#VICTORY WORLD OUTREACH LICENSE#

The wide world, therefore, becomes an extension of the living room, where risks have been minimized and the channels of communication are tightly controlled. The screen (and headphones!) is a social stiff-arm, a means of saying, “Don’t talk to me!” without having to be rude.

But the social acceptability of a screen in hand (and eyes on it) means that gaining access to a person’s eyes implies interruption. There have been venues where this reversal was already coming to fruition, even as far back as twenty years ago: the gym and the airplane, for example. To quote Tony Reinke, “The smartphone is causing a social reversal: the desire to be alone in public and never alone in private” ( 12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You, 124). So, an invitation to any organic, communal platform for relationship - a retreat, a conference, even an ultimate frisbee game - is met with more reluctance than I have ever previously encountered.

#VICTORY WORLD OUTREACH LICENSE#

The fear of being seen and known, of connecting with and building close relationships with others, while not remotely a new fear, has been given fresh license in the sanctioned isolation of the last two years. The trend was alarming in the years immediately preceding COVID (though I think it may have been more akin to FOMO in the 2010s), but it’s off the charts now. I have witnessed, however, their sheer terror in the face of new social situations. Fear of the Social Unknownįor the past two years, I haven’t witnessed much direct fear of COVID from young people. While every individual and subculture is distinct, I have an educated hunch that most ministers in the Western world are experiencing many (if not all) of the following challenges on some level. I believe that a conflation of cultural factors (COVID, technology, and modern philosophies, to name a few) has brought us to this place. In my two-plus decades in campus ministry, I have not encountered a moment quite as challenging as this one. The ministry I work with, Campus Outreach, focuses on life-on-life evangelism and discipleship. My first response was, essentially, I feel your pain. He was referring to the ministry environment of the younger generation in the early 2020s.Ī few conflicting responses arose within me. Each kit costs just $10, and Braveheart will distribute them to as many pregnant people during our upcoming clinic days in Uganda.A dear and discouraged friend lamented to me recently, “How do we minister in this climate?” He wasn’t talking about the humid subtropical weather pattern of the Carolinas (which is generally quite pleasant).

Braveheart has partnered with a local Ugandan midwifery organization to help distribute “Mama Kits” which include the basic, sterile tools needed for a much safer and healthier delivery. This puts many of them on the street, and at an increased risk of sexual exploitation, teen pregnancy, and a higher rate of not finishing school.īraveheart’s partners will train 50 young women annually & equip them with products needed to reach up to 1,200 young people to de-stigmatize menstruation and give young girls the tools to stay in school throughout their cycle.īraveheart also wants to address maternal mortality rates, which stand at a staggering 68% in sub-Saharan Africa due to lack of access to sterile equipment. According to Rogers, young girls in Uganda miss an average of 20% of school days because of the negative stigma associated with their menstrual cycle and lack of access to sanitary products. The Girl Power Period Campaign is one of the organization’s current focuses.

Victory world outreach