Exploring Generational Shifts (Pt.1)
With significant numbers seeking to reignite their faith into greater pursuits of evangelism, their observations should force us to reexamine our own commitment.
Season 6, Episode 18 · Exploring Generational Shifts (Pt.1)
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The story behind the idea
The title is Twelve Thinking Shifts Among Millennial Gen Z Christians. That simple term thinking shifts is a scary one among a lot of God's people. They think in terms of the world shifting away from God or shifting away from the truth. If that's what this list was about, it would just be me complaining for two weeks about the worldliness among the youth, and we would lament how bad it's gotten.
What stands out
It's okay to ask about differences between God, authority, and man tradition, the thing Jesus confronted. With significant numbers seeking to reignite their faith into greater pursuits of evangelism, their observations should force us to reexamine our own commitment. Then he says clarity, each may not fit all situations, but represent general shifts. The first three shifts on the list are these shallow to deep, public to private, and going through the motions religion to relationship.
Why it matters
I think they have opened eyes, unbiased views of what it looks like when people go to church and really check that box, but their lives lack prayer, lack regular study, lack real Christian interaction. Our younger people have seen firsthand in real time what technology and other things developed in this world have done to relationships. Some of that, unfortunately, they've seen in their own parents and they don't want it. Like I said before, I don't think this means they want to flee public worship spaces or leave churches if it has over a hundred people and just meet in a dorm room.
A faithful way forward
A lot of us are planners, so we may not love this point so much, but it sure is a good one. We try to organize things and structure things and plan things to make it good for our young people and to help people grow in faith, and all of that has a place.
Put it into practice
We tend to place a majority emphasis on church building gatherings, and of course, gatherings are important and God commanded. For one thing, Christianity exploded in century one because persecution led to scattering, Acts chapter eight.
Take the idea with you.
- 01What idea from this study most needs my attention right now?
- 02Where does this challenge the way I am currently thinking or living?
- 03What is one faithful step I can take this week?
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