Next Gen Church

If there's one thing to lose sleep over with all of the crazy going on in world, it's the fact that our future lies in the hands of Millennials.

Just making jest. I actually like Millennials a lot. I happen to be one, depending on what generational timetable you subscribe to. Here's one I tracked down for reference.

Generation Name	Births Start	Births End	Youngest Age Today*	Oldest Age Today*
The Lost Generation The Generation of 1914	1890	1915	103	128
The Interbellum Generation	1901	1913	105	117
The Greatest Generation	1910	1924	94	108
The Silent Generation	1925	1945	73	93
Baby Boomer Generation	1946	1964	54	72
Generation X (Baby Bust)	1965	1979	39	53
Xennials	1975	1985	33	43
Millennials Generation Y, Gen Next	1980	1994	24	38
iGen / Gen Z	1995	2012	6	23
Gen Alpha	2013	2025	1	5

To be honest, I wasn't always fond of Millennials. I used to think “What a bunch of lazy, bean bag, Instagrammers…” and then I went to work and was like, “Man, I want to work less, have more freedom to do what I want...  maybe I can build a career off my social media presence or something? Heck, I'd love to work from a beanbag.” My paradigm has recently taken a hard left when it comes to the value system this generation holds.

Someone sent me a link to an article talking about how Millennials will be the next CEOs, and it proceeded to walk through what that could mean for the culture of our companies in the not-so-distant future.

This got me thinking. What do Millennials, and the other generations to come, mean for future of the church?

Companies invest top dollar in market research and understanding the trends in order to stay relevant. As a gamer, I follow the gaming industry like a hawk on the prowl. I constantly have my eye on the hottest upcoming games, what each publisher is working on, and what the big three - Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo - are up to. And, lemme tell you, they're up to some sweet sauce. There are a few titles I'm itching to get my hands on (Anthem, anyone?), not to mention the buzz starting to stir around yet another generation of consoles (Scarlett, PS5...).

You see, these companies - Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo - have to be on the cutting edge of what the market wants if they want to stay relevant. One wrong step and they'll go the way of Atari.

I believe the church has to think the same way. How do we stay relevant to future generations?

What's our Next Gen Strategy?

I just happen to also be a "strategy nerd," so I know, in order to answer that question, we must start with better understanding the next generation.

The Millennials grew up in a time when:

• Almost every home (except 3rd world countries) had an internet connection and a computer
• 2008, the largest economic decline since the great depression
• 911 Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon
• The invasion and occupation of Iraq
• Enron - energy trading scams and corporate fraud on a national level
• Higher belief in global warming due to unusually severe storms, hotter weather, colder weather, more droughts etc.
• Conversations evolving around weapons of mass destruction
• The explosive growth in online companies such as Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, eBay, PayPal
• A revolution in the way we work, including widespread acceptance of flex-time, work from home, freelancing
• The US is divided 50:50 with different and opposite fundamental beliefs and values
• Way too many crazy people are shooting their fellow Americans
• Turmoil with Congress
• Housing prices growing beyond most young people's reach

iGen'ers are:

• Much more tolerant of others - different genders, cultures, sexual orientations, races
• Less likely to go to church
• More likely to think for themselves and not believe authority figures in church or government
• Delaying having serious romantic relationships
• Less time spent in shopping malls
• Less likely to go out to see a movie
• More likely to use Instagram than Facebook
• Less "in person" and "face to face" contact with others due to more time connecting via smart phones
• Less reading of books, and newspapers
• May stay up till 2 AM using smart phone and social media
• Possibly more depressed than prior generations
• Feeling more lonely, and not needed
• Possibly a higher suicide rate
• 100% of them know how to do "the floss"

Fascinating, isn't it? Tomorrow's world could will look very different.

After much pondering, I came up with 7 ways that I think the church can adapt to stay relevant to these upcoming generations. 

#1: BRING CHURCH TO THEM 

Unless we drastically change the look and feel of church, which, to be fair, some churches are actually pulling off, I don't think we're going to make much progress getting Next Gen into pews. We must bring church to them. I believe they're hungry for authenticity, therefore we should shift our strategy from introducing them to religion and to shining so bright and behaving so counter cultural, like Jesus did, that they can't help but notice and become curious. It's time for the church to leave the building.

My hypothesis is that, with Next Gen growing more tolerant of all kinds of diversity, Christianity will become another diversity factor to them, which is actually good news to us, because we've had a bad rap for a while. We just have to be authentic about our relationship with Jesus or they'll see right through us and turn running. And rightfully so.

# 2: LISTEN MORE, TALK LESS 

As much as we are tempted to "tell it like it is" when we hear someone going on a tirade on the latest controversial issue, we must exercise restraint. These are not times to prove our wit but rather invitations to get curious and show love where they may be confusion. God made us with two ears and one mouth for a reason. 

