Building the Church Across Generations
Investing Where the Future Is Being Formed
Tomorrow’s Church is not being shaped in headlines or strategies.
It is being shaped quietly.
It is being shaped in classrooms with too few teachers.
In churches led by faithful pastors who lack support.
In homes where women carry immense responsibility with little recognition.
And among young people searching for meaning in a world offering plenty of distraction and very little direction.
As we step into 2026, GO InterNational is paying attention to where formation is already happening and where support is urgently needed. Not because we want to start something new, but because we want to walk faithfully with what God is already forming.
Children and Youth: A Generation at the Center
The world is experiencing the largest youth population in history. More than 1.8 billion people today are between the ages of 10 and 24, most of them living in regions where access to the gospel is limited or nonexistent.
Many have never heard the story of Jesus in a way they could understand. Not because they rejected it, but because no one came close enough to tell it.
At the same time, over 260 million youth worldwide are not in school, not employed, and not in training. In many societies, young people are stalled between childhood and adulthood, unsure where their lives are headed or whether they matter.
Children face even deeper vulnerability. Millions live with chronic hunger, displacement, neglect, or abuse. Instability is not the exception. It is the norm.
And yet Scripture consistently places children at the center of God’s attention. When Jesus spoke about the kingdom, He placed a child among His disciples and said, “Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
Children were not a distraction to Him. They were a revelation.
Across the world today, young people inside churches are asking for more than attendance. Research continues to show that faith is sustained when young people are known, mentored, and entrusted with responsibility. We see youth forming prayer groups, leading outreach, and stepping into leadership long before they feel ready.
They are not asking to be entertained.
They are asking to be discipled.
Women: Carrying Faith Forward
Alongside this next generation stand women who carry extraordinary weight.
Globally, women perform the majority of unpaid care work and represent a disproportionate share of the world’s poor. One in three women will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime.
And yet, in homes, churches, and communities, women are often the primary carriers of faith, resilience, and hope.
Scripture tells a consistent story here.
God sees women clearly.
Hagar names Him as the God who sees her.
Deborah leads Israel in a moment of national crisis.
Mary carries the incarnation itself.
Women follow Jesus, sustain His ministry, and are entrusted with the first announcement of the resurrection.
This is not accidental. It reveals something about God’s heart.
When women are equipped, families stabilize.
Children thrive.
Faith is passed on intentionally and faithfully.
Our work with women is never about creating platforms. It is about strengthening discipleship in the places where life and faith intersect every day.
Ministry Leaders: Faithful, Isolated, Enduring
Ministry leaders across the globe are carrying responsibility far heavier than most realize.
Most pastors outside of the US and Europe have little or no formal theological training. Many lead in isolation, without mentors, peer networks, or access to ongoing formation. Many are discouraged, not due to lack of faith, but because they are carrying more than they were meant to carry alone.
Scripture takes leadership seriously because leaders shape the lives of others (James 3:1; Hebrews 13:7). God promises to give shepherds after His own heart (Jeremiah 3:15), and Jesus defines leadership not by power, but by service (Mark 10:43–45). Paul consistently emphasizes formation, endurance, and multiplication over charisma or crowds, urging leaders to watch their lives closely and entrust the work to others who will lead in turn (1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 2:2; Galatians 6:9).
This is slow work. It is formative work. And it is essential.
One Story, One Movement
These realities are not separate.
Children grow into youth.
Youth become leaders.
Women disciple generations.
Leaders shape the environments where all of this happens.
Scripture captures this intergenerational vision simply:
“One generation shall commend your works to another.” (Psalm 145:4)
GO exists to come alongside this work. Not to rush it. Not to replace it. But to walk with people long enough for growth to take root and multiply.
We do not measure success by what we start.
We measure it by what continues.
An Invitation to Invest
As you consider your giving in the year ahead, we invite you to partner with GO in this work.
Your generosity equips leaders who are standing alone.
It disciples the next generation.
It strengthens women who are shaping faith in everyday spaces.
And it supports gospel work in places where resources are limited, but faith is growing.
This is slow work.
It is relational work.
And it is the kind of work that lasts.
Thank you for standing with GO InterNational as we invest in the people who will carry the Church forward, often long after we are gone.
Dr. Curtis Elliott serves as Vice President of GO InterNational, bringing deep experience in global missions, leadership, and partnership development. With a Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary, Curtis has led and mobilized teams across cultures, facilitated global partnerships, and served in local ministry in the Republic of Georgia. Before joining GO, he worked with organizations including The Salvation Army, The Christian and Missionary Alliance, and Adventures in Missions. At GO, Curtis champions the global Church—equipping leaders and advancing gospel-centered collaboration around the world.
Read more from the GO Blog:
