Recently I had a chance to talk to some young people at 71Five about the claims of Christ. The discussion was a no holds barred Q&A session lasting about an hour and half. The questions came primarily from an atheist point of view and it was incredible to hear what these kids are dealing with! Later, I connected with the same young people and was surprised when a young girl Sarah said frankly “Oh Shane, I believe in good and evil. I’ve seen some real evil before!” We had a great conversation where she told me about some of her experiences with darkness and the occult. I shared with her about how Jesus can set her free from all darkness regardless of past ties. Sarah said she wanted to follow this path and wanted to start reading her Bible!

 

It’s wonderful to share Christ with kids who have “intellectual“ questions as well as with kids who are looking to be set free from darkness and the occult. Thank you for bringing this great Hope into all circumstances and situations, no matter where our kids find themselves.

 

A recent casual conversation at 71Five City, quickly turned into a great discussion on how the Gospel gives us an unshakable confidence; centered in a person’s identity in Christ. The Gospel removes the temptation of looking at your performance as your self-worth or your identity. The gospel reveals the unnecessary soul crushing burden that our society puts on people to create self-confidence based on looks or profession. Mary excitedly said, “We need to talk more about this during our Club discussions!” Mary was very interested in discussing how the Gospel gives us great personal freedom and confidence not to be dependent on social media ‘likes’ or how awesome you are, or how “hot” you are. We can have unshakable confidence that the Gospel is the A to Z not just the ABC’s of Christianity. It addresses every issue of the heart and mind, even in these perplexing times.

 

You help reach kids like Mary with this life-changing Gospel! These changes are great. They are deep. They are forever changes on how young people look at themselves in the mirror… Because of your life-giving support. Thank you for all you do!

 

Billy, who faithfully attends our high school club, told me how he has been reading the book of Colossians and was excited about what he’s learning. He mentioned he wanted our high school club to read and talk about it during our discussion time. He said, “I like how it shows a new way of life… I also like that it shows that the family of God is multiethnic.” For Billy to see how relevant and life changing the book of Colossians can be, is awesome.

 

To see our youth read and understand the Bible for themselves is super cool! I recently read a study that said 4% of Gen Z has a biblical worldview and is the least Christian generation in US history. The study also said they’re the loneliest generation in history, but amazingly are willing to trust adults who take the time to get to know them. Because of your support we can do this.

 

Thank you so much for bringing the only true hope in the world to the kids of this generation!

It was a rough night, the kids seemed tired and were really distracted. Dinner and games went well enough but during our Bible study and discussion time, it just didn’t spark much interest or conversation like it typically does. After wrapping up, I decided to play some card games as parents would start trickling in to pick up the kids. As the night wound down, I found myself in a completely unexpected conversation with Jason. He began to open up about his current struggle in weighing the cost of choosing the life of Christ vs. his addictions. What an amazing opportunity I was able to have in sharing how God’s Spirit can transform and empower us from the inside out!

 

Through your support of Youth 71Five Ministries, we are reaching these kids even in the in-between moments building their trust and providing places for them to be vulnerable. Thank you for playing a vital part in our relational ministry!

 

The young people in our community face many challenges such as being socially isolated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the constant bombardment of social media vying for their attention. At 71Five City, I’m always looking to push past these barriers, to drive our discussions to a deeper level, challenge assumptions, look at worldview, and help the youth realize… ideas have real life consequences. Recently our efforts have paid off with a great and lively conversation about some of the hot button issues kids are wrestling with and genuinely care deeply about. Chloe expressed to us, “I can’t really say what I think about this because they would cancel me.”

 

It’s an awesome opportunity and great responsibility to reach these kids and share the hope of the Gospel. At 71Five, we love piercing through the superficial and creating lasting relationships with the youth. Thank you so much for your vital effort to reach and affect these young kids!