THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH NIGERIA
41ST LAWNA TERRITORIAL INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION 2017 YOUNG PEOPLE’S TEACHING
Held at TACN LAWNA International Convention Grounds, Lagos on Thursday 3rd of August 2017 at 3.30pm
TOPIC: THE CONTEMPORARY YOUTH AND VISION FOR CHURCH GROWTH
BY
PASTOR PROFESSOR SAMSON A. FATOKUN
(Assembly Pastor, TACN Sanngo Area Headquarters, Ibadan &
Professor of Church History, Doctrinal Theology and Pentecostal Studies,
Department of Religious Studies, University of Ibadan)
Email: samsonfatokun1@gmail.com
Text: Matthew 28: 18-20 (See also Acts of the Apostles 1:8)
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A) INTRODUCTION
God’s special interest in youths in Global Church History for a Sustainable Church Growth
1) Youths as the most needed potent human force for sustainable church growth as the link between the contemporary generation and the next.
Compare, for instance, the age bracket of Jesus & His disciples, Paul & his missionary team, the founding fathers of TAC in the United Kingdom & Nigeria (D.P. Williams-28/34yrs (1882-1910/1916); Adegboyega-29/33yrs (1897-1926/1931); Babalola -24/26yrs (1904-1928/1930); Okon -21/22yrs (1914-1935/6); Sakpo -18yrs (1912-1930);
Other church leaders around the world: The Great Reformers - Martin Luther-34yrs (1483-1517); John Calvin-21yrs (1509-1530); John Knox–27yrs (1513-1540); The Great Evangelical Re-Awakening Evangelists -John Wesley–25yrs (1703-1728), Jonathan Edwards -19/30yrs (1703-1722/1733);
The Early Global Pentecostal Leaders – Charles Fox Parham (Founder of American Pentecostal Movement)-28yrs (1873-1901); William Seymour (leader of the Azusa Street Pentecostal Revival)-36yrs (1870-1906);
The Great Women of Faith - Florence F. Crawford (Founder of Apostolic Faith Church, USA) -20s (1906); Aimee-Semple McPerson (founder of Foursquare, USA) -23/32yrs (1890-1913/1922); Kathryn Kuhlman (the American Great Faith (Divine) Healing Evangelist) -30s (1907-1940s), Sophia Odunlami (Precious Stone Society Divine-Healing Evangelist/prophetess)-18yrs (1900 - 1918); & Christiana Abiodun Akinsowon -15yrs (1909-1924).
2) Any church with a reduction in youth strength is a church with a gloomy and disastrous future – compare the closing down of churches and current sales selling out of church edifices Europe (what the fore-fathers spent all their lives to labour)
3) Youth Involvement and Empowerment as a Global Church Growth Phenomenon – A church where youths are less than 50% population in regular church attendance and active participation is preparing for a phase out of history in the next 40 years (Compare the need for the authorship of the book of Deuteronomy, when Youths of 20 years (see Numbers 1:3) and above were wiped out of the Church of Israel within 40 years of the wilderness journey - leaving only 2 remnants out of over 400, 000 of the 630, 000 men that left Egypt.
- Participatory Observations Case-Studies - the strategic high % of youth representation @ Edinburgh 2010 World Mission Centenary Conference organised by World Council of Churches - over 70% youths sponsored by the World Council of Churches for a sustainable link with the next generation.
-Jerusalem 2015 Global Pentecostal Conference (tagged Empowered25) - more than 70% Youth delegates from all over the world.
4) Youth or Young People’s Church - A New Global Church Growth Strategy- to cater for their peculiarity of worship style, without jeopardizing the basic bible truths (the building of separate auditoria for youth church at conventions world-wide).
5) Three (3) Things Youths as Agents of Growth Development Look Out for in Any Church Organization - Relevance, Acceptance and Integration (The RAI Model)
6) Where Today are the Majority of Youths Born and Bred in TACN - the expected and destined agents of Church Growth ?
