Lord, strengthen me to finish well.

May I, as I draw closer to the end of my earthly life,
Be a man who loves Your Church more than I ever have,
A man who prays for Your Church and Your leaders in the church,
A man who shows his commitment to Your bride in all that I do.

Lord, strengthen me to finish well.

May I be a man of greater moral purity,
So indwelled in Your Word and in prayer,
That I am able to resist the temptations of the enemy,
That my life shines as an example for You to the watching world.

Lord, strengthen me to finish well.

May I be a man who loves my family more with each passing day,
A man more in love and dedicated to his wife,
A man who loves his adult children even more than I did when they were younger,
And a man who loves his grandchildren and generation to come.

Lord, strengthen me to finish well.

May I be a man who loves others more as I grow older,
A man who is less judgmental and more giving of grace,
A man who realizes that the plank in my own eye is large,
And that I should forgive even as You forgive me.

Lord, strengthen me to finish well.

May my life have greater joy with each day.
May I see the blessings of life and count them daily.
May I not grow older and more bitter,
But grow older rejoicing in You always.

Lord, strengthen me to finish well.

As the day draws closer when I meet You face to face,
May I be a man who was already drawing closer to You,
A man who eagerly anticipated that day,
And a man who left behind a legacy and not regrets.

Lord, strengthen me to finish well.

And then, and only then, can I say that my life was not lived in vain.

Not that I have already reached the goal, or am already fully mature, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I have been taken hold of it by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14, HCSB).

The Millennial Generation fascinates me. Depending upon the years you frame the generation, it is the largest or nearly the largest generation in America’s history. For example, if the birth years 1980 to 2000 are the parameters, the Millennials are larger than the Boomers. Perhaps it’s their sheer size that fascinates me.

Or it could be that this new population wave includes my three sons who have birth dates of 1980, 1982, and 1985. I have seen some aspects of this generation up close since the generation began.

Still again, my fascination could be the result of my God-given desire to reach this generation with the gospel. And if our research is accurate, the American Church has done a woeful job of connecting with these young people. According to our research of older Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1991, only 17% attend church at least once a month. Please read that again carefully: only 17% attend church at least once a month.

Two Insights on the Millennials for the American Church

My son, Jess Rainer, and I are working on a book tentatively titled The Millennials. I have been pouring over our interviews with 1,200 older Millennials. Sometimes I get excited about the data. At other points I can get discouraged hearing about their beliefs and priorities.

Two particular pieces of data caught my attention as I reviewed the massive amount of data we have. Those insights seem to have particular relevance for churches that are looking to be more effective reaching this generation.

First, most Millennials, nearly ninety percent, say that their parents are key influencers in their lives. They seek advice and counsel from their parents often. Our churches need to hear this insight. Parents of unchurched and non-Christian Millennials need to know that their adult children really want to talk with them about all aspects of life, including spiritual matters. Our research indicates that many Christian parents of Millennials are reticent to talk to their sons and daughters about matters of faith and the absolute necessity of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Indeed, some of the most potentially effective evangelists in our churches may be the most reticent to share the truth of the gospel with their own children.

Second, another highly influential group for the Millennials is their own friends. But how many churches are intentionally strategic about mobilizing Christian Millennials to reach out to their friends with whom they have good relationships? Again, we may have some of the most potentially effective evangelists on the sidelines.

It Can Work

My own church, Brentwood Baptist Church, is experiencing incredible growth in its Kairos worship service primarily attended by Millennials. The attendance for that single service quickly surpassed 1,000, and now a second Millennial service has been added.

How did it happen? Pastor Mike Glenn tells the full story in his recent book, In Real Time. But we can say that most of the growth has been experienced by word of mouth. One Millennial friend told another. Those friends were invited. They became followers of Christ and started telling others. It’s both profound and simple.

A Challenge, An Opportunity

They are the most unreached generation in America’s history. Their beliefs are largely post-Christian. Most of them are not antagonistic toward the Church. It may be worse; the Church is not even a factor in the lives of most Millennials.

Such news is gloomy. It is certainly pessimistic.

But it’s not hopeless.

Like the early Church of the first three centuries, there are truly some clear paths for the Church today.  Indeed, the best possible evangelists may actually be sitting in your worship services today.

Mobilize the Christian parents of Millennials. Equip them. Pray for them.

And do the same for Christian Millennials.

The number of Christians in this generation may be relatively small, but the possibilities are great.

