Page 2 - Mission Journal

MISSION &
MISSION &
THEOLOGY
THEOLOGY

Rev. Dr. David C. Wu

MISSION and THE YOUNG ADULT

The Role of Young Adult in Mission Cultivating Young Adult for Mission Involvement

When we speak of the role of young adult and mission, If the aim of young adult ministry is to enable every young
we are speaking of the main force and players that undergird adult to become a full and active disciple of Jesus Christ,
and carrying out the bulk of mission work in the church and then the church must be intentional in the effort of training
in the world. In real term, the bulk of all the work done and cultivating the young adult members of the church: to
nearly everywhere, is done mostly by young adults of the prepare, challenge and inspire them to a life of Christian
world over. This is true in the work of secular world and it is discipleship. Christian leaders do not just happen willy-nilly.
also true in the work of the church. While ministries to The talent and skill of leadership in any person must be
children and youth are important and valid in their own discovered, trained and cultivated. This is where visionary
right, our hope is to train up the children and the youth in and discerning leaders in the church are needed to play this
order that when they reach adulthood, they may become vitally important role of observing, identifying, selecting and
active and contributing members of the church. In fact our training prospective future leaders of the church among
goal and hope go beyond the church, we are called to be the their young adults. The process of this cultivation cannot be
light and the salt of the earth. Our influence and leadership a one shot approach: giving them a one week session on
should also impact the society and the world at large. "how to" seminar to become church leaders. The process
One telling sign that is common to many vibrant and must be a sustaining and on-going "accompaniment" process
growing churches is the ability of these churches in attract- of living out the content of discipleship by the trainers and
ing the young adults in the neighborhood in which these the trainees alike. This is not a process of "knowledge
churches are located, not only to join the church but to transmission" but rather a formative living out process of
become active and committed members of the church discipleship. This is hard and costly. But this is exactly how
community. When you see churches with attendance made our Lord left us with his own example. He carefully called out
up mostly of retired people, you are witnessing churches in and chose each of his disciples: guided them, taught them,
the state of decline. This is not to say that retired people are chastised them, encouraged them. He lived among his
no longer important or yet able to make significant contribu- disciples day and night. In him, the Word became flesh. It
tion for many years to come. But it is to say, without the would be difficult to replicate Christ s example for our use
constant replenishment of younger generation with full today. But it gives us a hint of an example for us to strive at
energy and vitality joining the church and undergirding the as inspiration and goal.
mission of the church, the ability of that church to be in At this point, one caveat needs to be mentioned.
mission is on the wane. According to church statistic, about 20% of church members

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