In PARTS I and II of this bulletin I explored some of the characteristics I have observed in people today and how they differ from previous generations. In particular I am concerned that we recognise that the next generation of Christians will be different from those of the past and that we don’t reject them or distance them from church life because of our unwillingness to embrace change.
In PART I I explored these attributes:- They Walk the Walk but don't Talk the Talk
- They don't like labels
- They don't do Nostalgia as we do
- They want something that works
- They are choice-driven
- They don't do Nostalgia as we do
Let’s look at some other attributes. In particular, consider your children, grandchildren, friends and neighbours, and see if you agree with these.
I mentioned in the last bulletin how odd it may appear to the younger generation to be confronted with a collection plate during the service. With the take up of internet shopping accelerating at a phenomenal rate, we need to recognise that the way we ask people to contribute to the finances of the church also needs to evolve. Should we not be more open and excited about the work we have funded and the impact it has had on the community?
Not only that but the old saying 'the Bible tells me so' has now been replaced by 'Google tells me so'. People use the internet as their source of wisdom and knowledge and are less inclined to accept what a preacher tells them on Sunday morning as the final word. And yet do we offer an opportunity for people to ask questions about what is preached and express their own views on the subject of the day? In this ‘Facebook’ age where people exchange their views openly and instantly, should we not provide similar opportunities with regard to what is preached and what we believe?
I heard of one church which handed out iPads to members of the congregation so that they could follow the order of service and sing hymns by reference to what was on the screen. I can hear your groans as I write this – “what if they press the wrong button; the battery gives out; the wifi goes down; they struggle to read the screen?” I personally would not like to hold my iPad as I worship God. For a start it might set my mind racing about the emails I haven’t replied to or tempt me to try out an app I have recently downloaded and take my focus totally away from what I am in church for. Not only that, but I find mobile devices so impersonal and can destroy the fellowship of the gathering. Even the use of projection equipment can be a turn-off when things go wrong. How I hate it when we are singing verse 3 and the projectionist has forgotten to advance the slide.
8 : They are spiritually alert but institutionally allergic
I know this has been overstated in the past but I do detect an openness to spirituality today which exceeds that of previous generations. This was clearly shown when Princess Diana died and people across the country poured out their grief in some quite extraordinary ways. Flowers were left outside shopping centres of all places, perhaps suggesting that these are the new temples of worship. Although the church played its part in the mourning process, people were not naturally drawn to churches as a place for dealing with their grief.
As I mentioned earlier, yoga, tai chi and other forms of spirituality are no longer frowned upon in society as they were in the past. And so, one of the major challenges we face in the church today is to recapture those areas which have been hijacked by spirituality merchants who are devoid of moral grounding.
9 : They belong but will not join
The church used to work on the “believe, behave, belong” model where becoming a member was conditional on people understanding and accepting our doctrines and living respectable lives. This has now switched around totally to the “belong, believe, behave” model whereby people are encouraged to join in first in the hope that the influence of mature Christians will influence their beliefs and these new beliefs will influence their behaviour. But we also need to recognise that although people may like to join us, membership in its traditional form is a big challenge. This is seen not only in churches but also in political parties. In this age where people like to dip their toe in the water before diving in fully, the need for explorer groups is acute so that people can make their own mind up before making a full commitment. In the past, evangelism has been geared around the “bring people back to the faith they have abandoned” model whereas today, the vast majority of people never had any faith upbringing to turn back to. You only need to look at the statistics relating to the number of children attending Sunday School today as opposed to 60 years ago to see that.
10 : They network
Traditionally, churches have been planted in a locality in order that it will attract the people who live in that community. The Anglican Parish system works on this basis and it can be a touchy matter when a church in a neighbouring parish starts to do outreach beyond their parish boundary. And yet, people today spend more and more of their time with people in their network rather than people in their community. How many of us know our neighbours well? I am a member of David Lloyd where I play racket sports and use the gym. This is one of my networks and some of my time is spent socialising with people in the cafe-bar as opposed to hitting a squash ball against a wall. These are people who don't live near me but with whom I have developed a bond of friendship. Many people today spend more time with work colleagues than with their neighbours or, dare I say it, with their families. To expect people like this to have an allegiance to a building down the street is an unrealistic expectation. This is why the Fresh Expressions of Church movement gives serious focus to developing church within our networks. Of course, the biggest networks in use today are Facebook and Twitter. Try compressing the Sunday Sermon into 140 characters for a tweet!
For discussion:
- One of my wife’s colleagues was quite surprised when he discovered she was on FaceBook. How has your method of communicating and discovering what’s happening in the world changed over the years? Has your church kept up with this change?
- ‘I’m spiritual but not religious’ – you sometimes hear people saying this. What do you think they mean and would you agree with it?
- What does church membership mean to you? Can you be a Christian without going to church?
- How well do you know your neighbours? Would you feel comfortable sharing your faith with them?
© Roger G Johnson 20
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