March 01, 2001 by George Verwer

There needs to be a higher level of spiritual discernment today to understand culture, to understand how to be effective in postmodern society. I find, however, that young people today have phenomenal potential. They respond. They are ready to go. It's the older people that are much more the hindrance, unwilling to come up with the money. On a global scale we estimate 50,000 in line, trying to get to the mission field, but most are held up for lack of backing: finances, affirmation, people that can help make things happen.

Of course, a lot is already happening. Despite that huge line of people trying to get into missions, there is another huge army that has already made it there. We're never attacking one problem at a time in missions. We've always got ten different things that we're trying to deal with. That's why we need a lot more leadership training. We need gifted leaders who will know how to delegate, serve and make things happen.

I think that students need to realize the importance of Biblical balance. Balance to me is a cutting edge word. It is not a dull word. When you come to a place like Urbana there's a lot of different agendas. You go to a seminar and hear some pretty strong stuff. Then you go to the main meeting and ... that seems to contradict what you heard in the seminar. Then you meet your friend over a cup of coffee, and he's bobbing away on his agenda. You need a lot of discernment. ... What may seem to be a contradiction may simply be God doing a different work in a different person.