#3: LEAN IN TO OUR DIFFERENCES 

There are 7.4 billion people and climbing on our planet and our isolated personal worlds are continually shrinking. Surface-level (e.g. race, age, gender) and non surface-level differences (e.g. religion, sexual orientation, personality) are being thrust into the spotlight and if you don't yet have an outward position on them, you're about to find out what your subconscious thinks.

Next Gen is growing up in a multicultural norm. My practical advice to you is: find someone different than you and engage in a conversation. I guarantee they'll immediately become more human to you and you'll realize you have so much in common. This simple act will flush out biases you didn't even know you had.

I also have to callout women in particular. It's a shame the church is behind society on this one. We cannot stand to make any significant progress in spreading the gospel of Christ throughout the world without recognizing and empowering half of it. Guys, when’s the last time you received some advice from a woman and accepted it?

#4: GIVE THEM A REASON TO LIVE 

This one gets me particularly worked up. There's a tragic trend of mental health issues and suicide prevalent in Next Gen that we need to attack head on. They are desperate for purpose and that's exactly what Jesus offers. If we can introduce these lost and lonely children of God to their loving father, I'm convinced they'll find hope once again. 

Spreading the light to these people doesn't have to be complicated. A simple compliment - "I like your shoes" - could be the glimmer of life that saves someone's life. Statistically, about 1 out of 3 people you cross paths with in your day have or are contemplating taking their own life so, if you're thinking something positive, SAY IT.

Proverbs 18:21 // Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit. 

#5: GET CREATIVE AND ADAPT

We must embrace creativity and innovation in order to keep the church relevant. Different fish require different types of bait, and Millennials are definitely a different breed than your super-traditional crowd. I believe the church should have the most creative minds on the planet. After all, we were made in the Creator's image.

This is why I wrote the book Nerdvotional. I have a heart for nerds, or people who may be isolated, lonely, or feel super different than the cool crowd. Being one of these people myself, I know how the Good News has transformed my life and that walking with Jesus is the ultimate adventure. Nerdvotional is my attempt at getting some light into the dark basements and corners of the world. 

Matthew 9:14-17 // Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?” And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”

#6: HAVE SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGES 

It seems the church has lost with trying to convince the world that homosexuality is wrong. I'm not saying it isn't unbiblical and that it doesn't break my heart when I see people I love looking for acceptance and covenant with someone who can't fully fulfill it. I'm just saying that the church has been trying to win this as an argument of logic and theology and I think we've lost that battle. 

I think we have a more foundational problem as Christians and in the church that we need to start with: our marriages. Our divorce rate within the church isn't any better than those who are not Christians. How are we going stand for the benefits of heterosexual marriage when we aren't even keeping those covenants ourselves. I think if we SHOW the world what true healthy, life-long, marriages are like, they'll be more interested in listening to our theology.

#7: DELIVER ON THE PROMISES THE BIBLE MAKES 

Last one. Next Gen is caring less about religion and finding purpose elsewhere but we can show them a validated gospel where other sources can’t deliver. I'm talking about praying for breakthrough in their lives, healing, miracles, showing them an alive, loving, and active God. 

In Matthew 14 we hear the story of how Jesus fed the multitudes (more than five thousand) with five loaves of bread and two fish. But it wasn't Jesus who handed it out; it was his disciples. Jesus blessed the food and handed it over to his people to deliver. Jesus puts the miracles in our hands to deliver. This is our role in the gospel. This is our Great Commission (Mark 16), that we would go into all the world, preach the gospel, and that these signs and wonders would follow as we do.

LAST THING

To the older generations, you have wisdom to share. Have patience enough to actually listen to what Next Gen has to say so you can have credibility when you need to drop your wisdom bombs on them.

To the younger generations, Next Gen, you’re insanely smart and resourceful, but you don’t know everything. Remember this. You still have much to learn. Be willing to listen to your elders once in a while. They've seen a few things and can help you avoid the pitfalls you're headed towards.

It's an exciting time to be a Christ follower. A new day is dawning. And the church won't look like it did yesterday, but it can be more brilliant than ever before if we learn and grow together.

Who I Am

I've been making some decent progress on my bucket list lately. The book I've been working on for the past year and half, Nerdvotional, is finally published, so I'm officially an Author... always wanted to say that. I kind of imagined there'd be more cardigan wearing and prolonged moments of contemplation with a steaming coffee in my hand, but it still feels AMAZING.

Side note: we're doing a Nerdvotional release party, and you're invited!

