Just as the Apostle Paul praises God’s sovereign ability to do “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” (Ephesians 3:20), we are likewise praising God as we reflect on 25 years of ministry. God’s power has truly been at work within us and countless others to pursue a vision for the next generation beyond one church. We look forward with confidence in the praiseworthy work of God and strive to accelerate Truth78’s mission to reach more homes and churches for the comprehensive discipleship of the next generation.
God is doing abundantly beyond all we ask or think.
As big as our vision for the next generation seemed 25 years ago, we were focused on faithfully serving the parents and children of our local church. We just wanted what we were teaching in our Sunday School and Midweek classrooms to be biblically faithful and consistent with the vision, mission, and convictions that were defining our congregation. We just wanted to be as thoughtful, intentional, and comprehensive as we could to faithfully disciple our children and impart to them the whole counsel of God. We dreamed of what it could mean for our children and their generation if they could discover glorious truths about God and His Word earlier in life than we had. And, we prayed that God would ignite in our children the passion He was igniting in us for “the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all people through Jesus Christ.”
There was a desire for those working with children and youth in our church to be unified around the emerging vision for the next generation. That led to a need to provide teachers and ministry workers with tools to pursue that vision. It was also important to equip parents for their critical roles in the discipleship of their children and give them support from church leaders and the congregation as a whole. This meant writing curriculum and resources—and more curriculum and more resources—so that we could have a full scope and sequence to cover all the ages and grades of children and youth. It also meant encouraging, training, and communicating the biblical principles that were defining our efforts.
At the same time, God was igniting similar visions and longings for the next generation among His people in churches across the country and around the world. In 1997, another church asked to join us for our teacher training in the fall. Soon that church and many others were asking if we could share the tools we were developing for our teachers and parents with them. Of course! What did we have that we did not receive? We launched Children Desiring God (now Truth78) to facilitate the distribution of these resources and better serve co-laborers from other congregations with whom we shared the same, God-given zeal for the faith of the next generation.
Now, 25 years later, we are praising the Lord for over 100 resources published and distributed to thousands of churches, countless training events, translation projects in 33 languages, and 16 dedicated staff members using their gifts—all according to God’s glorious grace and power at work within His people. Countless pastors, ministry leaders, parents, prayer partners, and financial partners have pursued this vision and advanced this mission with us. You may be one of them, and we are so grateful to God for all who are striving side by side with us in the hope of the gospel for the glory of God and the discipleship of the next generation.
What will the next 25 years bring? Whatever comes, I am confident that it will be the fruit of our all-powerful God at work in and through the limitations and weaknesses of His people doing abundantly beyond our dreams and prayers for the next generation.
If you’d like to join with those who are helping to accelerate this mission, your gift will be doubled through a matching incentive from a group of our financial partners! GIVE
