Saturday evening was the opening session of the GYI Conference, which took place at our hotel, the Hyatt Regency in Jerusalem. We opened the session with a time of worship, and I must say I caught a glimpse of the Kingdom of Heaven the minute our group of 250 people from 56 different countries around the world began to unite our hearts in worship of our Creator. It was a powerful experience, and it set the tone for the rest of the week as God began to move in my heart and mind in that moment.
Dann Spader, former president and founder of Son Life Ministries and current president of Global Youth Initiative was the speaker that night. His message was simple, yet profound and powerful. He began with this question: "What is it going to take...to see a movement of God among the youth of the globe?" This, I soon learned, would be the entire focus of the conference--to spark disciple-making movements all around the world. Exciting stuff.
Dann pointed us toward what he saw as three imperatives for such movements to begin:
1. An increased commitment to "walk as Jesus walked."
I'll never forget this quote: "Jesus did not come to reach the world but to raise up disciples to reach the world."
2. A growing coalition of passionate leaders who:
-pray with focus
-encourage each other
-tell stories of what God is doing
3. A willingness to step out in GREAT FAITH.
Dann identified five kinds of faith: no faith (Mark 4:40), broken faith (Malachi 2), little faith (Matt. 9:29), growing faith (1 Pt. 1:7), and great faith (Luke 7:9). He shared his own desire for God to commend him someday for displaying this kind of great faith, and he also shared passionately that it will take great faith if we are to ever see movements of God among the youth of the globe.
Finally, Dann shared with us what he called the GRAND IMPERATIVE...
WE NEED A FRESH ENCOUNTER WITH THE RISEN CHRIST!
Amen, brother. A-men.
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