Great News!

CHIP: Well, thanks so much, Dave. My heart beats for and cares so deeply for the next generation. It is so challenging to be a young person, to know and walk with Jesus Christ and to really make a difference, to be a genuine follower.

As many of you know, I have twelve grandkids. One that is twenty all the way down to four years old.

And what we all know is that we have a generation, almost seventy percent, that in recent years has walked away from the faith. The researchers, whether it’s Pew or Barna or others have told us that inside Bible-believing homes, evangelical churches, about sixty-eight percent of those kids, after high school, five years down the road, are disengaging or leaving the faith. Something fundamentally is wrong. On top of that, we have a global youth culture with the onset of social media and a set of values and all the things that are happening that we all see and feel and are bombarded by, where is the hope? Where is the Lord?

And I want you to know that I have a good friend, his name is Aaron Pierce. He leads along with a great team, Steiger Ministry. We have known each other directly or indirectly for almost twenty years. And the difference between he and I is that he’s a young man. I think he’s about forty now. And I am an older man. And God has something that He put on both of our hearts around hope for the next generation. And I have watched this ministry connect with the global youth and see people that many of us would think there is no hope, they are so far from God, there’s absolutely no way.

And I have watched this ministry grow and multiply into about a hundred cities around the world and what I have watched is God’s hand on a young man and a ministry that really understands the paradigm, the philosophy, the way, if you will, to reach irreligious people. The global youth that are far, far from God. And so, Aaron, welcome to the program.

AARON: Thank you, Chip. It’s so exciting, such an honor to do this with you and I’m just excited to see what God is going to do with all of this.

CHIP: Well, I just want to jump right out of the gate and ask you: Why are you so passionate about today’s global youth? And what is it that is this drive in your heart, this hope that you have for what is happening all around the world?

AARON: Well, Chip, I think it’s because we all see millions, literally millions and millions of young people all over the world and also those right here in our own country that are being destroyed by the lies of the world. You know, we have this global youth culture, young people all over the planet that are influenced by similar voices. They’re listening to the same music, following the same social media, influencers, playing the same video games. And all of this is not just entertaining, it’s shaping a worldview.

And 2 Corinthians 4:4 says the god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers. and the god of this age is something called secular humanism and this idea that God has been replaced, man is at the center, and there is no outside authority to which I have to submit myself. Nobody can tell me what to do. It’s the era of my truth. And all identity and purpose and morality, these things that are so fundamental to life, these are now self-constructed, they are not things that I discover in God, they are things that I define.

And so, it’s this era where we think we are finding liberation and freedom, but the truth is the consequences are actually devastating. So, we have this global youth culture that is confused and sexually broken and anxious and depressed and lonely. Loneliness being an epidemic globally today. And so, we have these things. And it makes sense when you consider the worldview, because if you’re the source of truth, you’re going to end up confused. And if there are no rules, then you’re going to end up broken. If there’s no anchor in the storm, then you’re going to end up anxious and depressed and if it’s all about you, you’re going to end up lonely.

And so, this is the cry of a generation, this culture and generation that is overwhelmed with loneliness, anxiety, and depression. And here’s what breaks my heart. Here’s what fuels my motivation is they are not looking to the Church for answers. Even though we have the ultimate answers to these things, right? Jesus brings truth to the confused. He brings healing to the sexually broken. He brings the ultimate relationship with the Creator. And He brings peace that transcends understanding. We have the answers to the cry of a generation.

CHIP: And, Aaron, I think to be fair, many of the youth would say, “I don’t see that. I didn’t see that growing up in church, you know, I went to a Christian school or my parents dropped me off at church or I went to a youth group and it didn’t seem real, it wasn’t authentic. I feel like, you know, I went away to school or I got out on my own and a lot of things that people said were terrible and wrong and, you know, I met people that were supposed to be the bad people and they were actually really nice and very concerned.”

And so, something is deeply broken, not just in this generation, but I think we at the Church have to recognize, and we as parents and grandparents have kind of taken this “us” and “them.” “What’s wrong with them?” “They went away to school and now they think this or believe this or vote this way or that way.” And we have got this polarization and I think one of the reasons I want people to hear the message that you have that is proven, I mean, it’s, you all have done this with the people that are the farthest from God. And, yet, when they saw and heard and connected to the love of Christ, in the way that you all have presented it, it’s made all the difference in the world.

