By Pastor Peter Qiu
A church that does not care for the youth has no hope for the future. Every church can be extinct within one generation, no matter how vibrant it used to be. Being future-focussed is the only option for a thriving church to continue its vitality.
Youth is such a delicate age group. They are naturally absorbent to anything they are exposed to. They are a double-edged sword, and they can be mighty warriors for either side of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.
Young people are exposed to many trials and temptations than ever before. Unless they are diligent students of the Bible, they will never be the hope for the future. But “with such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, … how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world! How soon might the end come,— the end of suffering and sorrow and sin!” (Counsels to Teachers, Parents, and Students, p. 555)
The ultimate goal for Christian education, and for mission alike, is not so much for the youth to achieve a higher income, higher social status, or even higher productivity, as to restore the lost image of God. May they be rightly trained, so that “even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Prov. 22:6)
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