They are away in other churches (both Mainline and Pentecostal), constituting the strong work force for church growth as ordained priests, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, music ministers/instrumentalists, ICT experts, ushers, drama ministers, deliverance ministers, counsellors, teachers of the word, intercessors, follow –up leaders, and any other relevant church growth offices/units.
i) WHY- Because we blindfoldedly sent them away as irrelevant or opposive to our administrative system - after we have nourished and polished them for Glorious Master’s Use with sound biblical truth and all necessary trainings as able soldiers for the end time army and well equipped agents for church growth.
ii) WHEN - At the time they were seen by some as competitors than useful agents for TACN sustainable church growth.
iii) HOW Ignorantly by our words, actions and re-actions.
B) IDENTIFIED OBSTACLES TO YOUTH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN CHURCH GROWTH
1) Inability to Manage Youths – Youths being led in some quarters by individuals who do not belong to the world of thought.
2) Structural Problem – In conduciveness of atmosphere for worship and active church participation- Youths by divine make up always want to be involved, they are not satisfied with sitting down as onlookers in the church
3) Attitudinal Problem - Hostility, Rejection, Condemnation, Apathy, Intolerance, etc
4) Inferiority Complexes – In some quarters .
5) Anachronistic Administrative Trends – Application of 1920s/1930 Faith Tabernacle administrative principles in a 21st century church (fundamentalism and undue rigidity).
6) Gender Inequalities/ Gender Marginalization Tendencies
7) Lack of Adequate Units within the Church Set -up for Youths’ Active Participation –No enough platforms in most assemblies for them to utilize their gifts and creativity other than choir stall.
8) Lack of Career Development, Counselling and Empowerment Unit. – to adequately meet the socio-economic and professional needs of these youths as new risers in life.
9) Youthful Exuberance- pride, insubordination, disrespect for authorities, superiority complex- too know (in contrast to expected Christ’s life - Philippians 2:5-10) (Note the Yoruba adage –B’omode ba laso bi agba… Aya ti oba joye iga…
C) THE ROLES OF THE CHURCH IN THE EFFECTIVE USE OF YOUTHS AS AGENTS FOR CHURCH GROWTH
(The Hows of Getting Youths Appropriately Used as Agents of Church Growth in TACN)
1) Growing Youths for Church Growth Model (Ecclesiastes 11:1)
- If the church grows the Youths, the Youths will in turn grow the Church
If Youths Go away from the church, the church too will soon Go off the scene (Case Study - the closing down and selling off of churches in Europe. Yoruba adage: Bi ina baku, a fi eru boju, b’ogegde ba ku, a f’omo re ropo..
2) The 3 Es Model- Encouragement, Empowerment, and Engagement
Youth Encouragement Model as a tool for Church Growth :
Providing a Conducive Environment for Active Youth Participation in all assemblies (Youth Integration Model – on their return from campuses or as they are growing up)
3) Youth Empowerment Model as a Tool for Church Growth:
The church should invest in the youths, organize trainings for them ,send them out for trainings (where necessary) for knowledge acquisition on modern church growth techniques.
---Special need for Creation of Youth Development and Empowerment/Resource Centre essentially for Career and Entrepreneurship Trainings, Periodical Symposia, Seminars, Talks on Health Related Issues, Home Management. Singles Forum, Married People Forum, Periodic General Family Seminars (to centre on practical and challenging family-related issues), Child- Patents Relationship Talks, etc
4) Youth Engagement as a Tool for Church Growth
- Creating new and appropriate units/avenues in all assemblies’ set up where they could effectively serve God and feel relevant. E.g Bible Study Unit, Ushering Unit, Technical, Visitation Unit Evangelism and Follow-up Unit, Video/Audio Recording Unit, Publicity/ Press Unit, Drama Unit, Chorography Unit, Protocols, Patrols, Security, etc (Youths to Mention Other Relevant Areas)
- Giving rooms for females involvement in chorus leading, as interpreters, etc, and even as choir leaders
5) Modern Ministerial Recruitment/Repackaging Strategy as a Tool for Church Growth
- The Need for a Pro-Active Recruitment and Engagement of Professionals through the TMM Model - (Likes begat Likes) Titus 3:13; Colossians 4:14; Paul among the Philosophers- Acts 17:16-22
6) Rebranding TACN (using Old-School-New-Structure- New Techniques -Model)
- to be relevant to the contemporary social context, there is the need for rebranding without lowering the basic bible truths and standard (2 Timothy 2:19)
- Services/Liturgy to be appropriately meet the spiritual, physical and emotional needs of the people WITH BALANCED BIBLICAL TRUTHS
-Making our church buildings attractive with modern structures, good painting, flower plantings, interior and exterior decorations, etc.
