Brad and I met with our local advisory team to discuss catalytic activity for Long Beach. Our advisory team is made up of pastors, strategic city intercessors, business owners, and a leader in a para-church (college) organization. As everyone shared about what each of them has been seeing God do in the city in each of their contexts, we saw similar themes - that God is stirring and preparing for the transition of young leaders. These young leaders will be ones who are called to stay here in Long Beach. They will have longevity and will be the next pastors of the city over the next 20-30 years. There will need to be a building up of relationships so that the trusting process can take place between the seasoned pastors and the young adult leaders. It will be exciting to see a multigenerational community working together to reach the city.
There will need to be ongoing training. They will need to know that they are not alone and that they can have a sense of accountability with more mature leaders who are willing to invest in them. They will need to be given a sense of hope and purpose so that they can know that they can significantly impact the city for Christ together. Many young adults, whether in college or not, have a difficult time affording life in the city. What would it look like if churches rallied together in support of key young leaders and financially supported them to serve the city? What if churches pooled resources together for community and economic development? What if churches collaborated towards mutual efforts?
It will be interesting to see what the Lord does with all of this and to see who else He's stirring about these things.
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