MANILLA – Research continues to suggest that there is an ever-widening gap between the Church and today¹s youth. With an exponentially rapid rate of change underway, young people are submerged in a tidal wave of technology and moral revolution sure to make the smart phone and social media craze of today appear as a mud puddle in comparison. As a result, many leaders have grave concern over the growing competition for the hearts and minds of young people and are finding it increasingly difficult to reach the younger generation for Christ.

Sensing that it is time for significant change, steering committees in 45 nations have come together to create and facilitate Jesus Global Youth Day (JGYD), August 8-10, 2019 at the Mall of Asia Arena, Manila, Philippines, and coinciding with the United Nations International Youth Day. A number of denominational heads from around the world, along with international organizations such as Empowered 21, have also joined together to form a JGYD global advisory council aimed at uniting church leaders and encouraging them to focus on the next generation.

Co-chairman and director of Jesus Global Youth Day and president of Generation Next Ron Luce explains more about what will actually take place during this key event:

“In the evenings we have this huge festival. Thousands of young people will be coming joining us live stream every day in a thousand locations all over the Philippines. There’ll be 10,000 other churches with their youth and those communities. And then on the final day this global broadcast all around the world.

There’ll be speaking and ministry, it’s empowering the young people. Helping them grab a hold of the Gospel being equipped to share their faith and helping leaders. There’ll be a global congress for just senior pastors as they hear the best practices on the 8th and on the 9th there’ll be a youth pastors congress helping them to be equipped.”

Luce concluded by explaining their plans beyond Jesus Global Youth Day:

“If God allows us in a few years we’ll do another Global Youth Day, keeping banging the drum and looking to the next decade from 2020 to 2030 having effective ministry in equipping churches to have effective ministry where we could see tens of millions or hundreds of millions of young people come to Christ and effectively grow their roots deep in the Lord as we learn from eachother and learn from those who are really doing it well.”

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