The Next Generation Missions

There is a great need to reach out to the next generations in Asia with the Gospel of hope!

“Some 1.2 billion adolescents aged 10-19 years today make up 16 per cent of the world’s population … More than half of all adolescents globally live in Asia. In absolute numbers, South Asia is home to more adolescents — nearly 350 million — than any other region. It is followed by East Asia and the Pacific with over 300 million. The adolescent population of either of these regions dwarfs that of any other region in the world.” – UNICEF Data on Adolescent Demographics

Reports have indicated that in Asia, the youth unemployment is high. Literacy rates among young people are low. Student migration is significantly important for Asian youths. Young people are increasingly engaging in high-risk activities with 40% reporting unprotected sex.²

We need to send forth labourers from amongst us to reach the next generation cross-culturally, before the world snatches them from coming into God’s Kingdom. We need to prepare the next wave of missionaries from Covenant EFC to join the existing missional force.

We are facing a challenge of an ageing missional force being sent out from Singapore. Based on the pool of missionaries surveyed by Singapore Centre for Global Missions in the National Missions Study 2019 Report: only 2.7% of the missionaries are below 30 years old; 14.9% are within the age of 30 to 39; and 58.9%  are aged 50 and above.³

Where do we go from here?

TNG Missions aims to reach the next generation (TNG) of other nations and disciple them to be authentic disciples engaged in intentional disciplemaking (ADID).

How do we go about it?

Covenant EFC seeks to work with partner-churches overseas to disciple their TNG (AD) and work with them to reach the TNG outside their church (ID). We also seek to work with missions organisations in providing platforms (STM trip, missions stint) to develop a missional heart among the TNG in Covenant EFC.

FIRST: Disciple Covenant EFC’s TNG to have a missional heart in such a way that the Great Commission is integrated in their lives. We will do so through Missions E-P-S-M-S:

• Missions EDUCATION will collaborate with TNG ministry in order to integrate into its curriculum the understanding of cross-cultural missions, awareness of Covenant Missions’ work in Asia, and to know our missionaries who are on the field and acquire missions-related training.
• Missions PRAYER will encourage every sector of TNG ministry to pray for missions individually, as a family and as a congregation.
• Missions SUPPORT will cultivate in our TNG an attitude that blesses and gives towards missions, be it through financial support, or as an encourager to the missionaries and their children.
• Missions MENTORING will journey alongside TNG who have a heart and call for missions to help them keep their passion for missions alive.
• Missions SENDING will challenge our TNG to go on missions trips as short-term trippers, bi-vocational missionaries or full-time missionaries.

SECOND: Mobilise every Covenanter whom God has called to partner with TNG Missions. We want to partner with Covenanters from different age groups and stations in life, who have the heart to reach out to the next generation cross-culturally and to disciple them.

How can you partner with TNG Missions?

1. Be involved in Home Missions International Students Ministry
   There are roughly 67,200 non-resident international students here in Singapore as of June 2019⁴ — this is a harvest field in our midst.
2. Go on STM (short-term missions) trips to reach the next generation cross-culturally and disciple them
   You can go on STM trips as a family or with Covenant youths.
3. Help mobilise youths and young adults in missions
4. Serve on ad-hoc projects

“If a child can come into an authentic relationship with Jesus, not only will their life be changed, but they can transform their community and even the world around them.” – 4/14 Movement

“We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done.” – Psalm 78:4

Sources:

¹ https://data.unicef.org/topic/adolescents/demographics/
² https://www.youthpolicy.org/mappings/regionalyouthscenes/asia-pacific/facts/
³ https://www.scgm.org.sg/nms-2019/
⁴ Population in Brief 2019, p.5, https://www.strategygroup.gov.sg/files/media-centre/publications/population-in-brief-2019.pdf