So, tell me a little bit about your story and your journey. I find when people listen to messages, Aaron, it’s in a context. And I trust you. I know you. I have watched your life. I have been connected. I want you to share a little bit about: What were the influences? Where did you grow up? How did you grow up that created this sense of real hope and has caused you and your team to go all around the world and see God work in places that I think, I think most people right now think it’s a lost cause?

AARON: Yeah. So, I was actually born and raised in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. And we lived, my family lived in a small little apartment in the center of the city near the infamous Red Light District. And my parents were there, they were American missionaries serving in Amsterdam. And they had a heart to reach young people of Amsterdam that would not walk into a church.

And when you think about a city like Amsterdam, I mean, that pretty much describes all young people, right? They see these big, beautiful cathedrals and they are essentially museums. They are dead and empty on Sunday. And so, that becomes the view of God, right? it’s an, just, irrelevant relic of the past. And so, that was a lot of the perspective that they were dealing with in Amsterdam.

And so, what my dad did is he would take a small group of people and they would go to the nightclubs and the bars and they would, late at night, and they would befriend people and they would share Jesus with them. And then they would write the names of everyone that they met and they would go out into the forest late at night and they would pray over these people and say, “God, would You give us a breakthrough in this city?” And that was the foundation where God really broke their heart for the people and then in prayer, God gave them a strategy, a way to reach these people.

And so, my dad who is the founder of our organization, Steiger, he felt led by the Lord to start a musical band. This was in the eighties, in Amsterdam. And this was the height of the punk rock movement. That was the social movement of the time. It was what’s shaping culture. And so, my dad felt led to start a band as a way to use the stage to communicate the message of the cross in secular places.

And it was based on the biblical idea that Paul said he preached Christ and Him crucified so that people would not be convinced by human wisdom but by God’s power. And that the message of the cross is where God’s power is. And when you lift it up in relevant ways in secular places, God moves.

And so, they did this and right from the beginning, God’s favor was on this band and they started to get opportunities to play in these bars and clubs where they were already known, because they had been there relationally. And they understood the cry of the heart of the people there and so they could communicate the gospel clearly in that context. And suddenly they saw many people coming to Jesus in that environment. And it was almost overwhelming.

And so, what they did is they had a Bible study on a big red boat behind the central train station in Amsterdam. And the address of this boat was Pier 14. And the Dutch word for “pier” is “steiger.” And it became this ministry that was reaching and discipling young people of Amsterdam that would not walk into a church. And that was the beginning. And that was, that was the environment that I got to grow up in, which was an incredible environment because I saw that God was real and that He had the power to transform lives.

A quick story, my dad, the band started to get opportunities to go outside of Amsterdam, so they went to communist Poland and the Soviet Union and eventually all over the world. And they began to share the message in these secular places and people were reached and Christians were inspired and it sparked a movement called Steiger. And I got to experience that. My dad would take me and my brother, my brother Ben who is also a part of the mission, and he would take us as young kids on tour with him and we would be in some nightclub in eastern Europe somewhere and at some point he would bring us on stage and he would say to the crowd, he would say, “These are my sons. I love them. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them. Everything that I have is theirs. And if someone tried to hurt them, I would protect them with my life.” And then he would say, “And that is how God feels about you.” And he would equate a father’s love for his children with God’s love for them. And then share the gospel and in that context, I saw tough people with tears in their eyes praying to receive Jesus.

And when you experience something like that as a kid, I mean, it ruins you in the best possible way because you see that this is not just religious activity, but that God is real and He can transform lives. So, that was, like, foundational to my call and it was also the birth of this global missions organization called Steiger that is all about mobilizing followers of Jesus to reach young people who would not walk into a church.

CHIP: Well, let me kind of talk back a few things that you shared, because the roots started with not, “Here’s a new method. Here’s what we are going to do. Here’s pamphlet to share with someone.” It started out of brokenness. It reminds me of Nehemiah, where when it seemed so impossible, He wept and He fasted and He prayed and He recognized that in and of himself, there is absolutely no way.

