written last week, May 2011
I am writing you from Eger, Hungary where I have the privilege of gathering
with over 600 national leaders coming from 50 countries across Europe. GYFM
is partnering with the European Leadership Forum to provide a training track
for those ministering to adolescents and emerging adults. It is a busy time
teaching, training, leading small groups, networking, and one-on-one
consulting. But what a joy it is to build Kingdom friendships across
cultures around a shared heart for Christ and kids! Already, new strategic
partnerships are forming with nationals in countries like Romania, Serbia,
Norway, Scotland and even Nigeria (though Africa is a long way from
Europe)... Of course, the demands are greater than we have the capacity and
resources to meet and we need wisdom from God to know where to invest and
focus our energies. Please pray for wisdom and discernment in this. And
pray that the fruit of this time will have a multiplying impact in the lives
of the emerging generation across Europe and beyond. Thank you for
partnering with us to reach the nations and the next generation!
In His Grip,
Eric
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Larsen Log - February 2011
Larsen Log: February 2, 2011
Ready…Set…Go! 2011 is well underway! Can you believe we are in February already!?
Shock to the System
The hardest transition most MKs make, is when they return to their passport culture (for most MTW missionaries, that’s the U.S.). Imagine growing up in another country—speaking a language other than English—your values, perspective and behavior shaped by a culture deeply different than the U.S. But your passport says you are an American. You look like an American—when you speak English you can pass as an American. Everyone assumes you are just like him or her, but you feel like an outsider. Your home, your friends, your life is on the other side of the world. But for any number of reasons you find yourself a hidden immigrant within the borders of your own citizenship: Your family has had to be evacuated from a dangerous situation… Your family’s support account is low and you must raise more funds… It’s time to report to your sending churches and partners all that God’s been doing on the field… Your parents are dropping you off at University before leaving you and returning to the field—worlds away. Are you feeling alone? Are you sad? Are you anxious? Feeling confused? Maybe excited? Maybe angry? Maybe even angry with God? It’s into that mix that GYFM tries to be an agent for healing and hope and help during the reentry transition for mission teens and their parents. During the month of January we provide a three-day Re-entry program for MKs in this very situation. Our team-mate, Ruthanne Burch, led this time with several girl TCKs: counseling and caring for them, debriefing and unpacking their stories and experiences, and encouraging them and offering some tools for navigating transition, not to mention just having fun and loving on the girls. Please pray for Madison, Caroline, Chloe, Ryan and Evan and for our team as we minister to them.
Recruiting, Training, Sending and Sustaining
Praise God with us for the 20 leaders who went through our GYFI (Global Youth and Family Institute) training last month in partnership with Covenant Seminary in St. Louis (our prime U.S. site). During 5 long days we helped participants develop a biblical & practical theology of next generation ministry—equipping them to lead the global church in engaging tweens, teens and twenty something’s with the gospel. This is the first of three successive courses in our GYFI certificate program. Through this partnership with Covenant Seminary, we are seeing God raise-up men & women with a heart for the emerging generation. In fact, we’ve identified and are actively recruiting 4 couples now at various stages in the process of joining our team as missionaries with GYFM! Also, thanks to you, we are developing international GYFI sites like this around the world where we are able to get this training to national leaders and indigenous churches desperately in need of resources. By God’s grace, we’ve already established sites in the U.S., Europe and Asia, and Lord willing, are on track to open our flagship site in Latin America this year!
Here are some of things participants are saying:
“The meta-model you presented us gave us an excellent framework”
“In this class I feel like God has been trying to get at my heart and get my attention”
“I gained a richer, fuller understanding of the biblical grounds and goals for youth and family ministry”
Getting the Word Out
We also hosted a booth and offered three seminars at the PCA’s 2020 Vision Conference in January. God blessed this opportunity to share our vision, offer some of our training to local church leaders and youth pastors here in the U.S., and to further our recruiting and fund raising efforts. In talking with many of the participants, we were reminded again of the great challenges facing the U.S. church in engaging the changing cultural landscape of North America. We try to impress on every leader the reality that youth ministry in any context is a cross-cultural enterprise: Adults must see themselves as cross-cultural missionaries to the kids and young adults in their own local communities!
