has and is taking place bringing God’s love and truth to local schools. (Norene Shephard and their pastor are a good contact). The conference formed a “Compass Group”.
Contact this group by email: forrest@ceai.org
c.) Reaching the school campus in most communities with the love of Christ it is important to remember the following:
1) Identifying a person in each district or building who could be a consistent point of contact. This person is one who would grasp and even help form the vision for their district and assist in implanting the plans/procedures.
2.) Important to identify the needs of each school and each district by survey and listening. We must ask! Always wise to connect with each school board member to get their ideas. Take them out separately for breakfast or lunch.
3.) Identify what is already happening on each campus, i.e.: ministries already established, clubs, etc.…
4.) Work in unity with community and churches when available an open to collaboration.
5.) Encourage local churches to partner (adopt) a school with prayer, care, share model.
6.) Collaborate with ethnic, cultural, socio-economic groups knowing all have something to offer.
7.) Establish a “directory of servants” which entails local menu of ideas and services.
4. What is the path, a congregation or ministry organization?
You may contact Love 2020 PreK-12 Education Sphere at (626) 318-6835 or (714)761-1476 or email, forrest@ceai.org
5. Please write a prayer that we can pray together for expanding and extending the gospel of Jesus Christ to this affinity sphere.
Pray for reaching our schools across America with the love of God the Father, His Son Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit. Pray as Jesus stated in Matthew 18:14, “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” So, assist all of us to expand our efforts in bringing God’s love and truth to all schools in America.
LOVE2020 Interview with Timothy Eldred
When it comes to spiritual formation of the next generations, the Church is struggling to know how to respond to their unique needs and challenges. We’re especially perplexed how to sync the models and methods of youth ministry from the recent past with the dreams and desires young people express today. This “me” generation as they have been defined are really naturally collaborative, talented, flexible, and open-minded. They hate conflict, avoid complainers, and long for community. These are encouraging traits that pave a promising way forward, if they are leveraged. But the programs and practices of yesterday’s youth work doesn’t begin to give them a voice or create the value they long for as co-equals and co-laborers in the cause of Jesus Christ. So it’s time for a redefinition of youth ministry, which can be accomplished by inserting a simple preposition between the words youth and ministry—the two-letters—in. The addition of this word is the first step for changing our mindset and moving the congregations closer to understanding and accepting God’s call on this generation who are desperate for a sense of identity only found in Jesus and embodied by his Church. Youth in ministry qualifies the need the Church has for training young people to serve and lead the cause of Jesus Christ today—not someday. It also quantifies the results and provides meaningful and measureable outcomes for the collaborative efforts of young people taking ownership for their faith and responsibility for their lives, which exactly what they seek today. If young people aren’t given the chance to lead express their faith in Jesus by taking action for the issues and causes God breaks their heart with today, they will continue to leave the church and be gone from our gatherings tomorrow. We must start letting God change our hearts and minds about his plans and purposes for young people and that begins by simply giving youth work a new name—youth in ministry.
A quick review of revivalist history gives a glimpse of the results of what happens when young people are given permission to put their faith in action. Nearly every major move of God that spark transformation in the Church and throughout society has two common factors: 1. They began with copious amounts of prayer. 2. They were led by young people who had the freedom to put their faith to work. My favorite example of the impact youth in ministry can have on the world begins with Jesus. I subscribe to the historical, biblical, and rabbinical argument that Jesus’ disciples were young people in their teens and early twenties, not middle-age men. And if this point of view is accurate (and I’d argue fervently that it is), the results speak for themselves. At a time in history when the world needed a new way forward, Jesus Christ entered the picture and recruited, trained, and released young people for mission and ministry. His discipleship plan was a process of learning by doing. He modeled, mentored and mobilized his young protégés who had the freedom for three and a half years to discover, develop, and demonstrate their faith in real and tangible ways. Basically, he trained his replacements and empowered them to flesh out the Gospel in words and in actions. The result was the birth of the Church. In our desperate world today, we must create avenue for young people to serve and lead so we can experience spiritual rebirth and regeneration—generation after generation. And this begins by producing youth in ministry.
Since 2005, I’ve been humbled to give leadership to Endeavor Ministries (formerly Christian Endeavor International or CE). Endeavor was the first youth movement that swept the globe; it is credited as the father of and forerunner to what has been called youth ministry. But it was birthed by a pastor, Dr. Francis Clark, who made this statement in 1881, “Never do anything for young people in the Church they can learn to do themselves.” This simple mindset can be boiled down to three words—youth in ministry. Fifty-seven teens were trained and turned lose with the same power of the Holy Spirit Jesus’ gave his disciples, and within only a few short years there were 67,000 Endeavor Societies with more than 4,000,000 young people. It was a youth-led, adult-mentored movement of youth, by youth, and for youth the encompassed the globe. I’m suggesting—no urging—the Church to return to the roots of youth ministry and embrace the mindset that God used to release the potential of that generation in our desperate world once again. Youth in ministry changed congregations and cultures, so why would we not expect the same results.
