https://youtu.be/7J0T-tCgCB8

Are all Millennials “nones”? Not at all. Over 30,000 young people are engaged in evangelism throughout the world serving through YWAM in over 180 countries in 1,100 locations. I spent the day with Mark Anderson who has served for decades next to YWAM founder, Loren Cunningham. Multiple thousands of people are coming to Christ in China, Indonesia, and many other countries — the true “news” stories of our day that the media will never report. I consider him one of my most respected friends. Spending time with Anderson, founder of the global pastor/leader movement call2all.org, I was captivated by stories he shared that sounded like the Acts of Apostles in the 21st century. The Chinese church is raising up 1MM missionaries to take the Gospel worldwide. YWAM features no hierarchical organization chart, which is perhaps one of the reasons for their massive growth and effectiveness. Antidotal to a grim spiritual landscape in North America and Western Europe, YWAM and its army of passionate youth committed to the Great Commission reminds us of what the power of prayer and vision can accomplish.

“The idea that Loren had … and he got it from the Lord, very sovereignly, was that you don’t have to wait until your 30, 35, 40, to engage the Lord and move into some category of influence. God made it clear to him that you can help the young people who are still teenagers, certainly college age, to experience missions and have their lives changed, and encounter the Lord on very deep levels, and make a difference even while they are young. So Youth With A Mission idea is ‘catch them young’ and give them an opportunity to do what we typically think are ‘adult things’ particularly 50 years ago. Nobody thought you could send an 18-year-old to a mission field. You had to be Bible college, Seminary, experience something somewhere, and then be funded, and then you could go. He blew all that up, by God’s direction … now it is normal.”

Why does it seem God is moving in demonstrable ways in nations other than the United States of America? Why do Chinese and Indonesian Christians, who often suffer for their faith, eagerly risk their lives, social status, and much more? One distinction Cristie Jo and I have observed as we travel the globe is their determination to learn “why” they believe “what” they believe. Discipleship has replaced ‘entertainment’ Christianity. As a couple, we will take you on an international journey transcending the shallow reasons for American Christianity’s decline, paradoxically, at the same time it is booming in other nations where Christian leaders are daring to call people to a higher level of commitment and catechism long overdue.

Mark Anderson is the founder and president of www.call2all.org. He has served in Christian ministry since 1977 in a variety of capacities including senior leadership in www.ywam.org.