The second what I heard was long before there was a band or people coming to Jesus, it was friendship. It was real relationships. And it took effort and it didn’t sound like it was an easy time of the day. Like bars don’t get going until ten, eleven, midnight, one in the morning. And it wasn’t just a relationship where, “Oh, I met you and now I’m going to, hey, would you like to come to Jesus? This is what He did.” There is this sense of genuine, deep, authentic care.

And then Fast forward with me, because now you have teams in about a hundred cities all across the globe. Help me understand a little bit about what it looks like for Steiger today.

AARON: Yeah. And, actually, we are already active in about a hundred and fifty cities around the world. And it’s just a move of God. And I define “a move of God” as something that we can’t take credit for. He is doing it. And so, fundamentally, our heart is to train the Church, because we love the Church and we want to see the Church reach this culture that is all around them. And then we want to mobilize the next generation of Christian leaders to fuel an evangelism and discipleship movement that is youth and young adult led. And then out of that to establish long-term missionary teams that are specialists at reaching the global youth culture of their city.

And so, what these city teams and these catalytic ministries that we develop do is, I mean, you described it fundamentally. First it starts by desperately seeking God, where He breaks our heart for the lost and He fuels it with His power. We can’t do it in our own strength, but then we need to go where people are. The big paradigm shift in reaching a secular culture, in reaching this generation is we have got to adopt a missionary mindset. And that means going where they are and developing relationships with people who are far from God, who don’t see the world like we do, and really understanding them so that we can communicate boldly, but also relevantly the gospel message in a language that they can understand. And then recognizing that those that we encounter, those that meet Jesus, the pathway from that place to when they walk into a church is longer than it used to be. And so, we create models of discipleship relationships that walk people into the church.

So, fundamentally, what we are doing – we love to use creative gifts to go to secular places, share the gospel through music and art, but other creative ways as well. And it’s all about: how can I communicate the message of the cross in secular places where young people are that would not walk into a church and then create these discipleship places that foster a journey that walks them into a relationship with God and walks them into the church.

So, we are doing this in cities all over the world in various ways. But fundamentally it’s just a move of God that He is doing.

CHIP: Aaron, I think to be fair, I think there’s a lot of our listeners right now who are thinking, You know, this sounds really radical and out there. I just want to have a conversation with my granddaughter because I don’t get, I really don’t get that she just doesn’t believe in God anymore. Or doesn’t have any interest in church. Give me some pictures of sort of what has happened, but then why do you think it has happened?

AARON: Well, I think, you know, part of it is you look at the U.S. context that we are in, for example. And we have this rich history of, in many ways, a Christian nation, of where most people identified as a Christian, had a positive view of the Church, they saw the Bible as a good, moral guide. And so, it was in that context that a lot of our amazing evangelists and missions from the past would engage culture. And it was Billy Graham could fill stadiums and speak about what the Bible says and it drew people and it connected. And many people were reached.

Well, the problem is that culture shifted and largely due to the influence of the global youth culture and the religiously unaffiliated being the fastest growing religious group in our country. And with that is not only a change in affiliation, meaning, like, Gen Z is about fifty percent religiously unaffiliated today. But it’s not just affiliation, it’s attitude as well. Their attitude has changed from predominately positive and in an environment to where you could invite them to come to a Christian event, to increasingly apathetic at best if not outright hostile at worst.

And a lot of it has to do with just, you know, cultural, political, us-versus-them stuff that gets in the way. But the problem with that is that they are less likely to come to our events, they are less likely to engage in the kind of models of evangelism that we have used in the past. And so, the paradigm shift is we have got to go to them. And so, it’s really not that different. It’s just going where people are, whether it’s a band that uses music or people that, like, I, we have so many stories of people that are engaging people in places like, you know, bars or just community groups, or hobbies. And the spheres of influence that you have in your world where you’ll interact with people who won’t walk into a church, but yet, they are hungry for connection, they are hungry for belonging. And so, there’s an opportunity to go to people, build authentic relationships in their environment and then use that as a way to start spiritual conversations that leads them to Jesus.

