Nearly half of all people in the world today are under the age of 25—the largest youth generation in history. Sean Marston’s 22 years in youth ministry (part of that time as Short-Term Mission Coordinator for SIM New Zealand) have informed his passion for reaching those growing up in a “post-mission and post-church environment.” He will help SIM develop relevant ways of connecting with young people to help them understand faith and to grow them into the Church.

Read updates from Sean below:

A New Glue

7 August 2008 — For a long time now I have been thinking about what it is that keeps a young person committed to the Christian faith (and church) as they transition through their youth and young adult years.

Global Youth Culture

23 June 2008 — Global youth culture proposes that young people in India have more in common with young people in New Zealand than they do with their own parents.

Generation Me

11 June 2008 — I am in the middle of an interesting book titled ‘Generation Me’ by Jean M Twenge. The premise is that young people (particularly in developed countries) have grown up having nearly everything they need or want but this isn’t making them happier.

Hungry for a Way Forward

8 May 2008 — I just got back from Malawi and Zambia where I was involved in trying to help look at ways forward for reaching young people in these countries.

Giving Young People a Story

18 March 2008 — I have been working with young people and students for many years. I am concerned about the ease in which they seem to opt out of their faith around the age of 18 plus.

Understanding Youth Culture Around the World

28 February 2008 — I think working with young people is like working with people from another culture. It is not the language that is the problem but rather it is the value systems, attitudes, and views of life that are so different from older generations.

In Need of Youth Workers

22 February 2008 — As I make contact with people seeking to connect with young people around the world in mission contexts, I hear one request time after time: “Can you send us people to work with young people?”