Converge, Week 2 - Day 4: Raising Up the Next Generation

Converge, Week 2Day 4:Raising Up the Next GenerationDevotionalThere’s a quiet crisis in the church today. Fewer young men are entering ministry each year, and the average age of senior pastors continues to rise. While this might seem like a problem for denominational leaders to solve, Scripture places the responsibility for raising up pastors squarely on the local church. This isn’t someone else’s job – it’s ours. Paul’s instruction to Timothy reveals God’s design for ministry multiplication: faithful people teaching other faithful people who will, in turn, teach others. This creates a chain of discipleship that ensures the gospel continues to spread and churches remain healthy. This kind of multiplication requires investment. When we build strong local churches with discipleship programs, we create environments where pastors can be identified, trained, and sent out. This means investing in young people, creating mentorship opportunities, and establishing training that naturally produces leaders. While faith may be declining in some areas, there are signs of hope. Young people are returning to orthodox Christianity, and Gen Z is showing increased church attendance. The question is whether we’ll be ready to disciple them effectively when they arrive. This responsibility extends beyond formal ministry training. Every parent can raise children who might serve in ministry. Every Christian can invest. The future of the church depends not on distant seminaries or denominational programs, but on local churches.Bible Verseand what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also. - 2 Timothy 2:2Reflection QuestionWho are the ‘reliable people’ in your sphere of influence that you could be discipling for greater ministry responsibility?Quote “This comes from a 100-year vision of your church. This is not about posturing yourself as many do to plant one church. This comes out of posturing yourself to plant ten churches.”PrayerFather, burden my heart for the next generation of church leaders. Show me how I can invest in people and help raise up ministers of the gospel.