The First Step in Touching the Next Generation for Christ

Who moved the landmarks?  What has happened to our culture?  Will things ever be the same?  I’m not a follower of prime-time television, but such titles as “Modern Family” and “The New Normal” are a telling commentary on where we are and where we are going – and woe to the person or persons who do anything other than go along.

What does this say about and to the church?  Where do we fit?  How do we respond?  Can we have a positive impact on and leave a lasting legacy to the next generation?  Can we touch and change the next generation for Christ?

It is always good to determine the first step.  Where do we begin?  Assuming that we are already attached to and are being changed by the Gospel, we must start in the home and, more specifically, with the fathers.  The front line of passing on a passion for Christ, His Gospel, and Gospel living is fathers.  Men without vision and passion leave children in a spiritual vacuum; waiting for something or someone to fill the void – and they always do.

So where does that leave the people of God amidst a generation in which fathers are being, indolent, or missing?  Is there hope for the next generation?  Are we forced to substitute a worldly surrogate, or can we rebuild the foundations and raise up godly generations?

We must start with the fathers.  We must start with the father we have.  We must continue with fathers to be – many of whom are from divorced homes, dysfunctional homes, and do not know a father at all.  This challenge is daunting but not insurmountable with the help of the Holy Spirit.  It only magnifies the need to embrace, proclaim, and mentor the Biblical model.

If we are to touch and change the next generation for Christ, we must begin at the beginning armed with a Biblical Gospel.  We must embrace the challenge of leading men and equipping them with a vision that will stand the test of time.

That the generations to come might know Christ,

Charles Cavanaugh