Young Christians Called to Restore Original Reputation of Church
Teenagers across the country are joining a massive movement to pick up where the early church left off – demonstrating the sacrificial love of Jesus.
One Million Acts of Sacrificial Love is a new campaign, started through the partnership of Teen Mania Ministries and Hillsong United.
"As we look back at the first 3 centuries of Christianity, they are all about sacrifice. They literally changed the world through their sacrificial acts of love," Ron Luce, president and founder of Teen Mania, told The Christian Post. "It only makes sense that we pick up that baton, carry on that heritage, and particularly demonstrate acts of love to the least loved people of the world, who have the least opportunity to see the acts of the love of God."
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The movement was launched in October and since then other renowned Christian artists such as the Newsboys have become involved.
Million Acts is a rally cry to young people to go all over the world and lay down their life for a period of time, whether it's through building homes, going on mission trips, helping inner city kids, or simply sharing Christ in the skate parks or slums.
"As they go, they demonstrate the love of Jesus by their actions, proclaiming the grace of God that comes through salvation," Luce explained.
Already, Teen Mania has double the number of teens committed to sacrifice part of their Christmas break to go on a mission trip, according to Luce.
One Million Acts of Sacrificial Love may bear a similar name to other "Million Acts" campaigns out there – such as Million Acts of Kindness and Million Acts of Green – but what sets this movement apart is the emphasis on "sacrificial."
Just as Jesus sacrificed to show love and the early Christians did the same going through sacrificial acts of love at their own peril, young Christ followers today are being called to do the same.
"They laid down themselves because of the love of Christ [that] compels us," Luce said.
"What we're looking for is people that would join together and say 'let's give followers of Christ not a new reputation but the original reputation that they had when Jesus first left the planet."
Joel Houston, singer and songwriter of Sydney, Australia-based Hillsong United, says the campaign is all about love; "and love is not about me ... [or] what I can get out of it."
"The idea that love ... costs and the idea that sacrifice is costly and being prepared to do that honestly for the ... good of somebody else, that's a beautiful thing," Houston states in a promotional video.
To join One Million Acts of Sacrificial Love, visit: http://www.millionacts.com/
