Expensive Good friend,
A yr in the past, I had simply returned from Sydney, Australia, the place I had loved the privilege of talking for the Anglicans at their CMS Summer season College. My ideas have been very a lot there, as I do know there are hundreds presently attending the 2026 occasion. They’ve gathered within the Blue Mountains, recognized for sandstone cliffs, eucalyptus forests, and charming cities like Katoomba, to listen to from God’s Phrase and to be taught of the work of mission all through the world. I may simply have succumbed to nostalgia, had been it not for the truth that I used to be spending the opening days of this new yr in Louisville, Kentucky.
As I set out on the afternoon of January 1 to drive from my house, I discovered myself bemoaning the absence of rail journey. Absolutely I’m not alone in wishing it had been doable to take a high-speed practice from Cleveland to Louisville with fast stops in Columbus and Cincinnati. The journey was uneventful and offered me time to anticipate the privilege and duty that was earlier than me.
You might by now be questioning why I used to be making this journey.
Cross Con is a convention primarily designed for 18-to-25-year-olds and their leaders. The emphasis is on the Gospel, the native church, and God’s coronary heart for the nations. Within the publicity for the occasion, younger persons are urged to return to not make their lives simple however to make them depend. There are a selection of underlying convictions: that everybody has a task within the Nice Fee, that the years from 18 to 25 are trajectory-setting, and that we’re encouraging one different to: “Make your life depend” and “Make His Title recognized.”
I had been requested to share a breakout session with my pal Jonathan Carswell (CEO of 10ofThose,
the publishing home that not too long ago launched our e book The Man on the Center Cross). Our dialogue subject was “How one can inform folks about Jesus with out sounding like an fool.” I anticipated that there could be a pair hundred college students in attendance. I used to be mistaken. The Marriott ballroom seated one thousand—and each seat was taken! The younger folks requested questions that had been pointed and considerate and confirmed how severe they had been about witnessing.
Within the night, I had the joyful problem of talking on my assigned subject: “Entreating the Extravagant Generosity of God.” The big house, generally used for commerce reveals, like promoting tractors or RVs, was not notably suited to preaching. Listening to an echo is all the time off-putting. Nevertheless, any such considerations had been shortly ignored as I acknowledged the intense listening on the a part of the 12,000 (sure, 12,000!) younger folks within the crowd. Earlier than I left, I used to be requested to report a video clip encouraging others to think about Cross Con ’27, which will probably be held in St. Louis, the place there’s a a lot bigger venue. You see, the ’26 occasion bought out, and so an element two, involving one other a number of thousand college students, is going down as I write.
A lot is being written concerning the rising curiosity in faith, religion, and non secular issues by the youthful era. If Cross Con is any indication of that, then we have to be fast to hope that God will transfer in a mighty means after which to encourage younger folks to take up the problem to “Make their lives depend.” Right here at Reality For Life, we’re eager to take a position our assets to see a lot of this era change into dedicated followers of the Lord Jesus. Your partnership is making it doable for us to anticipate nice issues from God and to try nice issues for God.
With honest thanks in your generosity and with my love within the Lord Jesus,
Alistair
