The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the way we operate in the world and is shaping what the future of the church will look like. Now is the time to rally together and support each other and this movement so that we can continue to reach urban youth with the Gospel. The world needs hope and we have the answer in Christ. We want to make sure urban leaders have the support to do the work of raising up the next generation that will lead the Church into the future.
We have admittedly been a little slow to come out with a statement on the Covid-19 pandemic. This was not due to a lack of care. Rather, we have been hard at work planning and strategizing on how we respond to this crisis. We are a leadership development organization. We are called to lead and to help others lead. We rest in the assurance of Christ’s power over death and we are reminded that we are more than conquerors (Romans 8:31-39). It is the Church, the people of God that are on the frontline and we do not back down, even from a pandemic. I know few others that are as courageous and faithful as urban leaders are and yet we all need support. We all need to be reminded of who we were created to be. Sometimes, we need to be led so that we can continue to lead ourselves. We are committed to lead in this time because we believe in the leaders that God has given us to lead.
The future is NOW and we are committing to these 5 areas:
- Network Now- Creation of Networks – Creating a stronger national and regional networks that can encourage, resource, and care for urban leaders throughout the country to continue to reach youth with the Gospel during this pandemic. Join our private FB group to get connect to your network.
- Practice Now – Implementation of Best Practices- UYWI will help you discover and share the best practices for engagement with youth in a time of physical distancing.
- Speak Now – Conversations About the Future – UYWI will help you curate conversations about how today’s reality shapes the future of the Church and the movement of urban leaders.
- Collaborate Now – Collaboration for the Future – UYWI will continue to encourage you to collaborate with your fellow youth workers and create strategies around the effects of this pandemic for the future of the Church.
- Create Now – Creation of New Resources – UYWI will continue to make the most authentic, impactful and relevant resources, training, and coaching for urban leaders to usher in the future.
Now more than ever, we need your partnership to weather this storm together. We ask that you continue to pray, support us and join our efforts to encourage, care for, and resource urban leaders as they are the ones on the frontlines caring for the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of our youth Nationally.
Tune in below to watch the Zoom Call we just held to begin our response.
Thankful for each one of you,
Tommy Nixon