MARTYN ISLES IS BACK

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Since Martyn’s short stint at Answers in Genesis many of us have been wondering what God has next in store for Martyn. It had to be connected to evangelising with a focus on young people because that is the talent God has given him.

Well now we know: Martyn Iles is set to Launch Two New Digital Platforms to Reclaim the Cross and Reimagine Christian Education. At the Crux and Proto are two initiatives designed to proclaim Christ and shape young minds with gospel-centred education.

“At the Crux” is designed to meet growing cultural curiosity about Christianity with a renewed focus on the gospel.

Speaking directly to a generation disillusioned with empty ideologies, Iles said the time had come to stop “simply opening conversations” and instead “bring them all the way to the cross.”

The announcement comes amid what Iles describes as a “resurgence of Christian interest.” Whether that looks like Joe Rogan going to church, Jordan Peterson promoting the Bible, or Donald Trump punctuating “a press conference with, ‘We love you, God’”, for many, “Christianity is interesting again” and is not limited to high-profile political or media figures, but particularly to young men.

At the Crux: Meeting the Moment

The name, “At the Crux”, has been deliberately chosen and crafted to carry three layers of meaning, with three promises:

  1. A promise of clarity. As in the phrase, “the ‘crux’ of the issue”, the word also signifies something of foundational importance, yet expressed simply and clearly.
  2. A promise of relevance. Finally, in being ‘at’ the crux, Iles determines that the new platform will be ‘at’ a decisive moment.
  3. A promise of the gospel. In Latin, crux means “cross,” pointing directly to Christianity’s central and always-relevant message.

In earlier seasons, Iles was best known for his widely viewed series “The Truth of It” and “Living in Babylon”, which tackled modern culture through a biblical lens. Those efforts drew strong audiences and made Iles a familiar name among Australian and international Christians. Now, with At the Crux, he intends to be even more explicit in gospel proclamation.

“I want to take up the curiosity that’s simmering out there – not just to answer people’s questions – but to bring them all the way to the cross,” he said.

The initiative reflects what Iles sees as a God-given moment: to speak into our modern culture not with the “wisdom of man,” but with the clarity and conviction of Christ crucified.

Proto: Reimagining Christian Education

In addition to At the Crux, Iles and his team have unveiled a second major project – “Proto”, a comprehensive Christian education platform designed to equip children from ages 5 to 18 with a robust biblical worldview.

Built in partnership with experienced educators, software engineers and policy experts, Proto promises a cutting-edge app experience tailored for Christian families. It aims to support parents and educators – whether homeschooling or using other educational models – with tools to instil faith, knowledge, and critical thinking from a Christian foundation.

Key features under development include:

  • Bespoke Christian curriculum aligned to international academic standards
  • Substantive and age-appropriate content across core subjects
  • Leading Christian educators as content creators
  • Advanced AI-powered assessments and personalised progress tracking
  • Parental controls and content safety features
  • Free foundational content with extended features available through subscription
  • Community tools to foster local connection among Christian families

Ultimately, the team behind Proto plans to offer not only worldview training but also full-spectrum academic coverage – integrating humanities, sciences and electives into a Christ-centred education model.

Iles leads both initiatives as Chief Executive Officer, bringing years of experience in Christian advocacy, law and digital content. Formerly the Managing Director of the Australian Christian Lobby, which grew by more than 400% during his tenure, he is known more recently for serving in executive leadership with the US-based Answers in Genesis apologetics ministry.

Iles has announced that he is joined by a distinguished team of co-founders, including:

  • David Cook, Chief Technology Officer, is a Silicon Valley veteran who helped build Apple iTunes and contributed to platforms like Netflix and YouTube. Converted six years ago, Cook now devotes his technical expertise to Christian mission.
  • Dr Paul Henderson, Chief Education Officer, is a global education expert who has advised prime ministers, authored national curricula, and holds advanced degrees from Cambridge, Aberdeen, and other leading institutions.
  • José Ziebarth, Chief Product Officer, is the former Head of Privacy at Facebook and an anti-corruption and de-bureaucratisation reformer in Brazil’s government. Once an atheist, he became a Christian seven years ago and now home-educates his three sons with his wife.

