NEWS
Category : News :
Generation Change
February 28, 2008
by Kevin D. Hendricks
photos by George DeLoache
Thousands of young people from across the nation and around the world gathered in Anaheim, Calif., in December for a historic event—Foursquare NextGen Summint '07—solidifying their commitment to be used by God to change their world in practical ways that save lives physically and spiritually. An exclusive Advance report.
"The world will be forever changed by the people here this weekend!" Matthew Barnett, pastor of Foursquare's historic Angelus Temple and founder of The Dream Center in Los Angeles, declared to a crowd of 3,500 students, leaders and parents attending the Foursquare NextGen Summit '07. "The young woman who's going to be the next Mother Teresa is sitting in here tonight."
The first national Foursquare youth event in more than 10 years—hosted by Foursquare NextGen Ministries Director James Craft and E! News correspondent Jason Kennedy—convened in Anaheim, Calif., from Dec. 29-31, culminating in a New Year's Eve celebration. Students came from 16 different countries and from across the United States, ranging in age from tweens to twentysomethings. When those students left the Anaheim Convention Center, it was clear they were changed people ready to change their world.
Nearly 500 students accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior that weekend. Another 500 were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and nearly 750 acknowledged a call to ministry in their lives. God touched the hearts of students and called them to put their faith in action.
"The one thing I want people to know about me is that my heart is God's and I will do anything for God, whatever he wants me to do. ... This convention has been an incredible way to discover what God may want me to do. I've been so encouraged, and I'm so glad I came all the way from Juneau, Alaska, to be here."
-Sara
"The gospel has to be more than your personal relationship with Jesus Christ," relationships expert Lakita Garth told the crowd of thousands gathered in the Anaheim Convention Center. "The gospel has to be more than fire insurance."
If Christians truly believe what they say, then loving, world-changing action is the only way to show that faith to a disbelieving world. The NextGen Summit continually echoed that call, specifically focusing on three practical efforts to show God's love: embracing orphans, stopping human trafficking and fighting poverty.
"I thought social issues were relegated to people who are liberal," said Charles Lee, founder of Just One and a professor at Life Pacific College in San Dimas, Calif., who helped organize the event and interviewed human trafficking survivors Trong and Rani Hong onstage. "But if you read the Gospel, you can't get away from the fact that Jesus cared about social issues."
"We have a generation of people who are hungry to do something about the injustice in this world, and that is absolutely incredible."
-Steven
The purpose of Foursquare NextGen Summit '07 was crystallized by James Craft into this single statement: "Imagine completely changed people completely changing the world." The statement connected the event's social causes with the spiritual realities that were the foundation and purpose for the gathering.
The only way to change the world is to first change people. Only when God brings new life to hearts can people go out and bring that same new life to the world. This was the very core of the NextGen Summit: Change the hearts and minds of young people and empower them to change their world.
"Yesterday I went to the session with Margaret Feinberg called 'What the Heck Am I Going to Do With My Life?' and I've been wondering that for a long time. It really opened my eyes to all the opportunities I can have. ... It really helped me to see that I need to do what God wants me to do and pray and focus on that instead of what I want to do."
-Olivia
The idea of changing hearts and then changing the world grounded the weekend in the practical. It's one thing to travel to a high-energy event and make bold statements about living for God, but then go back to life as usual when daily realities come flooding back. It's another thing to back up those bold statements with real-world actions anyone can take to improve the lives of orphans, human trafficking victims and the poor.
"You can believe in stuff and not care about it, but you can't care about something and not believe in it," pastor and author Erwin McManus told the arena on Sunday morning. "It's not about what you believe--it's what you care about."
NextGen Summit '07 connected that passion with God with a passion for those hurting in today's world--the orphans, the enslaved and the impoverished. The weekend was truly a call to imagine what God could do through each individual--not for individual gain, but to impact the world.
"What would the world miss out on if you died today?" asked author Donald Miller during opening night, challenging students to dream big dreams.
"You can be a world-changer no matter what age you are."
-Erin
There are 144 million orphans worldwide—children who have lost their parents due to death, separation or abandonment.
"An orphan faces all the devastating challenges of life alone," said Marilee Pierce Drucker, a child advocate with World Vision during one of the workshop sessions.
Caroline Barnett, co-pastor with her husband, Matthew, encouraged students to support adoption causes even now while they're young. She told stories of foster parents who give so much and need support. "You can bless their socks off," she said.
Embracing orphans doesn't have to be complicated either. In 2004, 10-year-old Austin Gutwein shot 2,057 free throws—one for every child orphaned by AIDS in a single day—and raised $3,000. He started Hoops of Hope and encourages kids across the country to join in. In 2007, they raised $150,000 to build a medical facility in Zambia.
"There are worse things in life than what we're going through; other people are having worse troubles than we are."
-Michael
Contrary to what many people assume, slavery didn't end more than a hundred years ago. Worldwide, 27 million people are trapped in forced labor or sexual exploitation, and between 600,000 and 800,000 people are trafficked across international borders each year, according to the U.S. Department of State. The slave trade is alive and well.