Turns out, there's a few steps involved in publishing a book. I think I read the thing over a dozen times, cover to cover. The good news is, I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. And I'm even more excited to see where it goes from here. I wrote it out of a mix of inspiration and pain from the loss of my good friend so it's always a little vulnerable to just put something out there that you poured your heart into for the general public to scrutinize. My hope and prayer is that it goes places other books couldn't, meets people right where they're at, and then gives them a big awkward bear hug.

Another bucket list item I made progress on recently is Glory Labs. This one is a little less tangible than a book but it's something I've been dreaming about for a long time. I've always wanted a means to share and collaborate on all of the creative ideas that churn around in my noggin, and I think there are other creatives out there in the world with the same predicament. It bugs me that there are artists stuck in business casual with no easy outlet for their passions and the things that give them energy so that's where Glory Labs came from. And it wasn't just me thinking of it. Glory Labs is the co-brainchild of myself and my amazing wife, Ellen, and we've been so blessed to have our close friends, Zack and Christina Smith, join us to launch it off this year. Each of our team members are creative engines, capable of world-shaping ideas in and of themselves.

One of the things we've started doing at Glory Labs is monthly Challenges, where we present a theme to the community and see what creative works people can come up with by the end of the month. This month's theme is "Who I Am", and this blog is actually my submission for the challenge. This is one of the ways I share "Who I Am" with the world.

There's something about the creative process that I find addicting. Whether I'm inventing new sounds for a Dr4gon Dr0p track, coming up with new analogies to convey my points, or even messing around in PowerPoint to tell a story with slides, I just love it. Few other activities connect me to my Maker stronger than that process. I think that's just how He wired me.

These projects and creative outlets are representations of who I am. I'm not sure where they'll take me next, but that's half the fun.

The Power of Words

You have a superpower. In case you didn't know. It's probably one of the most powerful forces known to man. And it's hiding in your mouth.

Have you ever heard of Daniel Kish? He's been on a whole slew of shows and documentaries for his remarkable ability. Here's a video of Daniel talking about it on the TED stage.

Remarkable right? A blind human that can effectively echolocate like a bat.

But what stands out to me about his story is not necessarily his ability but how he acquired it. Daniel had remarkable parents. They never limited him in what they allowed him to do and how they spoke about him. If he wanted to climb a tree, they let him climb a tree, and fall out of it like every other child does. He wasn't told being blind was a limitation and therefore he never behaved like it was, thus unlocking new abilities and possibilities that other blind people never discover.

"They [Daniel's parents] understood that ignorance and fear were but matters of the mind and the mind is adaptable. They believed that I should grow up to enjoy the same freedoms and responsibilities as everyone else... They put my freedom first before all else because that is what love does.” - Daniel Kish

They helped a blind man see by the power of encouragement.

"It's impressions about blindness that are far more threatening to blind people than the blindness itself." - Daniel Kish

You have that same power. You can speak things into existence.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:21

Take a look at how powerful God's words are:

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day." -Genesis 1:1-5 (NKJV)

Did you catch that? How did God create light? By speaking the words "Let there be light". If you're familiar with the rest of Genesis, he goes on to create the land, sea, stars, and all the creatures that same way. God's words formed our reality. What we know to be physical existence came from words spoken in the spiritual. Deep.

When God speaks, life happens. And it is good. 

Let's fast forward a little bit in that same chapter...

"So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." - Genesis 1:27 (NKJV)

If God made us just like him, then our words can do the same thing. That means we can speak realities into existence. Whoa.

"But God was speaking from a spiritual realm." you retort. Very astute of you. You've been listening well.

"For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus." -Ephesians 2:6 (NLT)

There you have it. We too speak from a spiritual place because we are raised from dead along with Jesus and seated in heavenly realms. Your words come from heavenly realms. Pretty sweet if you ask me.

It may sound crazy, but think about it. Have you ever met someone who has been verbally abused? You can physically see the tole that words have taken on their body. Their whole demeanor reflects the damage. They may be slumped over, have bags under their eyes, arms crossed, and in a defeated posture. Or on the flip side perhaps you've seen someone who's been consistently encouraged. They walk confidently with their chin up, have a glowing smile on their face, and a certain brightness to their eyes.

Just like Daniel Kish's parents, we have the power to change the trajectory of peoples' lives just with how we speak about them.

There's power infused in the words that you use. 

Let's ask Science what it thinks about all this, shall we?

A German Philosopher from the mid-nineteenth century named Lazarus Geiger studied a culturally isolated tribe. He showed them colors side-by-side, and found that they had not yet made words for green or blue. It was only when Geiger showed them the colors green and blue together and gave them a word for blue that they were finally able to distinguish them. It was as if the couldn't see these colors until they had a word for them.