God has turned the world upside down before with a few Christians.

We should have no doubt that He can do it again today.

Dear Canon,

You came into this world in the early hours of October 14, 2009. Your grandmother and I drove through the night for over nine hours. We had hoped to be there at your birth, but we missed that moment by a few hours. Still, our hearts melted the first time we saw you.

Your Grandma Jo Jo cried openly when she saw you. I choked back tears. You are such an incredible blessing to us. Though you have been in this world for just a few days, we already love you so much.

Canon, I want to be the best granddad possible, but I know I will make some mistakes. But please hear some commitments I am making to you and God as your life unfolds.

I promise to pray for you. I will pray for your health. I will pray for clear direction from God for you. I will even begin praying for the right wife for you, even though that’s years down the road. Above all, I will pray for your salvation. I pray that you will discover the grace that comes by faith in Jesus Christ. Nothing is more important.

I commit to being supportive of your parents in all they do to raise you in the ways of the Lord. You have been given an incredible mom and dad. They love you so much. I want to be the type of granddad that always supports your parents. I want to heed to their desires for your life and follow them accordingly.

I promise to always be there for you. When you get old enough to use the phone, your calls will be a priority. Nothing will be more important than talking to you. I want to be with you as much as we can be together. The years are going rapidly, and I want to spend as much time as possible with you. I already have dreams of taking you to the beach, to football games, or wherever you would like to go. I just want to be with you.

I plan to be your biggest fan. Of course, I don’t know what paths you will pursue, but I will be there to encourage you, to cheer you on, to remind you that you can do anything in God’s strength. It will be so exciting to see how God will direct you and how He will use you.

You see, I know God has great plans for your life. I can’t even imagine the ways that He will use you. It will be a pure joy to watch His plan unfold in your life.

Canon, before I ever married your grandmother, I had dreams of having children. I prayed that God would give me the opportunity to mold the lives of those He entrusted to me. God answered my prayers beyond measure. Your Uncle Sam, Uncle Art, and your dad are three of the greatest joys of my life.

But, as my own three sons grew, I began to dream and pray about the joy of having grandchildren. You are the first grandchild. You are the first answer to those prayers. You are the next generation of blessing to me.

I love you so very much, Canon. You may not fully know the breadth and depth of my love until you have your own children and grandchildren. But please know that I love you.

My own dad died before your father was born. Every time your dad experiences a significant milestone in his life, I feel a lump in my throat because he didn’t have his granddad to be there for it. God willing, I will be there for you. God willing, we will have many great years together.

But I realize that this life is brief. I will be gone for most of your years. I pray that I will leave to you a legacy of love, a legacy of joy, and a legacy that demonstrated a heart committed to the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, can I say that my years with you were not lived in vain.

I love you, my grandson. I love you so very much.

Granddad

The bestselling book, The Love Dare, has been used of God to strengthen my marriage. I cherish those 40 days that Nellie Jo and I read the dare for the day and the Scripture that accompanied each day. Each dare challenged us to do something for the other. It took the focus off our own needs and desires and caused us to focus on each other. Each day reminded us that the agape love of marriage is a selfless and giving love. 

Johnny Hunt, my friend and president of the Southern Baptist Convention, has challenged our denomination to “Love Loud.” Sadly many times our denomination is more known for its acrimonious spirit rather than the love of Christ. Likewise, many of our churches are not known in their communities for being churches that consistently demonstrate gentleness, kindness, and love. 

Merging Two Great Ideas 

I love the spirit of both concepts. In fact, wouldn’t it be great if our churches could take both of the ideas and challenge their congregations? What would God do if we “dared” our church members to love loudly? What would our communities see if we put the love of Christ in action with a significant number of our members. 

The possibilities intrigue me. 

The potential excites me. 

Taking the Love Loud Dare

Imagine, if you will, a simple eight-day challenge to get our churches more focused on loving loudly. With apologies for my lack of creativity, the challenge could look something like the following. 

Day 1, Sunday. The congregation is given a simple one-page sheet of the Love Loud Dare. The pastor preaches a message on the love of Christ. The church devotes a time of prayer for the week to follow. Members are asked to email their stories to the church as the week unfolds. Members are reminded that the dare of each day is for them to show love to those outside the church. 

Day 2, Monday. The dare for this day is simply to call or visit someone and to offer prayer for them. Just let them know that your church was focusing on praying for people in the community and their name came to your mind. 

