STRATEGIC NEW BOOK ON STUDENT LEADERSHIP AVAILABLE NOW!

“Perhaps the biggest issue facing the church today may be our lack of preparing the next generation to be people of influence.”

“My experience has shown me that typical youth ministries are giving our kids short devotionals instead of the life-changing meat of God’s Word. Many, many students are indicating that the church is not relevant and that they do not feel prepared to face a life of adulthood as a solid and sound follower of Christ. It’s time to quit running youth programs and instead build ministries that are producing God-honoring spiritual leaders.”

Just a few months ago Mike Calhoun and I released our second anthology of youth ministry The Greenhouse Project: Cultivating Students of Influence – which leading youth ministry experts from across the country are describing as a call to “intentional ministry that is focused on life-change!"

This important new book is now available from Vision For Youth (http://www.visionforyouth.com/) for only $15.99 (postage included!). It contains key chapters from several leading voices of youth ministry from around the country who represent a strong local church and Bible-believing perspective of youth ministry, including: Glenn Amos from Baptist Bible College in Clarks Summit, PA; Tim Ahlgrim & Cheryl Fawcett representing Vision For Youth; Ken Rudolph (well-known speaker in Empire State churches) from Lake Ann Camp; and a host of other renowned youth ministry specialists such as: Greg Stier, Jay Strack, Steve Vandegriff, Ed Lewis, and more.

Mike and I have collected a series of significant chapters in The Greenhouse Project to adequately address this important church-wide issue of developing student leaders. As the introduction of the book states they selected the analogy of a greenhouse for the title because, “The basic purpose of a greenhouse is to prepare plants for life outside of the greenhouse. Plants are given food, water, sunshine and heat to grow enough so that they can survive and thrive outside of the greenhouse. We realize that like any analogy, our comparison between church youth ministry and greenhouses will undoubtedly break down somewhere along the line. But, the basic illustration is sound. The greenhouse is not the end result. It is a place of growth and maturity. It is a place of safety and security. The ultimate objective of a greenhouse is for the plants to make it outside of the environment inside. Life outside is the goal. A lifetime of strength and maturity is the objective.”

Readers will certainly appreciate the analogy of a greenhouse. Churches must be about the grand task of developing people with the spiritual maturity to go on for God. We want our young people to grow up strong – strong enough to live for God as adults, long after they graduate from high school.

This new book is must reading for all church leaders – not just youth workers. Our churches must refocus our attention on implementing Biblical principles into the fabric of our ministries. It’s not about programming – it must be about “cultivating people of influence.” This book will show you how it’s done. Order your copy today from: http://www.visionforyouth.com/. (Your purchase of the book directly from VFY helps support our ministry of training and encouraging youth workers & students for effective ministry.) The VFY mailing address is: PO Box 501; Chinchilla, PA 18410.

“HARVEST SUNDAY” SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 11, 2009

“The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest” Luke 10:2.

The catalyst for the largest mobilization of students ever for worldwide missions was a simple prayer meeting that was held during a summer afternoon thunderstorm in 1806. This “Haystack Meeting” of only five students launched what was to become the Student Volunteer Movement which is credited with motivating twenty thousand missionaries to consider global vocational ministry.

Why can’t a student-led, worldwide missions phenomenon happen again?

Our Lord Himself commanded us to pray to that end in Matthew 9:37 & 38 and Luke 10:2. The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are very few. Our almighty, sovereign God will send laborers into His harvest - if we pray.

So, why aren’t we doing that?

Friends, it’s time for another prayer meeting!

According to projections by the United Nations, the total population of the world will exceed seven billion people sometime in the middle of October 2012. If the harvest of souls was great in the first century, just think of what it will be by the time our world’s population reaches seven billion. It’s more important than ever that we pray “the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers.”

It’s time to be intentional about implementing this Biblical strategy. Praying for laborers is God’s plan, and it is something that He wants to bless. If the Lord used the fervent prayers of five college students meeting under a haystack to propel almost twenty thousand missionaries into the harvest, just think of what He could do if churches all across this nation (and even around the world) would intentionally mobilize their people to pray specifically for harvest workers. Who knows what might happen? Perhaps our Lord would supernaturally bless a new prayer emphasis to launch another great awakening of students into worldwide vocational ministry!

So we are asking youth workers everywhere to prayerfully consider a specific and intentional prayer emphasis for harvest workers on Sunday, October 11, 2009. This could be huge! Perhaps through our combined efforts to be intentional about praying for harvest laborers, God may choose to launch another great movement of students heading into global missions.

Very little organization or planning is needed. All we’re asking you to do is to carve out some time on Sunday to pray specifically and intentionally for this one particular matter. Some churches have scheduled early morning prayer breakfasts; others are taking their Sunday School hour to pray; and others are scheduling time in the morning service to pray. The point is to take some time this Sunday to pray for God to call a new generation of workers into His harvest fields.

It’s time for another prayer meeting!