So, we have seen this in all kinds of environments from, yeah, the extreme, you know, parades and clubs and bars, but also at work or at a neighborhood group or at a soccer field where my kids are playing. Like, there’s all kinds of environments where you can interact with people that won’t walk into a church today who are far from God. And being there in order to develop a relationship with them, to really understand them, know them, and what is going on in their heart. And what you find is as you do that, people begin to open up. People are very hungry to have conversations that are meaningful and deep. And so, it starts by being present.”

CHIP: I think when I read your book one of the biggest differences I see is a very different mindset about what our role is, the idea that just being a nice person, hoping somehow my co-workers will see some difference in me, inviting them to, oh, it’s Easter or it’s Christmas. I think what I see is there is a very intentional, “I’m going to build a relationship with no agenda about: When is the big moment when I’m going to share the gospel?” It is: I am going to care about this person, I’m going to get engaged, and then I’m going to move instead of to a – what you and I might talk about – a conversation about the cross and sin and salvation, I’m going to move second to a spiritual conversation.

And there’s a whole chapter on this that I think is so powerful where you begin to listen and begin to ask questions about: What is their view? What is their picture of spirituality? Because what we know, the research is, people who will not go to church now would very much consider themselves spiritual. But when you begin to probe and ask, their spirituality leads to places or is kind of a floating one that when the big issues of life, when death, the breakup, cancer, identity issues – it leaves them wanting. And it’s when we are there in those relationships, with a process that allows us then to share the gospel. And you have just seen God, I mean, move in powerful ways.

Tell us a little bit about why you refocused some of your energy on America when most of the ministry really was launched around the world?

AARON: We started in Europe, in classic post-Christian Europe. That was literally the environment I grew up in and this mission was started. And we were doing all this work around the world and then we started to see our, the where we came from, the U.S., going from this nominal Christian nation to a post-Christian nation and many of my friends and pastors feeling, they feel the weight of it, they feel the problem, the decline, but aren’t sure what to do about it.

And there can almost be a sense of hopeless resignation that this is just where it’s going. And I guess my passion is saying, “I have seen God move in these contexts and I want to not only give tools and models and approaches, but I want to give hope that this generation absolutely can be reached, that it’s not too late, and that in fact, people even though they seem so hostile and closed, they are actually quite hungry and open.

If we don’t have hope that this generation can be reached, then we are not going to act. And so, I want to, I want to instill hope and say, “Yes, I have seen God do this! The God that is moving around the world is the same God here and He can move in this place too.”

And to provide practical understanding of the culture that we are in and the influences and the philosophies of the global youth culture and post-Christian culture. And then, like you mentioned, starting with Nehemiah 1:4, having a greater heart and a brokenness for this generation that drives us to our knees in desperate prayer, because that’s the foundation for any action.

And then let’s talk about tools and strategies for engaging in spiritual conversations. And so that believers will be inspired, to reach this culture and that fundamentally, the ultimate goal is that there are people today, young people today, that will not walk into a church but they are going to encounter a follower of Jesus whose heart is broken, who has been praying desperately, who will share Jesus through a spiritual conversation that will lead them to encounter the living God and to transform their lives. That’s the ultimate goal and I believe that that is going to happen.

CHIP: Well, Aaron, you were one of those people – what was it? – fifteen, twenty years ago, that actually I didn’t know you knew me, but we kind of got connected. And tell us just a little bit about that.

AARON: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Chip, I have told you this, but you played a key discipleship role in my life, even if I didn’t know you. And as a young man the board that I’m a part of an organization sent me to a conference. I heard you speak and I just loved it.

And so, then I just started to follow you and listen to your podcast and your teaching. I got my brother into it. We were telling everyone about it. And it just played a fundamental role in our discipleship journey. It’s exciting, because I think this is the beauty of the body of Christ, right?

Like, that God used you and to equip me and many others. And then we go on to do what God has called us to do. And then it has the disciples who make disciples who make disciples impact.
CHIP: I think I was doing a pastor’s conference in Dallas and I taught on something, think it was at a Bent Tree if I remember right, and…

AARON: It was Good to Great… Good to Great in God’s Eyes.

CHIP: Yeah you know, one of my most favorite. People who become more and more like Jesus, they think great thoughts and they pray great prayers and they take great risks and all those things that were near and dear to me. And you came up afterwards and we talked a little bit and then, I forget, shortly after I found myself on a podcast with you and your brother and we’re just talking about things and I just remember thinking, you know, because I saw your dad on one of those and he’s got these dreadlocks, you know, down to the middle of his back.