“These projects are ambitious—but they’re timely, strategic, and already underway”, Martyn revealed.

“Early support has been encouraging, and we’re praying for provision to fully launch At the Crux and accelerate the build of the new platform.”

At a time when biblical truth is often sidelined or diluted, Iles aims for At the Crux and Proto to fulfil a dual commitment: to proclaim Christ crucified and to raise up the next generation in truth.

Those who want to financially support Ilies’ efforts to present Christianity’s centuries-old core claim in a new format can do so here.

MANY YOUNG PEOPLE SEEK GOD

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RING IN 2024 WITH REVIVAL: Well over 100,000 young people gathered to seek God over the New Year and to ring in 2024 with revival.

55,000 at Passion in Atlanta 10,000 at Cross Con in Kentucky 7,000 at Cru National Gathering 5,000 at Salt Conference in Iowa 13,500 at Strength to Stand in Tennessee (multiple) 12,000 at Hearts on Fire in Tennessee (Nov) 7,000 at Xtreme in Missouri.

Of course, there is no way to even begin to calculate the millions of people who gathered at local churches to seek God across the nation and worldwide. Also, countless churches are now calling their congregants to fast and pray at the beginning of the new year.


@madisonyoung3493
I was personally there. I’ve never felt the Holy Spirit so strong in a place. 55,000 people came to one place to worship the ONE TRUE LIVING GOD! I will never forget the feeling and connection we all had. This moment I will always remember there is hope in this world.

It is always good to learn of young people who are seeking after God.

“The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand,
who seek after God.” Psalms 14:2

GOOD NEWS STORY – ON FIRE FOR GOD

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‘On fire for God’: Over 11,000 students attend worship event to pray, celebrate the Lord

Amid ongoing concerns about the younger generation’s religious dedication, thousands of students attended a worship event aimed at equipping youth with the knowledge of Jesus.

The latest Motion Student Conference, which concluded on July 29 at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama, hosted over 11,000 students representing 230 churches from 31 states and six countries. In addition, 2,000 volunteers assisted with organizing the event.

Motion is organized by the Church of the Highlands, a congregation with multiple locations throughout Alabama and Georgia. Attendees ranged in age from middle school to college and participated with their youth leaders.

Mark Pettus, president of Highlands College and associate pastor at Church of the Highlands, told The Christian Post in an emailed statement that Motion exists to empower a generation to live out Ephesians 2:10, which states:

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

“It provides an environment where students discover their identity in Christ and set their faith in motion to do the good things He planned for them,” Pettus stated. 

During the conference, students had an opportunity to attend sessions featuring speakers and worship band members before breaking into community groups to “unpack” what they learned, Pettus added. 

“Motion is more than a conference and more than bands and speakers,” Pettus continued. “It’s about a generation of young people empowered by Jesus, equipped to make a difference, and living out their faith.”

This good news story follows my recent post which reported that about half of Gen Z respondents in the American Bible Society’s State of the Bible USA 2023 study agreed with the statement that “the message of the Bible has transformed my life.” Among Gen Z adults between the ages of 18 and 21, 49% agreed that the Bible had a transformative effect on their lives. That number rose to 52% among Gen Z respondents between the ages of 22 and 26.

As we move towards the last seven years prior to Jesus’ return, Biblical prophecy tells us that persecution of Christians will increase. Tribulation, even great tribulation is ahead when the Antichrist declares himself to be God in the new temple yet to be erected in Jerusalem. I do hope that Highlands College know where we are in Biblical history and therefore end times prophecies so that they prepared these young people for the escalating tribulation that is coming.

YOUNG PEOPLE: RELIGION IS GOOD FOR YOU

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I published the results of this research under the post – GOD LOVES YOU, DO YOU LOVE GOD? with a different message but this post is aimed at young people with the message on the CBN video.