Day 3, Tuesday. Write a card or note to someone in the community to thank them for what they do: police, firefighters, community leaders, etc. If possible, deliver the note personally. 

Day 4, Wednesday. Send a note or card anonymously to someone in the community with a small gift, such as a $5 or $10 gift card. Let them know that the small gift is a reminder to them that someone is praying for them and cares about them.

Day 5, Thursday. Do an act of service for someone in the community. It does not have to be complicated. Perhaps you could deliver a bottle of cold water to someone you see working outside. 

Day 6, Friday. Do an act of service in the community itself . For example, take 10 or 15 minutes a pick up trash in town or in your neighborhood. 

Day 7, Saturday. Say a kind word to someone in the community. Make certain you offer encouragement with genuine words. 

Day 8, Sunday. As a part of the worship service, celebrate what God has done through His people. Read a few of the emails submitted throughout the week. Then encourage the people to develop a lifestyle where they learn to love loudly. 

From the Heart, Not a Gimmick

The danger in a Love Loud Dare is that it could be just another activity of the church, a one-week flurry of good deeds that has little sincerity or follow-up. But the upside of the week is that Christians could truly have a heart change to love more loudly. They will see how the love of Christ through them can transform lives, including their own. 

The Love Dare strengthened my marriage. Love Loud Dare could strengthen our churches. 

It’s worth the effort.

“So what do I do now?”

The pastor asked the question with seriousness and a level of expectation. He knew that many of his members were woefully lacking in biblical knowledge. And he had full awareness that many members were attending less frequently, and that some had dropped out altogether.

So he asked me what he should do. I responded from my research and consultations that his church needed a clear process for discipleship with clear expectations for members. I could tell by his look that more questions were coming. “Okay, what’s that look like? So what do I do now?”

The Solutions of Old

There was a day for most churches when the solution to this dilemma was to turn to some organizational entity, such as a denomination, and get the needed programs to meet the needs of the church. Disciple-making through the local church was thus simple as ordering the material, advertising the program, and getting the members to attend.

Not so today.

In many cases the programs became worn and stale. They no longer met the needs of the church. In other cases, the programs became the end instead of the means. Churches became program driven, but they could no longer see the purpose behind the programs. Many churches, understandably so, abandoned the programmatic approach.

The problem is that little was available to replace what was eliminated. So today thousands of church leaders are asking, “So what do I do now?”

Listening to Effective Disciple-Making Churches Today

As we heard from churches across America, we began to see a common pattern in churches that were more effective in making disciples. The attendance rate of members of those churches was higher, and the dropout rate was lower. Look at some of these common traits:

The church has an entry point class that all new members attend. Though these classes have different names, they have similar purposes. The classes did provide information, but they weren’t limited to dispensing facts about the church. The classes also established expectations of members. Some of the expectations are noted below.

Members are expected to attend an open group Bible study. An open group is an ongoing class that allows entry at any point. Historically, they have been called Sunday School classes, but today they have a variety of names. The point is to get members connected to a common group of people in regular Bible study.

Members are expected to be involved in one or more deeper studies throughout the year. These classes are set for a predetermined number of weeks, a twelve-week study for example. They tend to dive deeper into Bible study, doctrinal study, or studies of critical issues for the Christian. They also tend to be closed groups, because attendance every week is important to grasp the material. It is difficult for someone to enter the class after it begins because the material usually builds on itself.

Members are expected to attend a corporate worship service each week. This is the time for the people to gather for the preaching of the Word and to worship the One True God together.

Members are expected to be involved in at least one ministry or mission activity a year. The church has clear expectations that members are to be involved in those activities that cause them to look beyond themselves and to care for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of others.

Members are expected to read and study the Bible daily. Our research has shown that daily personal Bible study is the clearest indicator that a Christian is growing spiritually. These disciple-making churches exhort, encourage, and provide resources for the members to be involved in daily Bible study.

Raising the Bar

It is not unusual to hear objections when we present this research. “If I led my church to have these high expectations of members,” the argument goes, “we would have a mass exodus.” But our research shows just the opposite. Higher expectations get more positive behavioral patterns. People want to be a part of something that makes a difference.

If church leaders expect little, they will get little. If they raise the bar of expectations, most members will respond positively.

And as more church members get involved in open groups, deeper studies, corporate worship, ministry, missions, and daily Bible study, they will become more effective disciples for Christ. And thus churches will grow stronger and become healthier.

May God grant us more true disciple-making churches.