For a guy who has witnessed plenty of supernatural works of God in his life, seeing Jesus in a vision wasn’t all that strange. And yet Banning Liebscher still can’t shake what came into his mind’s eye on a cool Canadian night last April.
It was the first night of a youth conference in Toronto to which Liebscher had been invited as a guest speaker. Before ever walking onstage, he had joined the hundreds of students gathered for a time of praise and worship. With his hands lifted and spirit lost in adoration, he saw the Lord enter the room and begin walking among the crowd. In His hand was a massive paintbrush dripping with red paint. As He located various young people, He would paint a large letter R upon their bodies. Liebscher immediately asked the Lord what He was doing.
“I’m marking revivalists tonight,” was the answer he heard.
Sans the red paint or dramatic vision, that’s exactly what Liebscher has been doing for the last 14 years at Bethel Church in Redding, Calif., and now around the world. The 33-year-old pastor leads Jesus Culture, which began as a single conference for Bethel’s youth group and has since evolved into a multifaceted, global initiative for teens and young adults.
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Among students, Jesus Culture is best known for its soul-searing music, as captured on such recordings as Your Love Never Fails, Everything and We Cry Out. Within worship circles, it’s renowned for produced rising leaders such as Kim Walker, Chris Quilala and Melissa How. And around youth pastors, it’s become a Spirit-flammable summer conference that ignites entire youth groups to change their churches and communities through radical ministry.
But for Liebscher and his team, Jesus Culture is simply the result of following a mandate given years before in preparation for a wave of revival among a younger generation.
“We believe there’s a new breed of revivalists emerging in the earth today because of what God intends to do in nations and cities around the earth,” he says with complete certainty. “The mandate the Lord gave us was to activate, mobilize, equip and resource this new breed. He made it very specific to us that He’s releasing healing revivalists again.”
Power Outlet
It’s that last part—the healing and supernatural works—that distinguishes Jesus Culture from being just another hyped-up youth conference. Following suit with what’s been established under Bethel’s senior pastor, Bill Johnson, Jesus Culture makes a point to provide teens with hands-on training opportunities to minister the supernatural power of God. During every conference, students spend hours each day venturing out in groups to the modern-day courtyards of America—malls, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Their goal is simple: Learn how to follow the Holy Spirit’s directive, step out in faith and watch Him do the miraculous.
It’s not coincidental that the results—as published online by hundreds, if not thousands, of transformed teens—look similar to those of the conference’s namesake done 2,000 years ago. Typically shy eighth-graders declaring prophetic, life-changing words over complete strangers in a mall. High schoolers ministering instant healing to fellow diners in a Taco Bell. College students leading retirees to the Lord for the first time.
“You have to let your light shine,” Liebscher tells these young “radical revivalists.” “This whole thing is about activating young people to let their lights shine. The way that they let it shine is through works—and that’s not random acts of kindness, although we believe in that. It’s not just good social things that we do; it’s demonstrations of power. It’s the supernatural invading. And when I allow the supernatural to be demonstrated in my life in front of men, then the Lord receives glory.”
Jesus Culture obviously isn’t the first youth group to emphasize a “signs and wonders” lifestyle. Yet Liebscher and his team have created a remarkable culture of balance in which biblical grounding and spiritual discipline walk hand-in-hand with relevant, radical power. The end goal isn’t bigger numbers, better worship bands or even more healings; it’s to have young people so passionate for Jesus they can’t help but walk in supernatural power that radically affects every area of culture.
“There’s an urgency of the hour right now,” Liebscher says. “What I’m seeing now more than I’ve seen in my 14 years of experience is a level of consecration to the Lord that’s unbelievable, where kids are really saying, ‘I’m setting myself apart for the cause of Christ and for His desires fully. And this decision I’m making right now will bear fruit when I’m 80.’ ... Some of what we’re doing, I believe it’s not really immediate impact. I don’t think we’ll see the fruit until 20 or 30 years from now.”
That may be. But in the meantime, Liebscher remains content to continue marking a generation that is turned wholeheartedly to God.Marcus Yoars is the editor of Ministry Today.
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