For the last few years at Endeavor, we have been investigating the “secret sauce” that God used to launch the youth in ministry movement through CE. We reviewed the practices and principles Dr. Clark taught teens and congregational leaders that led to a global groundswell of youth in ministry. Amazingly, the entire manual for this movement was a two-page document—that’s it. Young people were free to follow the guidance of the early Church and their playbook found in Acts 2:42-47: meet together, care for each other, learn from each other, encounter God in your daily life, and something together to put your faith in action.
In late 2015, we launched a new resource modeled after that mindset called, WAVES (wavesinaction.com). We recruited twelve young people in their teens and twenties from across the globe and charged them with producing a resource their generation could use to create youth-led, adult-mentored small groups of youth in ministry. We defined the outcomes of the resource; they designed the tools. They had permission to risk failure to develop something “brand new” using the proven practices and principles of the past. The result less than one year later is that more that 10,000 young people in 13 countries have started WAVES groups within churches, in communities, and on campuses. And we’re still just in the beta phase of this experiment.
It is so exciting to see young people use their voice to accomplish a vision God has given them today. From ages 13-23, WAVES groups are choosing causes based up what breaks their heart. They’re meeting together regularly to pray and study God’s Word (by using a storying method). They’re finding mentors to help them with the tough questions (although mentors don’t lead—they only support). From rural and remote communities to urban centers, youth in ministry are experience Jesus working and through their lives to transform their world with the love of God. They sharing their faith and taking action to make the message of Jesus real and relevant in a hurting planet in need of healing that can only come from heaven.
We feel God’s favor on WAVES and the growing youth in ministry movement. Here’s one example. On October 21, there’s a new movie being released in the United States called, I’m Not Ashamed. It’s the story of Rachel Joy Scott and the tragedy that took place at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, in 1999. This movie is the most powerful Christ-centered film I’ve ever seen. It’s real, raw, and redemptive, and it will have an incredible impact on young people. At the end of the film, audiences will be prompted to respond by the final screen that says, “If you want to impact the world like Rachel, text CHANGE to 95577.” Those multitude of texts messages will be received by Endeavor exclusively, and we provide viewers with the chance to receive Jesus and download my newest book called, Begin21: Your First 21 Steps with Jesus. For those who already know Christ and are ready to make a difference with their lives, they will be able to download the free WAVES mobile app, which allows them to start a WAVES group of their own right now. This opportunity to resource hundreds of thousands of hungry, emerging young leaders is an incredible blessing God has provided. We are praying it is a catalyst for the youth in ministry movement, so we’re busy producing the materials churches will need to facilitate the change coming soon to their youth programs as well.
One of the tools we provide young people and one of the most exciting new resources we have for them is a booklet called, Tell21(tell21.com). It’s a 21-day devotional that teaches teens the prayer, care, share model of peer-to-peer evangelism which is the heartbeat of Love2020. By simply teaching teens to live this lifestyle and tell the story of what Jesus is doing in their life, we are able to empower them to reach their friends for Christ and be part of the mission of Love2020 every day. If ministries are looking for a way to engage young people in reaching the nation with the life-giving message of Jesus, Tell21 would accomplish this goal.
Endeavor provides resources for congregations and ministries to take small but significant steps for changing their philosophy of youth work to youth in ministry and embracing God’s call on this generation as co-workers in the cause of Christ. The greatest way to get started is through an intergenerational prayer campaign that connects young and old in a three-week program to pray with youth. This is the most effective means of building a firm foundation for the future of their church with this new mindset. We offer another resource called, Pray21(pray21.com) to help achieve this result. This simple booklet comes with a leader’s guide for churches to implement. We are so humbled to say that so far God has allowed this resource to be used by over 500,000 young people in 80+ countries, and church leaders are reporting astounding results for this ready-to-use tool in the lives of young people and in the lives of adult prayer partners who are both better understanding their identity in Jesus Christ and accepting God’s call on this generation.
Timothy Eldred, CEO
Endeavor Ministries
P.O. Box 377
Edmore, MI 48829
timothy.eldred@endeavorministries.org
989.427.3737
Father God, I pray that the Church would hear your heartbeat for this generation of young people who are desperate for higher expectations and greater accountability. May we give them a safe space and place to discover you mission for this lives today—not someday. May we see them through your eyes and provide environments where you can release their potential to understand how significant they are in your mission of redeeming people and restoring this planet to your original purpose until your son Jesus returns to establish your permanent kingdom. I pray that you would change our mindset to embrace youth in ministry as the way the Body of Christ does youth work again. And may we see an awaking among empowered youth equipped with the Gospel to reach their global peers with your life-transforming word. In Jesus name, amen.
LOVE2020 INTERVIEW WITH CHUCK KLEIN
Every Student. Every School.
· What is an “affinity sphere”?
Our affinity sphere is a coalition of ministries that focus on reaching out to secondary age students in America, middle school and high school.
· What is the impact/potential/significance of this sphere across our culture?
Teenagers represent the near future of our nation. Within 5-10 years they will be the entry workforce, the voters and emerging leaders of our country. Most importantly they will be the next wave of parents. This generation of high school students will be the mom's and dad's of our American homes for the next 40 years. So the ideas that they embrace and the decisions they make now will determine the vitality of the family and the culture of our nation down the road. We, the Church, must invest heavily in the children of America. It is a non-negotiable. The consequences of not doing so are devastating.
· How is the message of God’s love in and through Christ being expressed in this sphere?
The gospel of God's grace, when appropriately and clearly shared by a friendly person, is received openly by many teenagers. That does not mean that most believe, but many will engage in a conversation about God and the possibilities of knowing Him personally. In other words, teens are curious. Hearing their story, telling your story and explaining God's story is a conversation that fascinates secondary students. That is why it is so important for Christians to learn how to engage people, including teens, in meaningful conversations about spiritual things. Relational skills blended with effective communication of the gospel is the key to bringing students to Christ.
Last week I met two teenagers coming out of rest room at a beach here in Southern California. One of them was wearing a unique t-shirt with a brand I had never seen before. I said hi and complimented his shirt, asking him what the brand represented. That led into a conversation and in the process I asked them if they ever get a chance to attend church. They did occasionally, and so I asked more about their story. I then shared a bit of my story and the role God plays in my life. They were fascinated. I asked if I could share with them how they could begin a relationship with God, and they affirmed with a yes. After a 30 minute conversation they both wanted to pray and trust Christ to come into their lives. It was a very meaningful conversation for them, and they thanked me for taking the time. Are they different than other teens? Not at all. If I were to encounter teens in that same way day after day, the majority would want to talk, and a number would want to begin that relationship with God. Others would think about what was discussed, another step in their journey to hopefully trusting Christ with their lives.
This is the harvest field we have with teens, not only in America but around the world. The problem, however, is what Jesus described 2000 years ago... the harvest is ready, but the workers are few. Can you imagine the impact on this generation if at every middle school and high school in our nation there were Christian students who knew how to engage their classmates in meaningful conversations about a relationship with God? If there were churches that invested intentionally and creatively in the youth of their community? And if there were adults who sacrificed liberally in reaching this generation? It would mean that the future adults who lead and shape our nation and world would have a much greater chance of being Biblical thinkers and Godly leaders. And they would more likely raise Godly children.
· How can an individual involved in/identifies with this affinity sphere become involved in LOVE2020?
I recommend to first begin to pray for the children and teens in your community, those in your church and for sure those who are not going to a gospel focused church. If you don't know who the teens are, ask your pastor or youth department at your church. To be real creative, ask one of the students in your church to share with you the names of other students you could pray for.
Another suggestion is to go to the website everyschool.com and adopt the school(s) in your community. To adopt means to pray, care and share the good news with students from those schools. You may or may not be able to do all three of those, but start where you can. The website has all kinds of ideas and resources on how to do that.
Third, ask if you can volunteer with a local youth ministry in your community or the youth dept of your church. And you can inquire at the local school, do they need volunteer help? Engage. Don't hold back because you lack experience, engage and learn what you can do.
· What is the path a congregation or ministry organization?
As I said earlier, we, the Church, must invest heavily in the children of America. It is a non-negotiable. The consequences of not doing so are devastating.
We must make youth ministry a priority. We must make campus ministry and priority, because campus is were 95% of the teens in our communities are hanging out, 5 days a week, 9+ months a year.
As a church, adopt the schools in your community. Start there. Go to everyschool.com to adopt a school.
As a church ask your youth staff to spend time investing not only in the students who attend your church, but through those students engage the larger community of teens. To do this, emphasize campus focused ministry. If youth leaders are allowed to visit the local campus for lunch, write that into the job description of the youth pastor. When you hire a youth pastor, look for someone who has a heart to be engaged with the great community and the campus, and has a vision to equip the kids in your church to advance the gospel with him.
By developing a ministry to every school in your community, you can literally give every student the opportunity to choose to hear the gospel and follow Christ, before they launch into the rest of their life.
And remember that school life is community life. When Christians and the church serve the school, they impact the broader community by connecting with multiple families, many of which are not attending a church.