When we talk about our identity in Jesus, we often use terms that are singular and individualistic. “I am a child of God.” “My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and I am a member of the Body of Christ.” These are truths we need to be reminded of. However, we should also use plural and collective statements to identify with the people of God’s redemptive covenant.

Paul describes what being in Messiah means in Romans 6 when he answers the rhetorical question, “Shall we continue in sin so that grace may grow even more?”

Romans 6:2-5 (NKJV): “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united [planted] together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.”

In the early passages of his account, Nehemiah learns of the grave difficulties Jewish people are experiencing in the conquered and devastated land of Israel. Although he was born in captivity and was serving as cupbearer to the king of Persia, he identified not only with those suffering in the land of their ancestors but with those ancestors who broke covenant with God. He owned the sins of his fathers as if they were his own. Nehemiah knew he was a participant, he was in the covenant God made with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel.

Image: Andrea Lightfoot

We are in Messiah more completely than when the nation of Israel was in David, the runt of Jesse just in from tending sheep, when he went up against the champion, a giant named Goliath who was trained for war all his life.

In all our beautiful difference, despite our shortcomings and failures, from many tribes and cultures, we are one in Messiah.

Pastor Wesley Zinn shares a report from the prayer and worship gathering, United Prayer Rising (UPRising) Europe, held July 8 through 11^th at Ashburnham Place in the UK.

From the United Prayer Rising webpage:

In July 2016 in Ilsan, South Korea, we witnessed a spiritual “UPRISING (United Prayer Rising)” where generations from across nations converged to fast, to pray, and to believe God for a reversal of the trends of attacks happening globally among the youth today, and to see the birthing of new, youth-led prayer and mission movements. On its last day, at the Nuri Peace Park, DMZ (the border between North and South Korea), the youth contended for a reunification of Korea, and we continue to witness today the hope of it becoming so alive!

After the UPRISING in Korea, young people have owned the vision, and have taken the zeal for united prayer to their respective regions and nations. The “waves” have rolled out.

There have now been UPRisings around the world in nine difference nations and locations. The most recent was UPRising Europe, help in a field in the south of England, but representing the whole European continent.

Each UPRising event is planned, organized, and led by local young adults, with guidance and shepherding from a multigenerational team. All of this is very informal and unofficial, but the presence of the Holy Spirit’s leading and power is stirring a movement that is gaining momentum and growing from event to event. Already plans are underway for at least two more events in Mexico and Australia.

I was invited to attend the UPRising event this past January in Jakarta, Indonesia as part of the multigenerational shepherding team [Editor’s note: See Pastor Zinn’s report of UPRising Jakarta 2019]. There I was introduced to the UPRising Europe leaders and again served a pastoral/shepherding role during the organizing stages, and during the event itself.

The UPRising Europe event was a 72 hour worship and intercession gathering. The call was For Worship, For Prayer, For a Continent. Around 250 attended, but the significant number is 26. 26 nations were represented, nearly all from Europe. It was powerful to join in to fervent prayer for each country represented in the tent. And it was revival stirring aroma to be led in worship by teams from all over Europe. Women from Iceland teamed with a Latino drummer from the United States and a guitar player from Malta. A family who runs a House of Prayer in Albania drove the 36 hours to lead worship for two hours and then I found them serving in the lunch line. A worship team from Russia was followed by Ukrainians. Unity that may not happen in politics and earthly government was occurring in worship and in the family-of-God oneness in the prayer tent.

We are quick to lament the declining numbers of young adults who are active in our churches or even give the church and Christ a second thought. We describe them as apathetic, filling their lives with a busyness that doesn’t satisfy.  A truer assessment is that this description applies to every generation and locale down through the ages where there is no sense of a move of God.

This past January 23-26, I attended the United Prayer Rising event in Jakarta, Indonesia:  World Generation Gathering. As one of the “older” generation representatives, I was inspired to witness twentysomethings from 35 different nations from every continent gathering together in passionate worship and fervent prayer. The hundreds of people may only have been a remnant, but they were far from apathetic and self-absorbed. Their passionate, sacrificial, and complete commitment to the Lord brought me hope and great encouragement.  (To learn more about this grassroots movement, check out www.unitedprayerrising.com)

I have attended many worship and prayer gatherings throughout a lifetime in church and Christian circles. What I witnessed the final night at the World Generation Gathering in Indonesia was truly unique. The leader would call out the name of one of the 35 countries represented by the attendees. To which the whole assembly would rush to those attendees, lay hands on them, and zealously pray for their country. This continued through the evening, country after country, amidst shouts soaring and tears flowing. What caught my seasoned attention was the ever increasing crescendo. The intensity would not fade but only increased nation after nation, into the night. The cries of hope for each nation were only overshadowed by the overflowing joy of the impassioned intercessors. By the time the final nation’s name was called out, the gathering had become a holy raucous affair!

In just a few short years, this groundswell movement of young worship and prayer warriors should be encouraging to all of us. From the initial gathering at the DMZ (the border between North and South Korea), this movement has grown and spread throughout the nations. The next gathering is in England, July 8-11. Once again, it is organized by and will be attended by primarily young adults. And once again, they have sought the counsel and oversight of older generations. I look forward to attending, supporting, and sowing into their lives and this movement. And equally, I look forward to witnessing the stirring of God within them, and being their cheerleader. (To learn more about the gathering in England, check out www.UPRisingeurope.org)

Wesley Zinn
Pastor, Wellspring Church
Berlin, CT USA

Contrary to genuine concerns, Islam surpassing Christianity is improbable. For one thing, Protestant growth from 1960-2000 was three times global population changes and twice that of Islam.[2] Furthermore, Muslim fertility rates[3] are leveling out. Pew Research points out:

The gap in fertility between the Christian and Muslim-dominated nations fell from 67% in 1990 to 17% in 2010. If the trend continues, the Muslim and Christian fertility rates will converge in around 2050.[4]

Countering the inevitability of Islam’s dominance, Rodney Stark recently noted:

As recently as April 2015, the Pew Research Center declared that Muslims would soon overtake Christians by way of superior fertility. They will not … Islam generates very little growth through conversions, while Christianity enjoys a substantial conversion rate, especially in nations located in … the ‘global south’ – Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America. And these conversions do not include the millions of converts being gained in China. Thus, current growth trends project an increasingly Christian world.[5]

In the darkest corners of the world, astonishing numbers of people are turning to Christ. Latin America, Africa, and Asia are experiencing extraordinary growth.

Declension in the West

While God’s glory is on display around the world, not all nations are experiencing the same degree of impact. Christianity is undoubtedly outpacing population growth internationally. However, it is stagnant in the West.[9]

Christianity is on the decline in America, not just among younger generations or in certain regions of the country but across race, gender, education and geographic barriers. The percentage of adults who describe themselves as Christians dropped by nearly eight percentage points in just seven years to about 71 percent.[12]

Some would question these findings. Yet, no matter how one interprets the data, problems are apparent. While Christianity is expanding around the world, it remains stagnant in North America.