7) Creation of Youth Ministry with Emphasis on Youth Church: With a view to attracting the elites (confer the role of RCCG Model Parish and GOFAMINT Pacesetter Assemblies in church growth)
- Becoming all things for all men to win them to Christ (Corinthians 9:22) - without compromising the essentials of the faith – holiness and sanctification.
8) Job Creation & Strategic IGR Model -Creation of employment opportunities for youths within the church to get a means of livelihood – as a good membership recruitment & retention technique. (James 2:15-18)
- Involvement in diversified income making ventures for get internally generated revenues (IGR) than absolute reliance on tithes and offerings
9) New-Wine -New-Wine-Skin -Civilization and Globalization Model (Luke 5:38)
10) Launch an Aggressive 'Bring Back Our Youths Campaign' at all Levels. (Luke 15:1-10ff)
- The need for the leadership of the church at all levels to arise, search for, comfort and bring back home battered, shattered and wounded youths following the example of Christ the Good Shepherd (John 10)
- Creating a Reconciliation Forum for Wounded Children (Youths) and Aggrieved Fathers (Leaders) – Read Isaiah 40:1
D) THE ROLES OF YOUTHS IN EFFECTIVE CHURCH GROWTH
1) Availability-Mission Drive-Mission Empowerment Model (Ecclesiastes 12:1ff; Judges 6:14-16; Acts 1:8)
A Renewed Active Participation in church ministry through the 3S Principle –Self-Determination, Self-Encouragement, and Self-Discipline (Confer David at Ziklag I Samuel 30:6) with humility, submissiveness and respect (mutual) for authorities
2) Andrew- Peter- Jesus Link Model (John 1:40-41)
3) Youth Fellowship Strategy - Essentially managed by mature and gifted youths themselves -
4) Use of Modern Youth Membership Recruitment and Retention Techniques -without compromising the bible truths.
5) Use of Modern Evangelism Strategies - Modified Early Morning Cry, Bus evangelism, Health Mission Outreaches, Welfare Mission Outreaches, Prison Outreaches, Destitute Mission Outreaches, Hospital Mission Outreaches, Area boys Mission Outreaches, Village Mission Outreaches, Middle and Upper Class - Business Men / Professionals Mission Outreaches.
6) Use of Intensive Communication Technology (ICT) for Evangelism, Church Planting and Growth - e.g Radio and TV evangelism, seminars and special prayer Programmes, whatshapp messages, creation of Facebooks for assemblies , districts, areas. (Making active use of both electronic and print media).
7) Active Participation in Rebranding TACN - making our church buildings attractive with modern structures, good painting, flower plantings, interior and exterior decorations,
8) Involvement/Incorporation of Campus Fellowship (TACSFON) into church expansion and mission oriented programmes-e.g rural missions, city wide crusades
9) Organizing/Participation in Special Mission Trainings and Making Connections for Mission Empowerment
10) Gifted - hands and Gifted - Minds Partnership Church Growth Model
11) Concerts Model: Musical concerts, drama –night/special film show, and Jesus Dance Competitions
12) Games Strategy - Inter assemblies/districts/areas football matches. Use of Occasional (possibly weekends) Early Morning Jesus Health-Walk evangelism strategy.
E) CONCLUSION/ APPLICATION
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