DAY 2
DAY 2: Think bigger and beyond INTERGENERATIONALLY
Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (Amplified)
Today we’re looking at what it means to go beyond ourselves as we celebrate being part of an intergenerational church. Let’s remind ourselves that Jesus was 30 years old when He began His ministry. His disciples would all have been much younger, probably in their teens and twenties. We are so blessed at KingsGate to be part of a growing intergenerational church, where all of us have a huge responsibility to ensure that we are investing into the next generation. In the Bible, there are lots of encouragements to share the Lord’s goodness, and all the wonderful works He has done, ‘…we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord…so the next generation would know them, even the children not yet born, and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God.’ Psalm 78:4,6-7. Let’s dare to believe that over the next few years, we will see thousands more young people come to faith in Jesus Christ across all our campuses, becoming radical disciples for Him.
It’s also good to remember that, along with the younger disciples who met in the Upper Room after Jesus’ ascension, we see that Mary, Jesus’ mother, was there too, giving us a wonderful picture of the strong sense of intergenerational community and family. Pray that there will be an even stronger connection between the generations, where we love, honour and respect one another. One of the beautiful benefits of being in a multi-generational church is that we can learn from each other. ‘One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.’ (Psalm 145:4). As well as the older generation teaching the younger, there is so much that the younger generation can teach the older, as they bring an exuberance and energy to the church that is infectious and inspiring.
QUOTABLE QUOTE
Intergenerational friendships are the windows to the world, offering a glimpse into different eras, cultures and perspectives, expanding our horizons and enriching our lives.
– Unknown
DEVOTIONAL
by Victoriana Odunjo
Prayer points
- Pray that in the years ahead, we will continue to be an intergenerational church; loving one another, learning from one another and serving one another.
- Pray that increasing numbers of young people will come onto the discipleship pathway of Next Steps and Partnership which is the gateway into stepping into leadership roles.
- One of the best ways to invest into the younger generation is to serve on the Youth and Kid’s teams. Pray that, in all our campuses, there would be a growing army of amazing volunteers who will invest into the lives of our children and young people. You can find out more, here.
PLEASE PRAY FOR YOUTH ALPHA:
- Pray for Youth Alpha running in Peterborough as part of the Friday night youth programme; pray for all the leaders and helpers - that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom and discernment as they build relationships with many unchurched young people, as well as those who are already part of the church family.
- Pray for the young people attending; thank God for the 461 young people who have now registered for Youth Alpha. Across the last two Friday evenings, we have seen 296 different young people, 72 of them coming to Friday Youth for the first time. Whatever stage of their faith journey they’re at, let’s pray that they would have a hunger to go deeper. Pray for those who regularly come to church but have never made a personal commitment to surrender their lives to Jesus. Let’s believe that Alpha will be a defining moment for them and that they would go on to get baptised, filled with the Spirit and become radical disciples of Jesus.
- Pray especially for those who have no faith background; we’re believing that lots of unchurched young people will come. Pray that they will sense the presence and power of the Holy Spirit at work in their hearts and minds. Pray that they will make some great friends and that they will ‘feel safe’ to ask lots of questions.