The genesis crew: 2010 Wrap-up

by Dan Paterson

Speaking as a newly-wed 24 year old I treasure retrospect as the means of acquiring wisdom and of measuring God's sovereign transformative presence. The temptation of the young is always self-promotion, and the climbing of a ladder into super-stardom - whatever that sphere of exposure may be. It is no different for myself or the youth who we've sought to disciple. So at the outset of boasting let it be known that outside of Christ we have nothing to boast in - Genesis is His doing, the youth are His sheep, and we along with them are servants for His kingdom. With that as our core conviction, here are a few things to celebrate as crystallized moments of grace...

... On the first Planet Youth for the year - which is a youth service of sorts - we heard the big story of the Bible spoken from the perspective of God the Father. It was on this night that with humility and overwhelming joy, Josh Cotton and Sam Ryan came to Christ for forgiveness and new life.

... At our Term 1 break-up the boys camped out and slept by the fire. Here what had begun with two, spread as Sam was baptised by Dave Kay in a pool and Josh spent the night telling his friends about his new life serving the Master.

... Genesis Camp 2010 took place down at Camp Bornhoffen in the Gold Coast Hinterland. With freezing temperatures it was a powerful time of building community and searching out the source and direction that passion plays in our life.

... Winter Sleepout was a chance to have a couple of my friends come along from a homeless ministry in Brisbane and share their stories - one guy who leads the ministry and another who has been helped through it and who came to Christ. Having heard of their struggles, we spent the night sleeping on cardboard out in the courtyard to get a taste of what that involved. It was a challenging night for the youth.

... RISK was an inter-church gospel rally which we hosted and led where 13+ youth groups came together to be stirred towards a gospel-centred life, and to hear stories of the mission world all over the globe. Interacting with each other and 35+ mission organisations, the youth were stirred to become part of a revolution far bigger than themselves.

... Our first Guys//Girls Night took place where we spent a night confronting who God has called us to be as men and women in this world. Playing off a stereotypical model of guys cooking meat and fighting while girls baked and made facemasks, we challenged the idols and the stereotypes of who youth culture says they must become, presenting in its place the gospel call to live counter-culture as potent men and women of God.

... Our final Encounter night for the year was another chance to be immersed in what God is doing in another part of the world. I shared from my experiences of the gospel being lived out in word, deed, and supernatural power from my journeys to Fiji. The night was incredibly powerful with the youth realising that God is capable of far more than they imagine and one more invaluable conviction - that He can use them to do it.

Any one of these nights would have made this year eternally worth every sleepless moment or aching muscle. And with a heart of genuine love, I thank and champion the volunteer leaders and parents who have given so much to make it the community it has become. But we dare not grow stagnant and rest on the achievements of the past. Like the manna of the desert we must look to God for fresh encounters with His grace as we look ahead with longing to see the fulfillment of Encounter's key insight - that God can transform, empower and send our youth to bring about a cultural revolution of Jesus' kingdom toppling sickness, separation, idols and sin.

Next year the youth leadership will need to intentionally develop our insight into this youth culture - how to understand it, how to smash idols, and how to transform it with the gospel. The gospel must go deeper into us. We would ask you to stand with us in this mission the Master has given to us to first be disciples, and to second make disciples. The challenges are great. The enemy is fierce. The temptation is apathy. But your prayers and support coupled with Christ's indwelling Spirit means we cannot fail or falter.

Soli Deo Gloria! (to God alone be the glory)

Check out the 2011 Term 1 program.