Younger Leaders Generation (YLGen)

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About YLGen

YLGen is a ten-year commitment to strategically partner with younger leaders and to connect them more intentionally to Lausanne issue networks, regions, resources, and mentors, as well as to one another through peer groups.

YLGen was launched in conjunction with the Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering (YLG) in August 2016, attended by over a thousand carefully selected younger leaders and mentors from about 150 countries, to faithfully steward the connections and fruit of YLG for greater missional impact.

YLGen is not just a commitment to younger leaders, but to building connections across generations. Over 90 percent of YLG participants accepted the invitation to YLGen, and we are praying for the capacity and resources to extend YLGen to even more younger leaders as we progress.

YLGen Mission and Vision

At the heart of YLGen is the mission ‘to connect influencers and ideas across generations for global mission so that the world may know Christ!’ In pursuing this mission, YLGen hopes and prays for three outcomes. These are:

Character

Through connections with experienced, godly leaders, we hope younger leaders would grow to live and lead like Jesus, in humility, integrity, and simplicity. We want them to be Christ-like leaders.

Friendship

We help each younger leader grow connections within the Movement, marked with the spirit of Lausanne—in humility, friendship, study, prayer, partnership, and hope. Through intentional discipleship, we desire to help them be Christ-serving leaders.

Mission

We want each younger leader to flourish in their calling and to have a key role in advancing God’s global mission, that the world might know Christ! We want them to be Christ-following leaders.

This vision for generations of Christ-like, Christ-following, and Christ-serving influencers connected across cultures in the global church shapes the heart of who we are, what we do in YLGen, and how we do it.

Our Commitment to Younger Leaders

To work toward our character, mission, and friendship outcomes, younger leaders are invited to participate in any or all of the following commitment areas:

Mentoring

Younger leaders have an opportunity to be mentored by a senior leader who will come alongside them through the Word, in prayer, and in whole-life discipleship. When we say ‘whole-life’, we mean the spiritual, emotional, physical, relational, and cognitive aspects of their lives.


Missional Resources

Younger leaders have access to curated, choice resources from the church around the world and from Lausanne’s 40 years of missional thinking. YLGen Equip hosts bi-monthly webinars on topics younger leaders have expressed the most need for both personally and in ministry. YLGen Educate gives younger leaders from the Majority World an opportunity to access full-tuition scholarships in higher education, from master’s to PhD level.

‘The Master’s in Organizational Leadership (MAOL) from California Baptist University (CBU), is truly helping me get global, practical, and biblical perspectives on Organizational Leadership. It came at the right time, when I was looking to re-skill and equip myself. I am extremely grateful to Lausanne for this initiative.’ Carlos, younger leader from South Asia

‘I am very thankful for the YLGen scholarship opportunity from Belhaven University, where I’m pursuing the Master’s in Ministry Leadership online. As a young leader in a management position in my organisation, this has provided me much-needed theoretical and practical tools to deal with the challenges I face. I have also seen growth in my own leadership capacity and ability to mentor others. Thank you so much for your support.’ Anthony, younger leader from Trinidad and Tobago


Global Groups & Gatherings

Younger leaders are invited to join globally diverse peer groups designed to develop friendships, mutual interest areas, and missional connections through life sharing and mutual encouragement. They are connected to Lausanne leaders, networks, and activities in their country or region through groups and gatherings.

‘We have a WhatsApp group in which we interact daily and weekly . . . Since YLG2016 we have convened two post-YLG meetings in Abuja (North Central) and Owerri (Southeast), Nigeria. We are currently running prayer chains to pray for our nation and beyond . . . This initiative was shared by one of our members and it was accepted by all. We have a forum for sharing and discussions in the group. We visit each other when we travel to cities where [other members of our group] live. We partner and share our gifts by attending and participating in programs being organized by organizations and ministries [that] our members are involved [in]. We do the above in the spirit of Lausanne.’ Nigerian Younger Leaders National Group


Scripture & Prayer

Younger leaders are encouraged to develop a vital and life-transforming relationship with God through Scripture and prayer. YLGen provides Scripture reflection resources for use in personal life, mentoring relationships, and ministry teams. YLGen also facilitates monthly global prayer meetings to pray together for the mission of Lausanne and issues facing YLGeners.


Issue Networks

Lausanne addresses global missional concerns through issue networks, which younger leaders (YLs) are encouraged to not only participate in, but also to have a formative role and understanding of while working alongside more experienced senior leaders. The Issue Network Commitment has an objective ‘to connect YLs with the 35 Lausanne issue networks, enlisting one or more YLs in the leadership team or steering committee of each issue network with a view toward extending the network among YLs; developing social network strategies for communication about the issue, encouraging strategic and theological reflection, and fostering related collaborative initiatives involving YLs’.


Regional Networks

Lausanne also encourages younger leaders to network in their regions. We have 12 Regional Directors who are committed to empowering younger leaders for global mission by establishing YLGen Facilitation Teams in each region, connecting younger leaders with each other and with Lausanne activity in the region, and fostering personal discipleship, mentoring, leadership development, partnership, and lifetime following and honouring of Christ.

YLGen Leadership Team

The YLGen leadership team is made up of both younger and senior leaders who are volunteering significant time, energy, and passion to launch this initiative. This team is led by Nana Yaw Offei Awuku. You can reach the team at [email protected].

YLGen Executive Team

Director, YLGen—Nana Yaw Offei Awuku

Mentoring Chair—Ole-Magnus Olafsrud

Missional Resources Chair—CJ Davison

Groups & Gatherings Chair—Evi Rodemann

Scripture & Prayer Chair—Lindsay Olesberg

YLGen Programs Manager—Angela Walder

YLGen Projects Coordinator—Donnah Odera

YLGen Systems Coordinator — Tanya Reut

Regional Integration Lead—Daniel Bianchi

Development Integration Lead —Holmes Bryan

Lausanne Leadership Journey, Co-director—Justin Schell

Issue Networks Integration Lead – Asia J. Williamson

YLGen Advisory Team

Patrick Fung

Paul Borthwick

Sarah

Rene Breuel

David Ro

Gideon Para-Mallam

Ole-Magnus Olafsrud

Rick Franklin

Contact Us

You can reach us at [email protected] with any questions regarding the Younger Leaders Generation movement. We invite you to pray for our younger leaders around the world and to walk alongside them in partnership of the gospel for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.