November 2011 - Vol. 54

Hope and Expectation for a Joshua Generation 
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by Paul Jordan

Around 100 people were scattered all over the room huddled in threes praying for a brother or sister. What is normally a murmur was more of a hum that night. Another 300 continued in worship, standing, singing, sitting on the floor, as we prayed and listened to prophetic word.

He was only around 10 years old, a child of a family who were helping, but he confidently took the microphone. He spoke in his own language and the translator relayed the simple yet profound message. “The Lord says: leave everything and follow me.” My ears were tingling, my eyes watering a tear.
It is normal that when God’s people gather, he speaks. There had been much prophetic action three things remain in my mind.

“I am doing something new.” This word of hope came in many different ways. A Joshua Generation building on a Moses Generation. There was clearly a global flavour to it the Lord raising up a Kairos generation for a new kind of mission and spiritual battle in these days. There was also a sense in which our European work was being directly addressed a sense of renewed hope rippling across our continent. Our response must be to believe and persevere in hope. But also to be open for new ideas and means of fulfilling the mission given us. Adelante.

“We should expect miracles.” The fact that the Spanish government allowed us to plant a Christian youth conference in a military base was a miracle in itself. This repeated word was a call to remember that God is God – a call to move with active faith. There were many answered prayers. Broken bones were healed. Spanish doctors were in denial. May his action stir our faith. Adelante.


Paul Jordan (left) with young men at Adelante

“Decide for me, don’t hold back, don’t settle for less…” A set of words that ring of an urgent invitation. Many responded in prayer on the last night offering their lives for the first time. Then there were the 30 who came forward to offer their next year of mission to the Lord, and the 30 more who came forward to offer a GAP service year sometime in the future, and the 30 who came forward to offer their sexuality, future relationships, if they should marry or live single. And then there were “the Joshuas”: the 30 who wanted to pray that their whole lives may be offered for the building of our mission. Adelante.

In Spain in 2011 the Lord was taking up an offering of our lives. May we continue to be generous, for his glory.


[Paul Jordan is the Director for Kairos in Europe and the Middle East.]

Special Kairos Report on Adelante Conference  August 2011

Hear the Call of the Lord

by Jean Barbara

I returned from Adelante this summer with an even greater conviction that this time of grace, this invitation to enter through the open door has a special connotation for our young people. 

The first generation has worked hard to build the foundations, live the call, and pursue the mission as God was revealing  it to us. 

The next generation is now called to extend our life and mission based on what their elders have done so far, but far beyond, clothed with a new grace to engage the new reality of this fast changing world and face its challenges. This is a time for them to evangelize, to build outreaches, to form other people into disciples and missionaries and help them integrate our communities. 

To the leaders I say: you need to give them space to make mistakes, encourage them to take risks in the Lord that you would otherwise not necessarily take, and release the necessary financial resources to provide them with income for part-time of full-time jobs as the ministry requires. 

To the young men and women I say: Adelante, hear the call of God and respond with generosity, courage, and zeal, equipped with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the wisdom and blessing of your elders.

[Jean Barbara is President of the Sword of the Spirit]


Together in Prayer to Advance His Kingdom
by Trevor Perry

This summer Linda and I had the privilege to attend the Adelante Conference. 

One may ask: “Why were these aged “baby boomers” asked to attend this young people’s Kairos event?” 

It certainly wasn’t our good looks or our energy they were after, it was our conviction that prayer works, as the Message Bible translation puts it in Mark 10:27: “Jesus was blunt: 'No chance at all if you think you can pull it off by yourself. Every chance in the world if you let God do it.'" 

We were asked to pray. 

We arrived two days before the Conference whilst prep 10 was taking place. We walked the vast grounds of this bizarre location – a military base in the Basque region of Spain – praying for an advancement of the kingdom of God. Our surroundings helped remind us that we are in a real battle, especially a battle for the hearts and minds of our young. As we joined with others it became obvious that together in prayer everything is possible. 

Now of course God could do whatever he chooses without our prayer. But for some reason he has invited all of us to be his co-laborers. God has determined that he will use the prayers of his people to accomplish his purposes on this earth. 

We are convinced that his kingdom was advanced at Adelante in Spain this year. We saw our wonderful young people respond to invite after invite to lay down their lives for their Lord. We saw unlimited potential displayed before us. Faces of children and grandchildren reflecting their parents’ and grandparents’ zeal for God. These are young people we can be proud of, young people called to make a difference. A people to show the world how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ.

I think that something very important happened in Adelante in Spain this year. I don’t think things will be the same again for us in our communities in the Sword of the Spirit. We can be confident that Almighty God has our young people in the palm of his hand and that he has huge plans for them. And through them he aims to advance his kingdom and do more with them as part of an international community of communities than we could have asked or imagined.

Let us pray for our young people that God continue to strengthen and equip them in following his call.

[Trevor and Linda Perry are senior leaders in Antioch Community, London, UK]

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