And it could be in your backyard. Anaheim—where the NextGen Summit was held—is one of 12 major hubs for human trafficking in the United States.
"God asks his people to stand up, show up and speak up on behalf of the oppressed," asserted Sharon Cohn with International Justice Mission, an organization that fights human trafficking. "You were not just rescued from something—you were rescued for something."
That something might be as simple as raising awareness and money to stop human trafficking, as did 15-year-old Zach Hunter, who started Loose Change to Loosen Chains as a seventh-grader.
"If you have a dream, don't let people get in the way."
-Alisha
Perhaps the most recognizable and overwhelming cause the NextGen Summit embraced was fighting poverty. More than 1 billion people live on less than $1 per day. Each night, 800 million people go to bed hungry. One third of deaths are due to poverty-related causes.
And poverty isn't just a problem in the developing world. In the United States, 13 percent of the population is in poverty—roughly 37 million people—and the poverty rate for children (18 percent) is higher than for any other age group.
The Bible continually calls for God's people to care for the poor. And it can happen in simple, practical ways.
"The best things to do with the best things in life is to give it away," poverty activist Shane Claiborne said as he told stories about feeding the homeless in Philadelphia.
"When we give, we become a little more attached to the world to come and a little less attached to this world," author Margaret Feinberg told the crowd on New Year's Eve.
"Well, to be honest, when my parents told me they were going to send me to this, I thought it was going to be boring. I thought I really knew Christ, but then I came and started taking things from it, knowing that I need a better walk. I'm glad my parents sent me to this. ... I hope they have it again, because it's really cool."
-Josh
While serious inspiration defined the weekend, there was also fun to be had. More than 10 bands performed on the main stage, including San Diego rockers Switchfoot, the hip-hop duo Grits and melodic newcomers Leeland. Each time a band took the stage, screaming teens rushed to the edge of the stage for a better view.
The five finalists from the NextGen Artist Search also played, with winners Flagship Brigade and I'm OK You're OK helping rock in the New Year along with the hip-hop sounds of L.A. Symphony and the high-energy worship of Press Play.
When the music wasn't blaring, students were clamoring for prizes ranging from beach balls to iPods. Videos on the giant screens featured Matthew Barnett in a faux boy band and James Craft welcoming students into the arena while he bungee jumped, skydived and flew upside down in a fighter jet. Outside the main arena in the Imagine Terminal, students could kick back on couches, connect with causes, hear more live music and show their skills on the skateboard ramp.
Back onstage, there were plenty of laughs as well. While Margaret Feinberg interviewed Foursquare President Jack Hayford, she asked about his sweater, sending the arena into a frenzy as they cheered over which of his sweaters they liked better—Saturday night's or Sunday night's.
"You guys would yell for anything," Pastor Jack chided, prompting even more screams. But while the crowd joked with Pastor Jack, they also listened intently and responded enthusiastically, soaking up truth from a spiritual mentor and forging an intergenerational connection that's rare in today's world.
"One thing that inspired me is that God is always going to be there for you through good times and bad times; no matter how hard it gets, no matter how hard the road gets, no matter how rocky it gets, He's going to always be there for you. I learned that from Pastor Jack yesterday."
-Michelle
That intergenerational connection was perhaps the most palpable evidence that something different was happening, as thousands of students responded to Pastor Jack and General Supervisor Glenn Burris Jr. The two Foursquare leaders were admittedly not the main draw for the thousands of students—but they completely captured everyone's attention.
"I'm impressed that an audience comprised almost entirely of people under 25 would listen to someone that by the rest of our culture would be completely written off as out of touch," said Pastor Jack, thanking the audience for their attentiveness.
But it was more than polite attention. It was clear that the crowd of 3,500 students respected the Foursquare president as a spiritual leader and mentor. A group of missionary kids from around the world even lovingly referred to Pastor Jack as "Grandfather" when they introduced him Sunday morning.
Glenn Burris Jr., speaking a blessing on the next generation and passing the spiritual baton, confirmed Foursquare's commitment to youth: "I pray that your generation will be known for compassion to the needy, for a commitment to justice, for uncompromising character and for Christ-likeness, though surrounded by a world of desperation."
"There's this image I've had in my head for years now of people raising their hands whenever somebody asks for people to raise their hands ... I close my eyes and everybody raises their hands. And I've been so confused by what it's meant, and all of a sudden today it was revealed to me that I'm supposed to go out and be the person who's going to make people raise their hands. I'm supposed to tell them about God ... so they can be saved."
-Kristina
Students attending the summit took that spiritual baton being passed down by older Christians. Hundreds came forward to respond to the Lord's call. Hundreds filled out cards committing to the 1 for 100 challenge—to give $1 or 1 hour every day for 100 days after the convention. The sense of energy and change was palpable.
Following the event, James Craft thanked all those who served to make the gathering possible. "Without a doubt," he said, "God helped us achieve what we set out to do: Imagine completely changed people completely changing the world!"
Kevin D. Hendricks is a freelance writer, blogger and former yo-yo man. He lives in St. Paul, Minn., with his wife, daughter, adopted baby on the way and two lazy dogs.
