What does your fall look like? If you're like me—and a lot of the leaders I've been talking to—the big word for your fall is unknown. I know for us right now, as an organization, we're usually packing our bags, booking airline tickets, renting cars, and trying to figure out the hotels we're going to stay in as we travel to over 20 different cities. But not this fall.

Every generation takes a cue from the generation that came before it. The hard truth about racism in any generation is that it doesn’t just happen by accident. It is . . . a reflection a response a reaction to what the adults around them did or didn’t do. The Church is called to be a compass for every generation.

Have you ever thrown a rock into the water and watched the concentric circles form across the surface of the water? This formation of rings along the water’s surface is known as the ripple effect. That small rock, dropped in the water, indirectly affects the surface of the water several feet outside its initial point of entry.

If we lead the next generation to love and serve others, their faith will move in a positive direction. If we don’t, their faith will become shallow and superficial. Not only does loving God affect how we love others, but loving others affects how we love God.

What matters to someone actually matters. When the leaders in your environment take the time to figure out what matters to those they lead, children and teenagers in your ministry begin to believe they matter, too.