I spent some time today working on a Faith in Focus vision "paper." More to do, but here's a start:
For several months now we have been holding a bi-weekly event at Toronto Alliance Church called Faith in Focus. Faith in Focus (FiF) has attempted to explore deep issues and tough questions related to the Christian faith with young adults. I would now like to spend some time expanding upon the vision that I see for this ministry.
Downtown Toronto is undergoing some significant change. Demographically, young adults are moving into the downtown core in large numbers (see http://www.toronto.ca/planning/living_downtown.htm). Many of these young adults have no saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (leaving aside nominal Christians and other religions, the 2001 Census revealed that 16.6% of Torontonians have no religious affiliation and that this grouping of individuals had grown a staggering 39.3% since the 1991 Census – the median age for this segment of society is 32.9 years of age – see http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/Religion/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CMA&View=2a&Code=535&Table=1&StartRec=1&Sort=2&B1=501&B2=1). The Downtown Core is also home to two major universities and many colleges. Young adults in Downtown Toronto are desperate in their need of the cross of Christ.
But that is not all. Last Fall I attended a conference in which one of the seminars was entitled The Most Over-Rated Generation. The speaker’s point was that while young adults have been given everything – money, education, knowledge and experience – they fail to live up to the responsibility that comes with such blessing. Certainly their hearts are moved at the mention of social justice issues, but these warmed-hearts amount to relatively little action. It is my opinion that young adults are filled to the brim with potential. I am convinced that if the young adults of Toronto were unleashed on the world with the power of God then transformation, healing, restoration and justice would be realized in beautiful and dramatic ways.
Both of these ideas – the demographic change of Toronto and the potential of young adults feed this vision. My hope and desire is that Faith in Focus would become a place where spiritually dead or weak young adults can encounter the holy and loving Father, be redeemed through the risen Lord Jesus Christ and be empowered by the Holy Spirit to transform the world.
Faith in Focus nights, for now still every second Saturday evening, will begin with worship, have a message, a response song or two and then a time for questions and answers. In the messages it is still my desire to explore deep issues related to faith and life, answer difficult questions related to the Christian faith and encourage people to shine in the world using their gifts and heeding their calling.