A Family in Mission
We took a trip as a family in late December/ early January to visit with our dear friend and colleague, Ruth VanReken. Ruth co-wrote the book, ‘Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds’, which is the seminal work on the subject. She has been a real encouragement and mentor to us as we develop our TCK ministry. Then we went to Chicago to visit with Naphali and Alyssa Marshall—dear friends and GYFM Associates (key volunteers). Naph and Lys continue to help us with our website and communications, and minister to MKs through various media and face-to-face at Area Retreats. Later in January we celebrated Rebecca’s 40th birthday… over 85 people packed into our home with hugs and expressions of love for her. Notes flooded in over email too. I was encouraged by the ways God uses Rebecca to touch the lives of so many. And I was reminded of the impact youth ministry makes in the lives of those we serve. Here is an excerpt from one of the many letters that poured in:
My husband, my mom and I were watching a movie a few months ago about a troubled teen. We got to talking about it afterwards and my mom asked me "How did you miss all of the bad things that a teenage girl can go through?" I never struggled with anorexia/bulimia, guys, partying, lack of friends, self-esteem... I thought for a really long time and my answer was "Rebecca Larsen." Rebecca invested in my life in ways that I don't know she'll ever realize. She exampled how to laugh at yourself and be ok with that. She taught me to be comfortable in my skin. Most of all she was my friend. When I think back to Middle School and early High School, it's true, I didn't have many school friends at all, but that was totally fine… Rebecca would pick me up and we'd simply hang out and share life. I can remember laughing for hours. I remember going over to your itty bitty house right next to the church and watching movies, sharing a meal, or just hanging out and talking. I remember countless Bible studies, praying, crying and singing with Rebecca. She taught me how to laugh, she encouraged me in my faith, and most of all, she was my friend when I had no friends. She gave me inspiration to reach out to people who also had no friends. She gave me courage to be a Christian.
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for our College weekend coming up later this month (held at Covenant College). Pray for a fruitful time of ministry among our college age MKs.
- Please pray for SLYnet (St. Louis Youth Network)—a network of over 30 area youth ministers we launched and lead. Pray God uses our monthly gatherings to encourage and equip those who pour out their lives in ministry to youth and families across the city.
- Please pray for our Covenant Group of seminary students. We meet with these young leaders weekly to mentor them in life and ministry, as they pursue God’s call to next gen ministry across North America and around the world.
- Please pray for our team. We praise God that he has fully funded Ruthanne’s support for one year, and we trust him to supply the ongoing funds needed for her support. Pray for the Chungs and Wilkins as they are raising their support to be fully deployed to join us. And pray for two other couples who are in the process of discerning a call to GYFM: that God will give clarity and direction.
- Praise God with us for his faithfulness to our family. We rejoice in Rebecca’s 40th birthday, and celebrate Abby as she turns 13 and Meghan as she turns 11 this month!
Thank you for partnering with us in mission to reach the nations and the next generation!
In His Grip,
The Larsens
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Year End Giving
Let's be up-front:
There are a lot of voices crying out for your generosity at this time of year. You can't respond to them all. We want you to know we understand. And we are deeply grateful for the ways you have supported us. Because of you, we have seen the Lord impact the lives of youth and families around the world.
By God's grace, we just received a$10,000 CHALLENGE GRANT to launch our ministry into 2011. Our prayer is that you and others like you will respond by helping us raise an additional $10,000 to meet this challenge.
Will you consider a year end gift to help us meet our goal?
Think of it this way: any gift you give is in essence DOUBLED! Giving $25 is like giving $50, giving $100 is like $200, giving $1000 becomes $2000. Your year end gift is tax deductible and will help us launch new ministries, respond to needs, and create opportunities to touch the lives of young people around the world with the love of Jesus.
Happy New Year!
In His Grip,
Eric & Rebecca
How can I give?
The easiest way to give is by going to our website and clicking "donate", then click on the Larsen's at
http://www.gyfm.org
Or you can send your check (with "Larsen support account #29256" on the memo line) to:
Mission to the World
PO Box 116284
Atlanta, GA 30368-6284
ph. 1-866-8373-6133
May God richly bless you in the New Year!
How can I keep in touch?
cell: 314.397.1197
web: http://www.gyfm.org
facebook:http://facebook.com/thegyfm
twitter: http://twitter.com/gyfm
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Mary's Prayer
from generation to generation
Mary sings in response to the news that she will bear the Messiah: "the mighty
one has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those
who fear him, from generation to generation." Luke 1:49-50
He is mighty! He has done great things! His mercy extends to the next
generation! Thank you for partnering with us in reaching the nations and the
next generation with the good news of our Savior's birth, life, death and
resurrection. Together we've seen him do great things this year...
great things he has done in 2010
* he has touched the lives of more than 100 MKs & mission families:
providing counseling, small group discussion, spiritual renewal and
practical training through our programs and relational ministry
* he has equipped more than 100 national leaders around the world:
providing training for next generation ministry through our GYF
Institute sites in Asia, Europe, and the USA
* he has raised-up new missionaries: bringing Drew & Lindsey Wilkins to
join our team
* he has given many a heart for the work: raising-up brothers and sisters
to join us in prayer, participation, and financial partnership
We rejoice with you this Christmas: "the mighty one has done great
things--holy is his name"!
