I am always so interested to see how the Lord is raising up the next generation. I have grown up as the next generation, watching those older than me, and doing somethings differently. It is exciting to watch the younger generation continue to adapt and change as well. The Lord seems to always challenge and bring up a new, freshness with every generation.
What is a missionary youth movement? A gathering and movement of adolescence throughout the world in order to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This has come in different forms throughout history, and looks different around the world today. A missionary youth movement can be a reason for unity in Christ between some generations.
I have picked a few missionary youth movements that have stood out to me. Some you may not consider to be done by “missionaries,” but really missions can come in all shapes and sizes as long as the goal is the glory of Christ.
24-Hour Prayer Movement
The 24-Hour Prayer Movement has been a large movement throughout history. It began with the Moravians in 1727 that lasted 100 years. This movement started with The Moravian Community of Herrnhut in Saxony, within 65 years after the beginning of this prayer movement over 300 missionaries had been sent to the nations.
This movement continues today with many different prayer rooms throughout the United States and around the world. International House of Prayer in Kansas City Missouri is a popular place of 24-hour prayer in the States today. They recently celebrated 20 years of non-stop prayer in their prayer room.
The driving force behind this movement comes from the David order of worship that is found throughout 2 Chronicles. This order was passed down and put in place by seven different leaders in the history of Israel and Judah.
Each time this order of worship was reintroduced, spiritual breakthrough, deliverance, and military victory followed.
International House of Prayer
24-Hour Prayer Movement may not be considered a youth movement as a whole, but it has been bringing in a significant amount of youth as well as sending a good amount of missionaries throughout history.
Jesus Revolution
The Jesus Revolution is a movement that was started in 1997 by Stephan & Anne Christiansen with a vision to reach the youth of Europe specifically. Their goal has been to reach the youth that may not ever step foot into a church. With this goal in mind they have set out to have many evangelistic events throughout Europe.
This movement has had media, Tv-programs, events, summer trips, and more. Those who are leading this movement have a desire to see the Holy Spirit move throughout Europe. In fact they have seen tens of thousands of youth come to faith in Jesus Christ throughout the movement since 1997.
Every year there are “Summer Teams” that are sent throughout Europe with over 7000 youth from 30 or more countries. This movement is growing annually and now has developed a training school for those being sent. This is where youth can be equipped for ministry and then be sent out.
Campus Crusades for Christ (Cru)
Campus Crusade for Christ is a campus ministry that was started in 1951 by Bill Bright at UCLA, with the heart to help reach the entire world, starting with college students. Not too long after the ministry started in the States it became an international ministry, starting in South Korea in 1958.
Throughout the decades since the beginning of this movement many tracks were written by Bill Bright and translated into many languages throughout the world. In 1979 the JESUS film was created and played in 250 theaters throughout the United States. At this time CRU was always active in 114 countries throughout the world.By 2007 the JESUS film had been played to 5.5 billion people and bringing 201.6 million believers into the Kingdom of God!
In 1988 Vonette Bright, the wife of Bill Bright, introduced the legislation to President Ronald Reagan to make a National Day of Prayer an official day in the United States.
Throughout the rest of the years leading up to current day the Campus Crusades for Christ ministries has made tremendous movement throughout the world and brought many people to Christ. This movement is filled with and executed by many college students from all around the world.
This ministry has brought world relief to many places during crisis. Distribution of food and good during these crisis as well as showing the JESUS film to every location has brought many to Christ and is continuing to do so today. As of today Cru has presence in 190 countries, this makes up 99.6% of the world’s population, according to their statistics.
The Jesus People Revolution
The Jesus People Revolution is an interesting movement that shaped the church today. This movement came from the 60’s and the hippie era. 1967 was when it all began, Ted and Liz Wise could be considered the leaders of this movement. They had a vision to bring the Gospel to the hippies through their traditional church. This eventually turned into them making their own Christian commune called The Living Room where they had an open space for hippies or anyone to come, eat, and hear the Gospel.
While Ted and Liz were having The Living Room, the hippy movement was on the rise on the Pacific Coast through Hare Krishna and Dave Hoyt. This part of the movement was at Pirate’s Cove where thousands of young hippies came to be baptized.
Years later in 1973 the Lonesome Musical was on the rise for a Christian musical that was bringing more people to Christ. Eventually this lead to the Jesus Family and the Jesus Army throughout Europe and America.
This whole movement came out of what was called the Summer of Love. It really only directly effected the hippy generation, but today it does still have some effect on modern day worship. Many hippies in this era who became the church really enjoyed music and the movement in Britain was mostly the reason why it worked there. Today our worship includes more guitar and instruments instead of hymns because of this era.
It was the Summer of Love that turned into a lifetime of love for so many.
Andrew Whitman, Premier Christianity
Youth With a Mission (YWAM)
The vision for this movement came a few years before it was actually executed. The founder, Loren Cunningham, was just 20-years-old in the Bahamas on a trip when the Lord gave him a vision of all nations being covered in water and young people being the ones there preaching, sitting and communing with people.
In 1960 the mission was officially established after Loren graduated college and married. Over the years the vision developed as well as the numbers of those being sent increased. Today there are YWAM missionaries or schools in 180 countries around the world.
This movement has branched out with Discipleship Training Schools, Outreaches, and Mercy Ships. Each of these things as well as other events and things have had big impact on the youth mission movement throughout history.
This movement is still growing and moving around the world today as the ministry is being led and sent by the Spirit of God. This movement includes different schools for discipleship as well as sending locations throughout the world to equip the body of believers to reach those who have yet to hear the Gospel.