For those of you that can’t picture in your mind what I’m picturing in my mind, Aaron’s dad is, in the most sanctified way I can say it, he is crazy. But I mean, he’s like crazy for God. He is radical. If you met him, you would look at him and go, Whoa, where’s this guy coming from?” And, well, I’ll tell you what, he’s coming from Jesus’ heart.

And all of a sudden I’m listening like these guys are in the thick of it in places that no one else goes, and they’re theologically sound. And uh as a result of that, I went to Germany and you, you know, that’s really your center, your headquarters, and there’s a training center there, and so all your staff came in from all around the world for about a week. And, you know, of course I taught through Romans 12, you know, because that’s the only chapter I really know. But I taught: this is what a disciple looks like. And, you know, as all these young people are coming to Christ, they need the profile of a disciple and learn to grow. And I got to see you all pray in ways that just humbled me and worship with such reckless abandon and just meet people from all around the world that have come to Christ through your ministry and are now leading it.

And I realized, Aaron, God’s shown you guys some truth that needs to really get codified and put in a way that we can get that to everyone. And that’s how we launched the book, Not Beyond Reach. But that then led to sort of phase two where you guys had a vision because you’re working in churches all across America too. But hey, why don’t we turn this into a small group video where we can train churches and pastors how to reach their own kids and the young people in their cities. And so that’s the story.

AARON: So good, Chip. I guess the only thing I would add is, in my early days of ministry I really felt like you were someone that was discipling me through the teaching and the broadcast. And that played a big role in the foundation that I now stand on. And so, I’m very grateful for that. And I know there are many other people that are, you know, that you’ll never hear those stories, but that also were impacted by your teaching. So I just want you to be encouraged. And sometimes the fruit of what God calls us to do, we don’t get to see it and hear it, and it’s always encouraging to know that God is using the things that we do so much beyond what we could ever take credit for. But you’ve been a huge encouragement in my life and God has used what you have implanted in my heart to have a big impact. A lot of what I’ve taught and how I understand the Word of God has come from things that I’ve learned from you.

So yeah, it’s encouraging and God is doing something really powerful. I have encountered so many pastors, so many parents and grandparents, so many young adults who are followers of Jesus that really desire to see their friends reached. And this resource that we’ve been able to produce together has been such an encouragement and such a tool of hope for people. I think more than anything, I think one of the things that the enemy wants to say to us, especially the older generation, is, you know, “This generation is beyond reach. You might as well just give up. Might as well just go to Florida, relax, enjoy yourself, and not engage this next generation.” And it’s a lie, because this generation is actually quite hungry and open, and we need everyone in the game. And so, I’ve heard so many stories of transformation.

I had a couple who are friends of mine, older couple that have young adult children and their son, their oldest son had walked away from the Lord, deconstructed, gotten very entangled in political things and was very hostile to the Church and it had really broken down their relationship with their son. And of course, when I would talk to them, they were filled with just a sense of regret of like, “Did we do things wrong? What could we have done different?” And my heart just broke for them. And so then when this book came out, my friend got it and read it and consumed it and he was like, “Man, that was so good.” And then he and his wife, the thing that they really were drawn to is to seek God, to pray with a new level of intensity.

CHIP: Yeah.

AARON: And so they just committed, he and his wife, they were like, “We’re going to do this.” And so, they sought the Lord, kind of that widow and the judge approach, just sought the Lord, “We need a breakthrough in our son’s life.” And they were praying for several weeks and months for their son. And then one day their son called and said, “Hey, have you guys been praying for me?

And then he began to share some personal things that he was wrestling with and the spiritual kind of bigger questions of life that that provoked and it changed their relationship, and in a sense restored it and opened their son up to the Gospel and they’ve been walking with him. And it was really the product of committing themselves to seek God desperately and then approaching their son in a different way.

CHIP: Yes.

AARON: The political thing was always this barrier and they were able to get around that and open, restore the relationship and have those spiritual conversations. And so, that was just one, in that case, it was like someone really close to me that saw a personal breakthrough. So there’s just countless stories like that.