Dr. Josh Packard, executive director of Springtide Research Institute, told CBN’s Faithwire about his extensive research into 13-to-25-year-olds, noting studies have long found “religion is good for you.”

“Faith and spirituality are good for you,” Packard said. “If you’re a person who believes in some kind of higher power and has a connection to that higher power, you’re generally flourishing more than your peers.”

He continued, “Those who pray more tend to be flourishing more in all areas, including their mental health.”

Packard’s comments are particularly stunning when America faces an “epidemic of mental health [crises] among young people.” Meanwhile, there’s also a massive rise in the proportion of “nones” who no longer affiliate with a specific faith or religion.

Data pointing to increased wellness among the faithful is particularly pertinent in the midst of these dynamics, pointing to a potential solution to cultural conundrums.

Packard said there are lessons in Springtide Research Institute’s findings that can inform the culture and churches alike, especially in an era in which faith is being downplayed or diminished.

“Young people would be … better off if more of them had a connection to something bigger than themselves,” he said. “But also, I think a lot of religious institutions and leaders would do well to take mental health into account, so that like faith and belief could be appropriately part of somebody’s overall approach to health.”

While young people might not be aligning with Christianity at rates they once were, Packard said many still see themselves as spiritual, and more than half pray.

While the separation from biblical truth is undoubtedly troubling for Christians, these realities show at least openness to a higher power. And that intrigue could lead to receptive Gospel introductions.

“We see lots of desire from Gen Z to embark on these conversations and explorations of meaning and purpose and, ‘Why am I here on this Earth?’” he said. “So, the desire hasn’t gone away. The exploration hasn’t gone away.”

As Faithwire has extensively reported, countless surveys and studies show the benefits of faith.

Recent research has found Christians are exceptional at giving, fare better in relationships, church attendees are happier and more content, and churchgoers have better mental health. Read more about these findings.

THOUSANDS GATHER IN THE STREETS OF UKRAINE TO PRAISE JESUS

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The streets of Kiev filled with songs of praise and thanks as roughly 200,000 evangelical, Ukrainian Christians gathered to celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Once again, it is another “end times” sign as we see prophecy being fulfilled. “And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all, and then the end will come.” Matthew 24:14 This once communist nation where the gospel could not be preached is now exporting missionaries worldwide.

“Many travelled from all four provinces there just to be a part of that celebration, to thank God for the freedom to worship, to thank God for the freedom to preach the Gospel in their country, and to celebrate God’s faithfulness,” Sergey Rakhuba with Mission Eurasia told Mission Network News.

The gathering came after Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko signed an order recognizing the anniversary of the Reformation.

“It was so exciting to see on the screen of my computer where I was watching young people with so much joy. They glorify God in the midst of their capital. This was the same place where they were protesting just a few years ago fighting for their freedom. But, also, this is the place where many years ago, Communists would force people to demonstrate and propagate Socialism, Atheism, Communism, and other ‘isms’ in their country.”

Rakhuba says young people are the key to spreading Protestantism in Ukraine.

“That’s what Mission Eurasia is doing, working with the next generation, those who take the baton, those who get into the generational gap and take the Gospel to their communities,” he says.

Young people aren’t just spreading the gospel in Ukraine, now they’re exporting missionaries throughout the world.

“I just talked to a group of young people, they just came to this celebration from their mission trip to Mongolia in China — young Ukrainians who felt like the Holy Spirit was leading them to take the Gospel to Mongolia where they reached thousands of young people through summer camps!”

Ukraine may still be in the middle of a war with Russia, but it is growing leaps and bounds spiritually.

“Ukraine is still in the midst of war. Eastern Ukraine and territories are still occupied by Russian or pro-Russian separatists. Crimea was annexed by Russia. So yes, Ukraine is struggling politically, economically, but Ukraine is striving today spiritually, pleading to God to bless that nation,” Rakhuba says.