READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l NextGen Panel Discussion
Panelists: Eunice Toh (Children’s Ministry), Liana Seah (Between Ministry), Beverly Wong (Youth Ministry)
Moderated by Rev Raymond Fong
A. Our Youth and Children are the future of the church. It takes a village to guide them in God’s ways.
• Statistics show that young people today are less interested in religion than previous generations. Young people who grew up in the church are leaving the church in larger numbers than before.
• Wesley Methodist Church has a huge NextGen congregation (~500 children in Wesley’s Children’s Ministry, and more in Between & Youth Ministry). It takes working together as a church community to raise them as resilient Christians who will keep the faith, fight the good fight and finish the race.
B. Availability is more important than Ability
• Serving in NextGen often comes with questions about whether we have enough Bible knowledge, whether we can be relevant or energetic enough for the youth. There are also challenges of balancing the various roles we play in our work, family and church.
• Ability is not as important as availability in serving God – being available to show up, connect and grow with the NextGen youths and children. It is extremely rewarding to see lives transformed by God in His time. We see God’s heart and constant pursuit of every single person. It is awesome to be able to be part of this! In turn, we become better parents, co-workers as we allow God to work in and through us!
C. Pray for our NextGen!
• One way to be part of the ‘village’ raising our NextGen is to pray for our Youths, Children and volunteers!
• To find out more, or to register your interest to join the NextGen ministries, go to https://wesley.sg/wesley-next-gen.
Summary: Sermon Message
Scripture passage: Psalm 78: 4-7
God has issued a clarion call for each generation to disciple the next. Each generation has a responsibility to pass down the legacy of who God is and the relationship He has with His people. We must pass down:
- The Essence of God
a. His character (v4)
b. His deeds (v4, 7)
We need to make known the character and deeds of God so that the next generation will know the Almighty God who has acted and will continue to act for His people. It is important that we do not simply share knowledge but an invitation to enter a relationship with the living God. It is a strong, personal relationship with God that will help our young people navigate life and stay strong in Him.
- The Priority of His Design vs the desires of the world (v5)
a. His Word (v5)
b. Our Priority
God has decreed statutes and laws in His Word that reveal His design. For example, God’s design is that His love is unconditional, and there is inherent significance in every individual. However, society often causes us to question if we are enough and drives us to do whatever it takes to prove our worth.
Societal norms change, but the need for self-worth and identity is timeless. We need to prioritise and share the Word of God and His godly design with the next generation. God’s design is timeless, and relevant across generations.
We can exemplify God’s design in the way that we parent, how we interact with our spouse and loved ones, how we view sexuality, and respond to the least and last in society.
The Method that Matters – How do we tell the next generation about God?
- Tell (v5, 6)
This goes beyond a verbal telling, but a show-and-tell. For example, the Israelites had rituals feasts, festivals that display their faithfulness and trust in God. They observed rhythms that reveal their worship of with God. - Intentional and Authentic
This requires intentionality and being authentic. Being authentic means it is okay to not be okay. It means being upfront about not having all the answers and not being perfect. The more authentic we are, the more open the next generation will be.
• Intentionally tell stories of an everyday God
Oftentimes in our busy lives, we relegate God to being just a Sunday god for 2-3 hours each weekend. Instead, we need to build a daily family altar and show that God is connected to our everyday ordinary moments and situations.
We can start by telling authentic stories. For example, how God helped you forgive the driver who cut in your lane, or how you felt led by God to support a struggling colleague. You can even share how you struggle when God doesn’t answer your prayers. These authentic discussions will help the next generation experience that God is real and powerful and every day.
• Habits and Routines
Our children catch our values and priorities from our daily habits and routines, not what we say. They catch our priorities and values from our spiritual and non-spiritual routines. Habits form character and your habits can shape the character of your children and the next generation.
“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Do your daily habits help your next generation know and love God better?
(Sermon notes by Stella Chiam)
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- What stood out to you from the panel sharing?
- What does “it takes a whole church to raise the next generation” mean to you? How have you
- Who invested in your life when you were growing up in faith? How did that shape you?
- What are some simple, realistic ways anyone in church (regardless of age) can support the NextGen?
- What might God be prompting you to do in response to this call to raise the next generation?
- Would you consider serving in a NextGen ministry or supporting someone who does?
- Pray Together
- Pray for our NextGen (Children, Tweens, Youths) to grow strong in their faith.
- Pray for more volunteers from all generations to rise up and serve with our Next Generation Ministries.
- Pray for families, volunteers, and leaders to be faithful and fruitful in discipling the next generation.