CHIP: Well, I have many similar ones and you really identified coming to God with a sense of real desperation. “I can’t do this. I can’t figure it out. I can’t break through. Yes, my heart is broken. My grandson, my nephew, my niece, my daughter, you know, they grew up in a Christian home, they’ve rejected Christ. They don’t go to church anymore. We’re on the opposite sides of all the things in terms of values, politics, all of it. And I don’t know what to do.” And that first stage of seeking God, it’s the version of going into the forest like your dad did and saying, “I’m broken.” And God is near to the brokenhearted and He saves those that are crushed in spirit.

And what that book did was gave people a clear pathway of how us ordinary, regular people, possibly with no gift whatsoever in evangelism, but a heart for people could actually open the door, build relationships, care about them, find some common ground. And then as the spiritual conversations lead to Gospel conversations, “This is who Jesus is.” And I love what you guys do. You have a have a Bible study for non-Christians. And it’s just been so exciting to see how God has used the book. But now we want it to go to the next level because as you go across America or across churches around the world, it’s a lot of gray hair.

AARON: Yeah

CHIP: And there’s almost no young people. And pastors who care, “What do we do?” And God put on your heart: why don’t we take the content of this book and why don’t we get it in a small group video format that churches could use here and all around the world?

AARON: The whole idea is: how do we make this accessible? And also, I love the small group concept because I don’t believe we’re called to do life alone, and I don’t think we’re called to do evangelism alone. We have this kind of Lone Ranger mindset when it comes to evangelism. And for a lot of us, that’s intimidating and we don’t resonate with that. And we’re like, “That’s for those weird extroverted people. That’s not me.” But when you do it together, when you live on mission together, it’s powerful, (CHIP: Amen) right? ‘cause you’ve got a sense of accountability, you’ve got a sense of shared and complimentary gifts coming together. It’s this sense of when I’m strong and you’re weak, I can lift up your arms, And so the idea of doing it in a small group context, I think is probably the most profound way to do it.

And so doing this ten-week video series where you really wrestle through the concepts, but also we give you practical steps of engaging. One of the things we offer early on that I really encourage people to do is to go and do a prayer walk in their city. And as a small group, it’s kind of this prayer and observation. And doing that together as a small group is a powerful thing. So the small group is designed not only to be watching a video and discussing it in the comfort of your living room, but actually to go and take steps. And as you take those steps, God begins to do things, you see His power. So that’s the whole idea behind this. It really gets practical in its application.

CHIP: Well, it’s all digital. You can literally download it and then there’s the participants guide that is really, really well done, by the way, but also a leader’s guide because whether we like it or not, the small groups kind of rise and fall with the level of the leadership. I don’t mean you’ve got to be a great leader. You just need to know how to facilitate a group. Great small group leaders aren’t people that give all the answers, control the group. They’re people that understand: this is what God wants to do in this group. How do I create a safe area? How do I ask the right questions? How do I help those people that want to talk all the time to share, but not too much? How do I draw out those two people that haven’t said anything in the first half hour? And then how do I orchestrate this in such a way, cooperating with the Holy Spirit, that what we ask is not, “What are we going to eat afterwards, or what teams are playing?” Because that happens in lot of small groups. But what they really lead us to is, “So what are we going to do in obedience to where God has spoken to us?” And then helps them take baby steps to do that. And when that happens, small groups, I mean amazing things start happening.

AARON: Amen. We want to see lost young people come to know Jesus. We want this culture reached with the Gospel. So this isn’t a product. This is a resource for you to go and utilize it. And that’s the heart’s desire behind all of this. That’s why we’re partnering with Living on the Edge and it’s available for free for your small group right now. And I would also encourage pastors, go through this with your staff.

CHIP: Yes.

AARON: We’ve had a lot of pastors and church staff go through it together. It’s like you said, it’s about leadership and you can’t lead your people to do something that you yourself are not doing. So start with your staff and take it seriously. I’ve had, so many pastors that have been encouraged by this because sometimes when you’re a pastor, there’s so much work to be done in running the machine (CHIP: Yes.) and caring for all the people. And then to get back to that frontline work of reaching those that are far from God, man, it’s invigorating your faith. It’s gonna bring all sorts of new illustrations to your sermons. And so, I really encourage you as pastors, start with yourselves and then bring it to your whole church.

