Jordan Whitmer, founder of the HowToLife Movement, and a graduate of Harrison High School hosted a virtual banquet last week to give an update on the global ministry and ask for prayer support for the upcoming events around the world.
Whitmer thanked those on the Zoom call for caring about Gen Z and future generations.
As a 16 year old junior in high school, Whitmer and three other teens sat around a kitchen table to talk about how they could reach the teenagers at Harrison High School. The group continued to grow and prayerfully they hosted the first #HowToLife Rally.
“We were very passionate about the event being led by youth for youth. 750 people attended the first event and 75 came forward for salvation. It was a very powerful event. Now God has allowed it to grow and we’ve hosted 125 events in 25 US states and six countries. The story keeps growing and lives are changing.”
Whitmer defined the Gen Z group as people born between 1997 to 2012. “We originally aimed for teenagers, but now we’ve expanded to students in their 20s,” he said.
The young people who shared their testimony on the call spoke of their heart to reach their peers. Statistics show this generation has more mental problems, anxiety issues, and thoughts of suicides than previous generations.
Whitmer said, “In the US only four percent of Gen Z hold to a Biblical worldview. Our heartbeat is to minister to this generation who are so broken.”
A HowToLife event was held in New York City in March with 225 in attendance from all five boroughs. Forty young people accepted Christ as their Savior.
Last year the movement held events in Orlando, Florida; Kansas City, Missouri; 450 students in Boerne, Texas; and in England. Leadership retreats have been held the last five years and this year they plan to expand the locations and numbers of retreats to Canada, Chicago, Illinois, and the Connecticut area. In January 2023 another training retreat will be held in the United Kingdom.2
Evangela said, “This has given me a new passion for a very spiritually dead generation. It’s been spiritually encouraging and I’ve seen the desperation and pluralistic navigate around that. My generation is broken and desperate for Jesus. It’s cool Jesus has given me a heart to deal with the social and mental health issues of my generation. I want everyone to know that when Jesus lives in you, it’s very fulfilling to have Jesus live in you as your best friend.”
Kayla said, “I was 14 when I first got involved with HowToLife, and now I’m 19. I live in Canada and we haven’t been able to host a live event yet, but we have had an online conference. We have leaders in four provinces and deal with all world religions in our area. My peers have a feeling of ‘my truth,’ and ‘your truth’ and they don’t interfere with each other. Canada is basically post Christian. When we invited young people to hear a speaker, they had no concept of what that meant. They are searching and asking, ‘Is there more to this life?’ God is still moving in Canada. I refuse to believe Canada is too hard for God to reach. Youth listen to other youth.”
Loren spoke from the Dominican Republic and said, “The fire for Jesus is spreading. People ‘my age’ have a fire for Jesus. My peers are asking ‘Where did I come from?’ and ‘Who am I?’ We’ve got to get the Word of God to them. They need the peace of Jesus. He can break those chains. They need to know they are loved and cared for. God wants a relationship with His creation.”
During the pandemic, young people started gathering online and the HowToLife Movement spread farther than it had. “We kept getting messages from teens in Cape Town,Johannesburg and Victoria, South Africa. FInally 2.5 years later I was able to meet with those and they are planning for an event next year.”
During 2023, there are seven new areas of opportunity. There are currently 40-45 plus events currently planned for 20 US states, four Canadian provinces, 11 countries and five continents most during the months of March, April and May. And new countries with teen leaders who want to host events include Southeast Asia, Singapore, Latin America, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Europe,the Czech Republic and Prague.
Sarah and Jordan are the only two staff members for this global ministry. Sarah speaks regularly with the leaders in each area and loves hearing their stories and testimonies of God working.
“I can see their spiritual growth and God fills them full of passion and excitement. They see the drastic change God makes in their lives and they know God is the only one who can make these events happen. They rely on God and they see prayers answered. It’s really special to work with them.”
In 2018-2019 there were 27 events hosted, and last year 26. “Now with so much of the ministry online there is a massive, collective surge of Gen Z exploding with the gospel,” Whitmer said.
Whitmer asked for people to help by praying for Gen Z. “Most young people haven’t heard the gospel message in a way they can understand it.”
He also asked if people felt led to contribute financially to the ministry, they are set up as a non-profit organization and can accept donations.
“The investment is so worth it — it’s a huge global impact,” he said. “For much power, there must be much prayer.”
The Board of Directors and leaders have a goal to raise $100,000 before the end of the year to support the growing needs of the ministry.
Whitmer said there are 11 places where they need to spend more money next year including the social media platforms teens use, podcasts, YouTube and more. There is already a HowToLife app that is available to anyone.
Whitmer’s grandfather and founder of RHM, Ron Hutchcraft, told Jordan that God has always worked through young people to reach the lost. I. Tim 4:12 reads, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
Acts 2:17 states in the last days that God will pour out His spirit on all flesh and sons and daughters shall share the gospel.
Whitmer reminded those on the call that King David was a youth when God called him to be the king. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a young girl. He also mentioned it was possible that John and some of the other disciples were young men.
Visit HowToLifeMovement.com or email info@howtolifemovement.com to learn more about this movement to help Gen Z reach Gen Z.
Videos are available on the HowToLifeMovement website, Facebook, Instagram or TikTok.
HowToLife Movement is a 501(c)3 organization. All gifts are tax-deductible. HowToLife Movement is also accredited by ECFA, the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
Donations can be made online, or mailed to HowToLife Movement, PO Box 121, Harrison AR 72602. For more information call (870) 416-8397.
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