A couple of things caught my interest in the most recent issue of Worship Leader Magazine and I thought they might spark some interesting conversation among those of you who stop by here from time to time.
If you'll allow me, I'd like to spread my thoughts out over a few posts (though, not consecutively of course - we need our Tuesday Tavin tomorrow, don't we?)
The first thing I want to throw at you is from the cover article entitled "The Millennial Generation." Yes, I said "millenial." We're all tired of hearing it, I know, but the article got me thinking...
Of course, authors Donald E. Miller and Richard Florry spent a few paragraphs describing millenials and how religious culture (read: business industry) has responded to the particluar culture's needs.
The real interesting thing came when Miller and Florry referenced their own research at USC and some other "college religiosity" surveys. Check out the excerpt:
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Here are some characteristics of Millinials:
-They perceive religion to be a choice and not an obligation.
-Religious labels, including denominational identifications, are relatively unimportant to them.
-They are typically tolerant of other people's beliefs and, in fact, enjoy the variety of different religious practices that they see on campus.
-Religious authority is internal rather than located in some external source, such as the hierarchy of a church.
-They see more value in relgious experience than in a codified set of beliefs.
-They affirm the idea of being on a religous journey rathe than embracing a static set of beliefs and practices.
_If they join a relgious group, they are more interested in the authenticity of the people - their honesty, openness, and humility - than they are in an authoritarian presentation of the truth.
-They have no problem being eclectic in their relgious taste, which sometimes includes creating their own hybrid relgiious identities.
-They want to make a difference in the world and therefore believe that relgion should address issues of justice and equality.
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Now, we can bemoan this as horrible information about millenials (those born after 1975,) but I'd rather talk about this:
For those of you ARE millenials or who work with them, do these characteristics ring true? And if so, what have you found most beneficial in reaching this particular group.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Buzzword Warning...
Posted by Todd Wright at 1:53 PM
Labels: culture, worship, worship leader magazine
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11 comments:
I just posted a blog talking about a similar deal.
Secular Humanism is rapidly becoming the 'religion' of choice among kids. However they are claiming it as their own. The problem I think is that while the kids are claiming it... the truth is they learned it from the parents who would never claim it outright but because of their belief systems adhere to it wholeheartedly and therefore have passed it on (maybe without even knowing it).
I could be wrong but it's just an observation from my little part of the world!
Well said Robert.
It wasn't until about a month ago that I was forced to look at my own worldview (via a book for a class) and I discovered it to have its roots entangled in secularism. The world is screaming that there is no absolute truth, that no one can REALLY know God, and someone (the Church, fathers and mothers) has to show that there is.
Given that most kids are educated in humanistic institutions, that they adhere to the faith in which they are (actually) raised should come as no surprise to anyone, especially Church workers.
Okay, ministers...riddle me this:
Which of these characteristics concerns you the most?
I see most of them as signs of immaturity and a result of rebellion against "our parent's church". With sound teaching from a loving church (Lord willing) we'll grow out of it.
Buuut, if I HAD to choose one of them I'd say the perception of religion as a choice and not an obligation. I think this leads to poor discipline; but I don't like the term obligation...
Since I grew up in this generation, most of this rings true to me or I can relate to them.
Now my question is this: What do you want to know?
Are you saying these ideas are wrong or bad? Or are you trying to say something else?
I'm not sure I understand the discussion...
"For those of you ARE millenials or who work with them, do these characteristics ring true? And if so, what have you found most beneficial in reaching this particular group."
Well I guess I can't answer this since I am a millennial huh?
Didn't I say "if you are a millenial" do these things ring true?
I didn't read that part of "which are most beneficial in reaching this particular group" - I mis read it so mine previous response is the OPPOSITE - the least beneficial for their development.
My bad
Being on a religious journey, not adhering to a set of strict beliefs and Religious authority being internal, not coming from an external source (excluding the Bible) are the 2 that ring most true for me. And I even struggle often with our interpretation of the bible. Not from language to language, but how we interpret the meaning of it to apply it to our lives.
I think some of those points are a bit far fetched, but I can see how they could all be true for one who didn't know the living God. kwim?
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