More than 6,000 mostly young people gathered at Wembley for the first night of THE SEND’s UK and Ireland tour. Benjamin Elliott tells the story of how he got involved, and why he believes this ‘call to prayer’ is unique
It’s midway through 2020, the pandemic restrictions are at their height and I’m searching for new worship music on Spotify. Somewhere buried deep in yet another playlist I discover ‘Let it rain’, recorded live at THE SEND in Orlando.
“What is THE SEND?” I ask myself.
On YouTube and Instagram, I see footage of a stadium gathering of believers unlike any other large Christian gatherings I have seen. THE SEND appears to have an urgency, like Live Aid, with an immediate need for action.
In place of Bob Geldof, YWAM’s Andy Byrd is delivering the hard-hitting facts: There is a generation on the verge of becoming an unreached people group. Then he gives a rallying cry for this generation to be sent to the places that are still longing for a revelation of the gospel.
Simply put, THE SEND is a catalytic movement with the purpose of activating believers to live missional lifestyles at home and abroad.
Arriving expectant
Fast forward to 7 July 2024 at the OVO Arena Wembley, London. THE SEND has spread beyond the USA, Brazil and Norway and arrived on our own fair shores. An hour before the event begins, people begin to arrive in the arena and are called to pray.
Josh Green from 24/7 Prayer and Wole Agbaje, leader of Imprint Church guide us as the big screens simply project the name ‘Jesus’. There is no hype here, this is consecration.
1,000 people made commitments to missional lifestyles at home and abroad
As a countdown clock ticks down and 6,000 mostly young adults gather, a video plays, inviting us to be part of the rich heritage of revival in the UK and Ireland. Billy Graham’s famous prayer of “Lord, do it again” booms across the expectant crowd.
This ecumenical event doesn’t start with unnecessary pleasantries – instead, it is a continued call to prayer. The plaza outside Wembley is crammed with hundreds of people queuing to get in, held back by a ticketing glitch. Josh Cutting, director of THE SEND UK & Ireland, calls upon us to do just that, to pray into the situation.
And then, we’re in, focused on why we’re here - to encounter Jesus and find our purpose.
Mobilised to action
This is not a concert. This is a generation approaching God’s throne in praise, lifting Jesus high and coming, expectant, as they embrace the Great Commission.
There’s a hunger in the room that I’ve not seen since the early 1990s and a tangible sense of people engaging in a profound way with prayer and a desire to connect with the Holy Spirit.
The following four hours see us biblically challenged to our core by Prayer Storm’s James Aladrian, and commissioned by mother and father figures of the faith in a moment of reverence with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel and Betty King.
We hear the facts and opportunities from the Talking Jesus report by the Evangelical Alliance. We listen to stories from The Way UK of what they’re seeing on the streets and across social media, of young adults coming to faith.
There are testimonies of people encountering Jesus across university campuses from Fusion’s Aaron Nayagam and we hear about the impact and opportunity that Alpha presents to this generation.
These stories and challenges are delivered between more worship led by Upperroom. They play ‘God’s not dead (Like a lion)’ - an anthem from a decade ago, written by Daniel Bashta and popularised by the Newsboys. It feels more relevant than ever during an evening of mobilisation.
A new generation
Why Gen Z? Well, as Pete Grieg recently shared when he noted there is “something wonderful stirring” right now, “the turning is most marked amongst Gen Z.
“Let’s not miss this moment of opportunity,” he said. We need to invest in young people. Where they lead, the rest will follow. A renewal among Gen Z will have significant ripples through all the generations.
In one of the most poignant moments of the evening, more than 1,000 people made commitments to missional lifestyles at home and abroad. Those who felt called to the nations rose to their feet with their mobile phone lights held high above their heads. It was a captivating moment as beacons of hope pledged to carry Jesus into the darkness of the world.
There is no hype here, this is consecration
THE SEND calls people into five key mission fields - secondary schools, universities, serving families and vulnerable children, workplaces and neighbourhoods, and the nations. It isn’t another gathering; it is a moment of activation for a generation. What’s happening is part of what God is already doing. THE SEND is just here to accelerate it.
Just the beginning
What started out as looking for new worship songs has led me to become director of media and communications for THE SEND. I love God’s sense of humour! I was seeking something for myself, but the realisation that THE SEND is all about entering mission fields for the sake of others was the epiphany that I needed.
Looking back, the contrast between lockdown and what I saw at Wembley - thousands of Jesus followers, shoulder to shoulder and all in for this vision – is incredible. But this is just the beginning.
After the gathering hundreds of young people were singing ‘How great is our God’ on their way out of THE SEND. They were surrounded by AC/DC fans who were exiting nearby Wembley stadium! We’re seeing bold young evangelists proclaim the gospel on the underground; while hundreds sing God’s praises on train platforms. It’s time to set our gaze ahead.
Are you with us? How is God calling you to fulfil the Great Commission?
THE SEND gatherings are due to be announced for others parts of the UK including northern England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland during 2025. See thesend.uk/events for more information
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