A recent article in the Leaders-Digest issued by the Evangelical Alliance UK conveys a call from the National Director of Youth for Christ, urging the Church to seize the opportunity of evangelism given by the openness of teenagers to the Gospel.
Roy Crowne, the National Director of a world renowned youth mission group, Youth for Christ (YFC), revealed the desperate need to concentrate on youth minitry based on some statistics and figures.
According to statistics by church growth experts, 85% of people who come to faith in Christ do so under the age of 25. Many people are usually too quick to criticise this age group for their lack of morals, apathy and ‘couldn’t care-less’ attitude. However, on the other hand, people at this age are spiritually aware and they are always looking for some solid truth in life.
Young people’s desperate spiritual thirt can be easily observed, according to Crowne. TV shows such as the X Files have drawn young people, while films like The Matrix and Lord of the Rings suggest that people are all searching for some deeper meaning in life other than the "natural".
Crowne honestly declared that the UK is now facing a crisis in youth ministry because more and more young people are leaving the Church and finding fulfilment elsewhere. And for this, the Church could not evade its responsibility.
The society is now trapped in morality decay and social chaos. With escalating divorce figures and a lack of positive role models, young people are looking elsewhere for inspiration.
Crowne described that the Church has a fight on its hand to save the young people from the world, "churches worldwide are facing the challenge of keeping their young people who are being bombarded with dozens more enticing offers from the media and society at large."
