On 25 June 2022, I stood in the Telenor Arena in Oslo watching thousands of young people raise their shoes above their heads declaring they would take the gospel anywhere that Jesus sends them. I was attending The Send Norway, a gathering to mobilise young Christians in their missional calling and I prayed, ‘Lord do this in the UK’. Fast-forward to 7 July 2024, and I was overwhelmed as I stood in the OVO Arena in Wembley and witnessed almost 6,000 people gathered to say 'yes' to all that God is doing through young people in our nation.
There is a fresh move of God taking place. Everywhere I go I hear reports of God’s work amongst young people. Generations Z & Alpha are the first pre-Christian generation in our nation for hundreds of years and they are curious about faith and spiritual things and looking for meaning in life.
Into these open hearts God is speaking through dreams, creating in them a hunger to read the Bible and calling them to connect with church. Christians in these generations are growing in missional confidence and looking to live an ‘all-in’ life for Jesus. They are sharing faith, inviting friends to youth groups and being bold in their witness.
The Send was created to mobilise the younger generations (16 – 25-year-olds) to live a life devoted to Jesus Christ and fulfil the Great Commission. This has started to happen through large arena and stadium events followed up by opportunities to take missional action. From The Send’s work in the USA, Brazil and Norway, young people have made over 200,000 commitments to missionary outreach.
At our recent event in Wembley, over 1,000 young people made a commitment to mission abroad and in the UK.
The stories have flooded in from parents and youth leaders who are amazed at the transformation in their young people devoting their lives as followers of Jesus and taking missional action. We heard from a pastor who wept in their car on the way home, after witnessing young people speak of how they had met with Jesus and how they longed to serve Him.
Jake a young man from South London, bought 20 Bibles and took them to school, offered them to friends and now leads Bible discussions in school lunchtimes. He said: “It’s so exciting to get up every day knowing Jesus is sending me into my school to help my friends come to know Him – I have such a joy and sense of His presence with me and His love for people.”
Over the next year, The Send UK & Ireland will hold events across our nation to enable the church to unite and commission this generation in their missional calling. We will be working with local churches and partner organisations to equip and encourage them to live this out, through mission agency support and local Spotfire communities where they gather to pray for personal and national revival and support each other in evangelism.
To journey with us through the coming year you can sign up at thesend.uk for regular updates and have a team come to your church.
