July 6, 2005 | 4:50 p.m. ET
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7910424/Generation Next: The New Billy Graham
(Dionne Slaughter, Associate Producer)
I remember working at a Billy Graham Crusade as a volunteer counselor about 15 years ago. Aside from counseling a few people after they had just accepted Christ into their lives, and the mass amount of people, I don't remember much. I was glad to be there and glad to potentially help impact someone's life. But at the same time, let's be real. At 13, all I really wanted to do was talk on the phone with my girl friends, listen to music and watch TV.
As a young teen, it just wasn't my speed. The Crusade consisted of choirs, hymns, preaching, prayer and bibles. Your basic recipe for a church service. I've always loved going to church from the time I was little. I've always loved God for who He is, and for the miracles I've seen him work right before my eyes, including in my own family. I've always respected the church and it's purpose, but if I may speak for me and a lot of my peers -- hymns, and traditional sermons don't always cut it.
Reverend Graham made his way back to New York for what he called potentially his last crusade and I jumped at the chance to work again, but this time from a different perspective. With Graham possibly stepping down as the world's greatest and most influential evangelist, who would take over? Who's going to be the next Billy Graham?
Graham has an idea. It's not just one person it's many young people.
Several weeks ago "USA Today" featured an article in which they had a sit down interview with Reverend Graham at his log cabin home in Montreat, N.C. They talked about the future and what's to come. "Indeed, his life is lit by joy when he looks to the future. Graham sees that future carried by young people 'trying to make a better world and serve the Lord.'"
I found that interesting considering there are less than 3 percent of this current population under the age of 21 willing to go into any type of ministry or mission field compared to the 21 percent committed to Christ on that level in Billy Graham's generation (passageway.org).
I finally made it down to the crusade on the second night. They called it "Youth Night: A Concert of Hope". The recipe was a bit different from my last experience: Prayer, preaching, Bibles, colored hair, do-rags, acoustic guitars, rap, and dancers. I've been to many concerts like this. I have friends who are Christian rock and rap musicians, in fact my brother is a gospel rap artist (www.slaughtermusic.com), so the scene didn't shock me at all. It was the idea that an 86 year old evangelist was behind it that threw me for a loop. I've been a witness to many pastors, half grahams age, who refuse to allow hard bass lines and screaming guitars across their thresholds. They declare it's the devils music.
But Billy Graham sees it a bit differently. He began appealing to the youth in his crusades 10 years ago. He acknowledged in his 1997 autobiography, "Admittedly, it wasn't really my kind of music, nor was it what we have ordinarily featured in our meetings during most of our ministry. But times change. As long as the essential message of the Gospel is not obscured or compromised, we must use every legitimate method we can."
Amen to that, and consider it done.
South African rock group Tree63 sang:
"Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise.
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord"
That was the overall flavor of the lyrics that rang out that night. The concert was sick (sick = good). The roster included Nicole C. Mullen, Jars of Clay, Mercy Me, and Tree63 (who, by the way, have been compared to U2, Train, and Coldplay). The scene didn't look much different than what you'd see at any other rock, R&B or rap concert. There were lights, live music, dancers and 90,000 screaming fans (most under the age of 21). But clearly unlike a lot of secular music-- the lyrics are every bit focused on bringing peace, empowerment and hope to people, and Glory to Heaven's throne.
If graham's mission is to crack the code that will draw young people to hear the gospel, I think he's on to something and the collective church should take heed.
Bart Millard from rock group "Mercy Me" (www.mercyme.org) said it best at a press conference before they hit the stage at the New York Crusade. "The church has spent generations using the same methods, the same techniques, the same traditions to reach people...there are many churches breaking the mold...and other churches will try to knock them down saying it's unorthodox" but instead, churches should consider "meeting students where they are...and say look, you don't clean up before you get in the shower, we don't want to change you before you come to Christ. We just want you to meet Christ and the rest will fall in place where you are."
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7910424/