CHIP: Well, I couldn’t affirm that more. I have a heart for pastors. Being one, and I just know it’s a really, really tough job. And one of the things I say to them is, you just have to get out from behind the screen.” Pastors are to shepherd. And candidly, life ends up being meetings and in front of a screen doing all kinds of things. And you’ve got to be with people.

And I would just say to every pastor, every church leader, “You care about young people, you care about the next generation, I mean, you see what’s happening in the culture, in the world, just say to a handful of people, would you be willing once a week to get with me and spend an hour or ninety minutes and go through a study? And let’s just let God speak to us.’” And when He puts on our heart what’s on His heart, amazing things happen.

Tell me some stories about how the small group is going and maybe some pastors or churches that are experiencing God working as a result of it.

AARON: What I think is encouraging to me is that it’s gone in every kind of church context that you can imagine. Big church, small church, Sunday school classes. Christian education networks where teachers are using it and then integrating that with their work. We’ve seen it as part of, like, Christian crisis pregnancy centers where they’re integrating it because they have the opportunity to share the Gospel with these young girls that are coming with these pregnancies. We’ve seen it in Christian colleges, Christian business professional networks, all sorts of contexts. And I think that’s the beauty of this is that it allows anyone to be a missionary in their sphere of influence.

I mean, for me, what I love about it is like the crisis pregnancy center, that is something that’s very dear to my heart, but that’s not what God has called me to be actively, you know, leading in terms of ministry. But the fact that now I know that there are staff at these crisis pregnancy centers that are learning how to more relevantly share the Gospel with these young girls who are in the state of crisis and show them the hope of Jesus, man, it’s so encouraging.

So there’s been just all the different expressions of how it’s utilized, I think that’s been one of the most encouraging things for me.

CHIP: I know one of your values is let’s not reinvent the wheel. I’ve been in ministry for now forty years. And I go to some place and there’s this group doing something and another group doing the same thing and another group comes into that country and they’re doing the same thing. And they don’t help each other; they don’t know each other.

And so, when we partner, you are doing things that we’ll never be able to do at Living on the Edge the way that you do them. The average Living on the Edge listener, is probably not going to be at the next Gay Pride parade handing out water and building relationships. They probably not going to do a Bible study with people far from God to explore who Jesus is. But because of our partnership with you, we feel like we get to be a part of that. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. Now, we want to learn from you because what you’re doing isn’t like, ‘Oh, only Steiger can do this.’

AARON: No, absolutely not.

CHIP: It’s what Jesus did.

AARON: Exactly.

CHIP: And what I saw when I was in Germany was actually very convicting. I mean, people were face down as we prayed, crying out to God for those that didn’t know Jesus. When I was there and, you got your different regents from around the world and you said, “We’re going to spend some time praying.” Oh, okay. Maybe ten, fifteen minutes, whatever. I mean, thirty-five, forty-five minutes, an hour later and people, “Oh, God! Oh, God!” And people were praying with such passion and intensity. And some of them had only been Christians three or four years. I went away going, God, would You give me more of their heart?

AARON: Amen. And if I could just say one more, word of encouragement is raising up a new generation of young missional leaders and we’re seeing that take shape around the world, but we’re seeing it take shape here in the U.S. And so I want you to be encouraged that as we’re resourcing you with these tools to reach your sons and daughters and those around you, God is also raising up a generation to go after your kids.

CHIP: Yes.

AARON: We’re seeing that happen. And the vision that we believe God’s put on our heart is a thousand burning arrows, young mission leaders that are gonna be sent to fuel these missions, movements in cities around the world, and the U.S. is part of that.

Just a month and a half ago, we had a hundred young adults from all over the country come to Austin, Texas to participate in basically this intensive training bootcamp that was ten days long and took place during South by Southwest. And it was this intense time of seeking God, prayer, teaching, and action and learning how to share the Gospel. And it was life transformative. And just from that, there’s already six new movements in cities around the countries led by these young leaders (CHIP: Wow.) that are grassroots evangelism movements that are going after our sons and daughters, we’re hearing stories of parents praying over their kids, and then people on our team reaching those kids and seeing that prayer answered in that way.

