Recent criticism suggests that bloggers enjoy listening to themselves write more often than they read what others are saying. In our defense, I try to spend twice as much time reading as I do writing and as many generations of great writers insist - reading is an essential discipline to great writing. So, I just read one of my fellow Church Central bloggers posts and thought I might offer a response to Thom’s Five Major Trends for Churches in America.
Thom writes: According to our current research, the Millennial generation, those born between 1980 and 2000, will have a very low Christian representation. Our estimates now are that only 15 percent are Christian. With a huge population of nearly 80 million, that means that nearly 70 million young people are not Christians.
Did somebody say something like this about my generation (Generation X) ten or twenty years ago? Every generation becomes the victim of an older generation’s studies and observations suggesting all sorts of misdeeds, misfortune and immorality. Where is Generation X today? Most of us are noticing our first grays, most of us have married and had children, and many of us have returned to church- albeit our own emerging variations; we have not abandoned the faith, and I don’t suspect generations to follow will either.
Thom says that this huge generation is largely indifferent to Christianity. Apparently, only 13 percent of the Millennials rank any type of spiritual matter as important to their lives. They are not angry at churches and Christians. They simply ignore us because they do not deem us as meaningful or relevant.
I confess I would have to look more closely at the research, but my guess is this: young people are indifferent to Christianity and religion but not necessarily God or faith. I might also suggest that our measuring sticks (Bible reading, prayer, church attendance, etc.) are what many young people find irrelevant in their journey. Unfortunately, instead of believing that faith can be lived out in other ways, too many of us question young people's commitment and deny them privilege among those of us who measure up accordingly.
Thom suggests that senior adult ministries will experience steep declines. He explains that as the Boomers move into their older years, they will resist any suggestion that they are senior adults, no matter how senior they may be.
I have to agree with this. Most definitely, senior adult ministries will experience decline if they are unable to adapt to the "new seniors". However, like my earlier point about young people, all ministries must learn to adapt and change as generations move in and through our ministries.
Thom suggests that Boomers will become more receptive to the Gospel. I believe everyone, all generations, are awakening to the Gospel in a way unlike we have seen in decades. I agree, the Boomers tried it all and they found no joy. However, I wonder just how receptive Boomers will be. I believe far too many Boomers will discover that the Gospel and the retirement plans they worked to build up all their lives will not necessarily not line up.
Thom’s final point is where the church can discover its greatest opportunity. He says that nearly 8 out of 10 Millennials ranked family as the important issue in their lives. He points out that while many churches say they are family friendly, few actually demonstrate that value. Very simply, I believe churches can adapt to this trend by becoming more like a family and less like a church. As a father of four having walked into plenty of churches of late, this one is going to be tough.
In closing, Thom begins by cautioning us that if we miss a trend, we risk missing opportunities. I might also caution that if we misinterpret a trend, we risk alienating ourselves from those we are "trending". For example, to describe Millennials as the largest generational mission field in over a century is also to say, as a Boomer might, that the Millennials are lost. Such statements build walls that are much easier to put up than they are to tear down.
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@JasonLewisCFRE leads the advancement efforts at Logos Academy; an inter-cultural, Gospel-centered, community school located in York City, Pennsylvania. Jason and his family are members of the City Church community. In addition to his full-time ministry, Jason speaks to groups about Christian stewardship, generous giving, and effective ministry advancement. You can learn more at The Generous Life.
by: Kay Richardson 7/30/10