Mike Gordon: Ministering to Young Professionals

Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young.

Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live,

in your love, your faith, and your purity.

– 1 Timothy 4:12

Don’t let speaker Mike Gordon’s youthful look fool you. The baby-faced guy in the beanie cap has 14 years of full-time ministry behind him and has spread the message of God’s love to tens of thousands of teens and young adults through over 2000 speaking engagements. For a guy who was terrified to speak in front of people growing up, and was not raised in a Christian home, that’s a pretty amazing thing.  

But, of course, talking about the amazing things God can do is exactly what Mike does.

While Mike still preaches to the teen audiences that for years were the focus of his ministry, he has expanded his reach to young, single professionals who often drift away from their faith once they are out of college. On his blog, he references research showing that 70% of people who grow up in the church are no longer in the church by the time they are around 22 years old. Mike hopes to change that statistic by establishing a ministry geared to young professionals who often feel forgotten by the church.

Mike focuses on what he feels the generation sandwiched between teen youth groups and marriage preparation courses needs to hear. One of his key messages is “Don’t be so well adjusted to your culture that you fit in without thinking,” echoing Romans 12:2. He wants adults starting out in the world to be thoughtful about their choices, since decisions made at this age can dictate everything from what kind of career they have, to who they marry. He wants them to look to God for guidance instead of credit card offers, Instagram followers, or Tinder swipes. Because he is a peer, Mike is able to offer career and dating advice along with teaching the Word (his blog post Single Men: Get Off Your Donkey is a must read for young single men seeking love.)

Mike is open and transparent and often uses his own journey as an example to others. God placed some pretty crazy dreams on Mike’s heart and has fulfilled every one of them and more. This shy kid whose future seemed bleak as a teenager has now shared the stage with everyone from Tony Campolo to Francis Chan. He’s spoken alongside some of the best-known Christian artists on the planet (think Chris Tomlin, TobyMac, David Crowder, Skillet, Newsboys, Tenth Avenue North, For King and Country, Jars of Clay, Lacey Sturm, Andy Mineo, Kari Jobe, and John Crist… and that’s just this year!)

Mike is living proof that “if God puts a passion on your heart, it’s not by accident.” He is dedicated to helping other young professionals unlock the passions God has placed on their hearts too.

For more information, check out his blog at Mike-Gordon.ca.