Thank you for faithfully partnering with us this year. Your prayers and
encouragement, love and support have fortified and sustained us as a family
in mission. We are humbled and blessed to be sent by you.
May you find assurance and fresh hope this Christmas in Mary's song: "His
mercy extends to those who fear him--from generation to generation." His
mercy extends. His love cannot be thwarted. He will fulfill his promise:
to you, to me, and to all his people--our people--in every nation and each
generation.
Merry Christmas!
Eric, Rebecca, Abby, Meghan, Natalie and Emma
Would you consider a year-end gift to the Larsen's work in Global Youth and Family Ministry?
- give online by clicking "donate" at www.gyfm.org
OR
- send checks to:
Mission to the World
P.O. Box 116284
Atlanta, GA, 30368-6284
Attention: Larsen support #29256
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Latin America Area Retreat NEWS!
There are too many stories to share and much to praise God for:
We saw kids connect with each other in the safety of small groups as fellow TCK's--sharing each other's burdens and celebrating joys... We saw redemptive relationships formed between youth leaders and MKs... We experienced sweet seasons of prayer and worship as believers connected across continents and countries... We saw kids grow through effective teaching and application of God's Word... We shared in the sorrows and struggles of those wounded in the line of fire... We saw God deliver his people from vehicle accidents, rip tides, and hurricanes... We counseled and encouraged many parents wrestling to love and lead their MKs through adolescence and the TCK experience... We saw new ministry avenues open up to speak into the lives of college and 20-something Mks and see them catch a kingdom vision...
Thanks for praying for us and partnering with us in this ministry!
Click here for more: www.gyfm.org
With much love,
The Larsen family
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
One Crazy Summer!
It’s been a full Summer, to say the least!
At the tail end of May, Eric travelled to London where he spent time developing a partnership with a local church there. The church is seeking to reach out to the European youth and growing population of immigrant young people in London. He also spent time working with MTW missionaries on a strategy to better minister to our MKs across Europe.
After London, Eric traveled to Hungary to participate in the European Leadership Forum. The ELF is a grass-roots gathering of 500 conservative evangelical leaders from 50 countries across eastern and western Europe. The GYFM seeks to partner with the ELF in providing our Institute training to European leaders struggling to engage the emerging generation in their countries. Many participants expressed leaving encouraged and better equipped through what we had to offer.
In June, we travelled as a family to Harvey Cedars Bible Conference in NJ. Eric was invited to speak at Victory Jam summer camp, sharing the gospel with over 400 students from all walks of life. God also provided many opportunities for us to encourage youth pastors and their wives, and to share the vision of the GYFM. We saw the spirit work in many lives during the week and came away encouraged as a family in ministry.
In July, we travelled to Ridgehaven in NC to serve during MTW’s Re-entry conference, followed by MTW’s Summer Conference. During Re-entry, Eric and Rebecca lead the mission kids in a time of debriefing and processing through their time on the field—helping them to wrestle through cultural, emotional, and spiritual issues of transition and adjustment. Then, together with the Ridghaven staff, the GYFM lead a weeklong summer camp experience for TCK’s –involving hiking, rafting, ropes course, and swimming, as we spent time in Bible Study, singing, one-on-one counseling with the youth, and offering seminars and consulting with mission parents.
Later in July, Eric travelled to New York to serve during MTW’s Cross Cultural Mission Internship program. This time is focused on preparing new missionary families to serve cross culturally. Eric spent his time training, leading an event for new MKs, counseling mission parents, and building relationships with new missionary families in an effort to set them up for success as they go to the field.
Then in August, our Global Youth and Family Institute offered it’s third foundations training module in STL in partnership with Covenant Seminary. Through this course, leaders receive training in a variety of models and methods for engaging the emerging generation with the gospel. In fact, our GYFI is about to graduate it’s first class of 8 candidates in our certificate program. Some are headed to Africa and Europe, while others are serving in culturally diverse and unique ethnic groups within the US.
Support update: 81% Praise the Lord!
We still need $1,600 per month. It is our prayer that God would raise up…
- 25 people to partner with us at $25/month
- 10 people to partner with us at $50/ month
- 5 people to partner with us at $100/ month
Would you consider increasing your giving by one of these amounts and letting us know by email?
