What is your dream?

I have a dream. A thought. An idea. it goes a little like this...

Day after day I have consistent conversations with teens all over the world. From different schools, countries and cultures. Seemingly so different, yet all the same. The search for identity & acceptance reigns as one of the loudest cries from this generation. Who am I? What is right? what is wrong? Am I homosexual? why do I think like this? is my family weird? Where do i fit in this world? What does the bible say? Etc...

Who answers these questions? Where do these teens draw hope from? Yes we would pray it is the Bible, the church, youth and Christian friends, yet this is such a small catchment pool to rely on without being proactive to increase it. When I was growing up I would ask my leaders, but i would also search google for the answers. Lucky for me I was half witted enough to draw the good from the bad.

A few moths ago I was sitting at Starbucks reading my bible and praying and i felt God say: 'This generation is crying with questions and you sit with the answers' and then I felt challenged as to how i would answer the questions.

I believe there are two places to meet a man. In the marketplace and at his point of need. You do not look for a shell in the mountains nor for mountain cabin on the beach. This is an online generation. Google, Myspace, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter is the bread and butter of this generation. Yet we seem to overlook this overpopulated marketplace. I see no better place to meet a teens need then online.

I find people talk online more about life then in person. They are more 'open' and trusting over a flat screen then a flat white.

So this is my dream. i call it 'mixed tape.' Mixed Tape is all about you, the individual. Mixed Tape is a website being developed which will give answers airtime. Yes I believe one on one relationship is important, But the bible says that Jesus also spent time and spoke to the multitudes as well as his disciples, I am not favoring one over the other. I am passionate and personally committed to both. Mixed tape is about giving us the opportunity to answer the individual question on a bigger scale.

Imagine when a teen types a life question into google and presses enter that the first page to come up is the mixed tape website. a website with the answers. a website that not only speaks with wisdom but also with truth and love. A website devoted to the growth of this generation. Developed specifically to challenge, equip and transform a generation. A website that shares light on divorce, sexuality, abortion, relationships, God etc with knowledge drawn from professionals, mothers, grandparents, pastors, doctors, psychologists and other teens. A website which gives room for anonymous questions. Imagine a website endorsed by schools, councils and government organisations because it has proof of results. Imagine a website linked to the local church, giving churches immediate face-to-face exposure where it is needed most.

is this about a website? No. This is about the individual; this is about change, about opportunity, about helping others flourish and about being Jesus to our generation. This is about teaching a man to fish rather then giving him a fish.

It’s just an idea. a thought a dream. But for me it will not remain a dream within the confines of sleep, but rather a dream played in the light of day where it can be seen, challenged, pushed and molded to become reality.

What is your dream? begin to imagine...