We’re facing a new frontier, and it’s reflected in who is no longer sitting in our pews on any given Sunday. There are young people (teens through millennials) who are not interested in or who have left the Church. This leaves us with many questions: How can we reach them? What can we do to bring them back? What legacy will we leave them?
We know something needs to change. So what does one do? We don’t want to run or bury our heads in the sand. There has to be an answer because we have the greatest gifts, by God’s grace, to pass on. And they’re still powerful! Paul said, “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel” (Romans 1:16). Why? Because it is the dynamos of God; it is the dynamite of God to a lost world.
God hasn’t changed; God’s Word hasn’t changed. But how do we share it with those who aren’t interested or have left the Church? Will they even listen? How do we share the Truth in love while keeping the door open for more conversation, without building more walls?
God’s Word tells us to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15). We’re supposed to be God’s arms reaching out. So how do we get into that? How can we capture the interest of this generation?
We know that God has set eternity into the heart of man, so we can trust that He is at work in their hearts. However, we still struggle with what to say, when to say it, and how to say it. To help us better understand the culture that calls this generation away from God, and learn how to engage them by speaking the truth in love, we brought four outstanding speakers to our Legacy Conference on February 1, 2020.
Rev. Dr. Bob Newton is going to bring in the reality check: this is where we are in the world today. We’re facing issues that are very similar to what the Early Christian Church faced.
Mrs. Heather Ruesch is going to talk about what is stealing our kids—the sexual revolution that is rampant.
Rev. Gabe Kasper will explore practical ways to move from dissatisfaction with the way things are to a heart on fire with holy discontent for what God could do.
Finally, Rev. Dr. Dean Nadasdy will bring it all together and talk about how we can best engage this generation, be Lutheran, and embrace the new frontier.
Click here for the video playlist from the conference.
Joyce Edwards - January 15, 2020
What are the times for this seminar?
The conference registration opens at 8:30 a.m. and concludes with final comments at 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 1 at Our Savior, Lansing.