“After this I looked and there before me a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” Revelation 7:9-10
As we read these verses we can’t help but be struck by the beautiful picture of what heaven will be like ... people of all tribes and nations worshipping the King.
Doesn’t it seem to make sense that our youth groups and churches should be modeling their ministries after this biblical mandate?
With the dramatic increase of immigration and the globalization of our society, ministering to a multicultural society is no longer an option.
Many of our churches are sounding an alarm and seeking answers as to how to minister to communities of ethnic and economic diversity.
If we don’t want to be left behind and become totally irrelevant and outdated, each of us as youth pastors needs to take a careful look at the demographic makeup of our youth group to see if it resembles the surrounding community of our church. If you discover that your youth group doesn’t resemble the community, it may be time to reevaluate your vision.
For more than 30 years I have served as a youth pastor in multicultural communities. There has been no greater joy than seeing young people come together from different racial and economic backgrounds worshipping the Lord. The thought of our youth group being a model to our community of what the Kingdom of God looks like has been extremely gratifying! On the other hand it has required every ounce of energy, creativity, and attentiveness to the Spirit’s guidance to lead the youth group and church in this direction.
So where do you start in developing your multicultural ministry? Keep reading
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