And so, I just believe this is a, this mission is a shared mission, and we’re all playing our part, and God is raising up a generation of Jesus followers that are going after their peers, their friends, and I just see something starting and birthing and I’m just praying that God would continue to move and He would use us in any way He wants and He would use all of us collectively in any way He wants. But I just want to encourage our listeners that God is moving in this country. We’re seeing something fresh taking shape.

CHIP: Well, Aaron, the research actually supports what you’re saying. I read an article just recently where Bible sales are skyrocketing and the people that are buying them are Gen Z. And can I say something just off the cuff here? Stop watching so much of the news, okay?

AARON: Amen, amen.

CHIP: And I don’t care whether it’s MSNBC or FOX or ABC or NBC, stop watching so much of the news. You will have a worldview of doom and gloom. We’ve got research of the joy factor, the happiness factor, and the emotions of people who watch the news or even hear a newscast for five to ten minutes, and it’s unbelievable the negative impact. Get in your Bible and read that.

AARON: Preach.

CHIP: So that was all unplanned, but that was for free. And I went off on a rant. But partnering with you has made a huge difference in our commitment to reach the next generation, and especially young adults, I think that’s the real key. From those late teens into the early twenties, that zone is where people were making up their mind.

AARON: Yep.

CHIP: And so, in the fall, we are launching a whole new strategy about reaching directly the next generation. You guys go where they are physically, we’re going to go where they are digitally. We have to get God’s Word to them where they get their information. It’s Instagram, TikTok. And it’s not in forty-minute messages. It’s in a three-minute here and a five-minute there. God has brought an incredible new director of marketing that’s young and has a Bible background and um, you know, in the fall we’re going to be launching a tremendous outreach to the next generation. And, by the way, I really want them to hear from younger communicators like yourself. Who have an understanding and a niche and a way to reach and communicate to young adults in a way that I can’t. And so, we’re really excited about that birthing in the fall. Any suggestions you would give to those listening today who are thinking, Hey, this is hopeful, I’m encouraged, I think God’s at work.

AARON: Yeah, I think it’s get in the game. God is moving and He uses all of us. And He’s not looking for super talented, highly charismatic people. He’s looking for those fully surrendered, offering all that they have, the five loaves and two fish, and saying, Lord, it’s not enough, but I give you all I got. And so that’s my encouragement. Get in the game. Don’t listen to the lies that God can’t use you. He can and He will. And it starts with that desperate prayer and broken heart, but yeah, get in the game.

CHIP: And I want to say a word as we close to maybe those that are midlife and especially those a little beyond midlife. I remember sitting with your dad, it was an outdoor courtyard in Germany there is as much fire in your dad’s heart and your mom’s heart today. I mean it was like there’s times when you get talking to him he gets not just emotional, he gets very declarative and it was like, “Chip, this is what we’ve got to do!” And, how old is he by the way?

AARON: 72.

CHIP: 72. I knew he was in his 70s. And I just, I thought we don’t have to lose our passion. And I want to say to those in your 60s and those in your 70s and beyond, I met a man who reminded me that it’s not how old you are, it’s how you think and where’s your heart and your passion?

AARON: Amen.

CHIP: And you tell your dad, by God’s grace, I want to be more and more like him and I want to care about lost people the way he does, and I want to be bold and declare because the power is in the message, not the messenger.

AARON: Amen.

CHIP: Lord, we thank You for this time. God, You so care as Your eyes go to and fro throughout the whole Earth and You see young people that are hurting and lost and they’ve been taught so many things. They’ve been so indoctrinated, but none of that changes their loneliness or their hurt or their confusion.

Almighty, ever-living God, we ask You, will You please empower us and every single person listening to our voices right now to be broken for those that are lost? Would You grant us the grace not to judge and criticize and, Lord, we don’t have to compromise the truth to feel the pain and the hurt behind some of those actions and some of those values.

And God, would You, by Your grace, give us Your love for everyone, but especially young people that don’t know You? Would You help us to build the kind of relationships that would open their heart so that You could speak to them about how precious they are to You and that Your Son, the Lord Jesus, died and paid for their sin and rose from the dead, and there is new life now and it can be forever and ever. That’s our prayer. We ask it boldly and confidently in Jesus’ name, amen.

AARON: Amen.