If you have not been able to give or give regularly, would you be willing to join us at one of these amounts?
How? Go to www.gyfm.org OR
Send checks to: Mission to the World, PO Box 116284, Atlanta, GA 30368 (MEMO: Larsen Support Account 29256)
Above all, your prayers are what we need most! There is no way we could sustain without the love and prayers of God’s people surrounding us and going with us. Thank you for sending us and partnering with us as together we work toward Reaching the Nations and the Next Generation!
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Check-out my interview in InVision e-magazine
Why Next Generation Ministry Matters
by Melissa Kelley
“Reaching the nations and the next generation.” That’s the mission of Global Youth and Family Ministry (GYFM), led by MTW missionaries Eric and Rebecca Larsen. GYFM provides support and care for MTW missionaries and their children—often referred to as Third Culture Kids—and ongoing training for those seeking to influence global youth culture. Following is an interview with GYFM director Eric Larsen.
Your path to youth ministry is personal. Can you talk about your own experience as a Third Culture Kid (TCK)?
I was a military brat, missionary kid, and PCA pastor’s kid. And by eighth grade, I was on my 12th move, eighth school, and third continent.
I had a really difficult transition from Australia to the U.S. after graduating from high school and moving to Covenant College. I remember sealing up my Australian belongings in a box and shoving it in the back of my closet; I stopped reading letters from my Australian friends; I changed my accent. I remember thinking, “I can’t continue to straddle multiple worlds when others can’t do that with me.”
Many years later I finally learned to make peace with that part of who I was. God helped me unpack the box again, helped me become integrated in who I am. My father always said, “You minister out of who you are.” I think that getting in touch with our own stories, as well as spiritual gifts and temperament and giftedness ... all of those things are woven together, and God’s uses those to uniquely express Himself and reveal His gospel through us.
Why are you compelled to work with Third Culture Kids? Why is it a priority for MTW?
TCKs are uniquely equipped to impact a globalizing world. We hope that as the church invests in TCK ministry, we will see an emerging generation of missional leaders raised up. Also, we want to help them learn how God has hardwired them for crossing cultures—it may be that God is weaving this into His calling on their life.
But beyond that, we think it’s important to undergird mission families by surrounding them with a web of support. Adolescence is tough enough to navigate without the compounding effects of mission service: isolation, spiritual warfare, the intensity of frontline ministry, and the challenges of growing up cross-culturally.
You’ve said that ministry to youth is more critical now than at any other time in history. Why is that so?
Reaching the next generation is a must for the church—and the church should always have that orientation. We see in the Bible that God is always reconciling generations to one another, and that the burden is on the older to reach out to the younger—not the other way around.
But several things are unique at this point in history. More and more, the church is emptying of young people. There is an exploding global youth population (by the end of this year, 50 percent of the world’s population will be under the age of 25—that’s three billion people). Also, there’s the phenomenon of the extension of adolescence around the world. Kids are thrust into adolescence earlier and earlier and are extending it later and later. Now, it’s common for that period to stretch from 10 to 30 years old.
We’re also seeing a global youth culture where kids have more in common with one another than with the adults around them. Some of the key factors causing that include media, technology, and the common experience of abandonment.
How would you like to see the church engage with youth?
One big problem is the systemic adult abandonment of kids. Adults are not engaging young people. We have to raise up an army of folks who will engage young people together, as a church. We need a community of faith to rally around kids and care for them. It’s a great opportunity for the gospel, for a church to say, “We’re going to go after these kids.” We want to equip leaders to mobilize the adult community of faith to do that, to be catalysts, to become champions of the cause, to become a resource for their local area. And we want to ground them biblically and theologically to do that work.
How does your partnership with Covenant Seminary help accomplish your goal of training others to do youth ministry?
It’s important to see youth ministry movements as integral to our church-planting efforts around the world. So we’re involved in training cross-cultural youth ministers sent as missionaries with MTW, as well as equipping and encouraging field leadership, national leaders, and indigenous churches in engaging the emerging generations in their context.
Our Global Youth and Family Institute (GYFI) is based out of Covenant Theological Seminary, which has adopted GYFI’s training modules as its curriculum for a master of arts or master of divinity concentration in global youth ministry. So, training is a key piece of our vision. We also provide training all over the world—in Nagoya, Japan, several times a year, for example, and also at an annual European leadership forum.
It’s good to see Covenant Seminary and MTW—two PCA agencies—partnering together in this effort. It results in a theologically robust program where training is grounded in practice and kingdom mission.
To learn more about Global Youth and Family Ministry, visit www.gyfm.org
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