Friend,

I’m not sure of your age and I wouldn’t ask you to disclose, but I do invite you to consider the generation of teens. If you are a teenager, I hope this letter encourages you because we believe in you! If you’re a parent of a teen, teach a teen, related to a teen, or just saw one drive or walk by - this upcoming generation is the now generation.

They are hungry and thirsty for God now. They want to know He is good and His plans are good and that He loves them so much He sent His Son Jesus to show them how to live.

They are not concerned with celebrity status today. They see people rise to the top and get cancelled. They see leaders fall. They see Christians say one thing and then live another thing. They want realness. Real people being real with them about their real life with real hope.

We have more teenagers in our home than anything else! Our four kids are 19, 17, 17, and 15. They are in college and high school. They serve you coffee, ride on the bus with you, operate the camera at church, teach Bible stories to your kids, and dream dreams that will affect your future.

They are quick to change. They are accustomed to technology changing daily. They were in grade school and middle school during a global pandemic. Culture takes something viral and a few days later it is old news.

My 15 year old wants you to know to be for them. Believe they can do great things. Give them opportunities to learn and try and fail and learn and try again. They aren’t lookin for perfect and hope we’re not expecting them to be either.

When you can gather them in a group and challenge and inspire them, they feel strength in numbers. It builds hope in them and they feel empowered to live what they believe in community.

Asher tells me he has a heart to see his generation know Jesus. The now generation is committed to now. They’ve learned they have that amidst wars and shootings and divides and doing something now will for sure shape our futures - theirs and ours.

They don’t want to be forced. They want to be led and led by someone who listens to them and values what they have to say. When they know they matter to us, trust forms and we’ve just radically linked generations!

Say a prayer for the now generation now,

Shauna

Our student leaders dedicated their firstborn to the Lord on sunday and it was the teens who surrounded them with prayer and love.