Mark Powell is the pastor at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, Hobart and a writer and commentator on Christian issues. He wrote recently in the Daily Declaration that: “The Spirit of God might be about to do an extraordinary work.” “Christians from all kinds of denominational backgrounds are coming together in unity and particularly prayer.” Pastor Powell was especially impressed to learn what happened at Schoolies on the Gold Coast last month. He was pleasantly surprised to see a story about “queues of teens” lining up to be baptised in a mainstream media report written by Eleanor Katelaris on news.com.au, one of Australia’s two dominant news sites according to Ipsos rankings. She wrote in part: “An organisation called Youth for Christ (YFC) is hosting public baptisms, inviting teenagers to embrace a more spiritual path amid the usual Schoolies chaos.” “It is a public declaration of faith signifying the symbolic death of a believer’s old life and the beginning of a brand-new life following Jesus.”
“This wholesome side of Schoolies has caught the attention of many on TikTok, where one YFC missionary is sharing videos of their initiative.” “It’s certainly an unusual sight – in one clip, a sea of young people walk through the main strip of Surfers Paradise holding Jesus Loves You and Get Baptised signs.” “In another, teens are seen lining up on the street to visit the YFC stall on the main strip.” Cindy McGarvie, National Director of Youth for Christ Australia, said its mission teams have been offering baptisms at Schoolies since 2016. “We’re at Schoolies to share the hope of Jesus. It’s the message we want to be sharing wherever we go. The baptisms are a small, but significant outworking of this simple focus,” she told the reporter. Ms. McGarvie said the feedback this year was “overwhelmingly positive” — noting that most nights there was a constant flow of schoolies coming up to them, asking genuine questions about God. She conceded there can be a lot of “negative influences” on young people at Schoolies, so she is “thrilled” to see so many keen to learn about Christianity.
“The past few years, we’ve heard many stories and anecdotes of young people in Gen Z turning to the Christian faith, from all sorts of unexpected journeys,” she observed. “Some people are saying Jesus is trending on TikTok since a lot of young people approach us and share their stories of exploring the Christian faith through posts they see from their friends.” Pastor Mark Powell concluded: “This is a time when Christians of all persuasions need to come together in prayer. To humble ourselves and ask for the LORD’s blessing to be poured out upon the nation of Australia. That we might, in particular, see spiritual renewal.” He quoted from 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
Source: Vision Christian Media
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