This is a concept called "linguistic relativity". Basically, words and language have an effect on how we think about and see the world around us. You probably think in English, right? The act of naming and describing things brings definition where previously there was none.

For example, when I see someone's hair I think "they have brown hair". When my wife, a trained hair stylist, sees someone's hair she thinks "They must color their hair with level 5 brown, have damaged roots, and could use a reconditioner to bring back their highlights." Totally made that up. She and every other hairstylist are probably laughing their butts off right now.

My point is, until you have language to describe something, you don't see it the way others might. Until you tell someone what you see in them, they might not ever realize the possibility exists for their future.

Are you convinced yet that you have a superpower?

You may have heard this saying growing up: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." We used this phrase to show how tough we were when the name calling started but it's a big fat lie. Words can hurt, and on a deeper level than a flesh wound.

This whole topic of "The Power of Words" is actually from a message I gave a Freedom Church last Sunday. During service I asked our Usher to pass out some stones that I had collected from the magical land of my front yard. Then, in a daring move with everyone holding rocks, I described how "stoning" is a form of capital punishment still practiced in some areas of the world today whereby a group throws stones at a person until they die. The reason this form of punishment was chosen was because no one individual among the group could be identified as the one who kills the subject.

This is the danger of an errant tongue. It's easy to throw out an insult when among the safety of a group but we never know how much damage it is causing. Some people go through life taking blow after blow from words being slung at them but it just takes one to speak life and encouragement to start reversing the effects (see Jesus speaking to the woman caught in adultery in John 8).

"Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." -Ephesians 4:29 (NLT)

In service, I told everyone to consider the weight of the stone - how it could be used to inflict harm or used to build up - and how that relates to their words.

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can save or kill me.

My parents always told me "If you don't have something nice to say then don't say anything." Words of wisdom for sure. I believe the inverse is equally as important.

If you have something nice to say, SAY IT!  

For the love of donuts don't hold it in. There's not enough compliments in this world. You never know what that word of encouragement could turn into. It's like a seed planted and invested in someone else's life.

I'll conclude with this. Words are the result of what's going on inside.

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." -Luke 6:45 NKJV

We must first win the battles taking place inside our minds, take captive the lies placed there by the enemy, and only let the good ones formulate into words. 

"...casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" -2 Corinthians 10:5 (NKJV)

Our ultimate goal should be that our thoughts match those of Jesus and that we view people and the world using the same words, the same definitions, the same heart he does.

"…But we have the mind of Christ." -1 Corinthians 2:16

My challenges to you:

• How do you talk about your circumstances? Are you hopeful?
• How do you talk about the people around you? Are you encouraging?
• How do you talk about yourself? Are you valuable in your own narrative?

Aliens & Origins

I listened to a This American Life podcast episode recently titled Fermi's Paradox. The theme of the episode was "Are we alone?" and the Fermi paradox section was specifically tackling that question from an intergalactic scale. 

Taking directly from the SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) website, Fermi's paradox goes like this:

Fermi realized that any civilization with a modest amount of rocket technology and an immodest amount of imperial incentive could rapidly colonize the entire Galaxy. Within ten million years, every star system could be brought under the wing of empire. Ten million years may sound long, but in fact it's quite short compared with the age of the Galaxy, which is roughly ten thousand million years. Colonization of the Milky Way should be a quick exercise. 

So what Fermi immediately realized was that the aliens have had more than enough time to pepper the Galaxy with their presence. But looking around, he didn't see any clear indication that they're out and about. This prompted Fermi to ask what was (to him) an obvious question: "where is everybody?"

Fermi wasn't asking where in the galaxy are these aliens, he was implying that maybe they aren't out there to begin with because we would have seen them by now. Essentially, maybe we're it. As he looked at it from a mathematical point of view, it's statistically probable that they should have shown up by now.

In the This American Life episode, one of the Producers of the podcast, David Kestenbaum, was wrestling with this idea and finding it quite saddening to think that we humans might be the only intelligent lifeforms in the galaxy. Much of the podcast was devoted to David's soul-searching and trying to find someone who he could share this grief with.

What bothers me about the whole topic is that these are highly intelligent people, spending a lot of time grappling with this paradox and yet they give no consideration to the explanation of the origins of life that I believe in, and that is that God created us. If they would direct even a small amount of their brain power and honest scientific exploration towards this explanation I am convinced it would all make sense. But they simply toss that theory out the window as if it's laughable.

Case in point. Here's the only mention of God from the whole podcast:

Melissa Franklin And then you would say, OK, if that's the case, I have to believe in God. So that's what you're saying. 

David Kestenbaum How many physicists do you know who believe in God? 

Melissa Franklin Six.

The specific and small number was intended to be a punchline. After that interaction they immediately move on to talk about a New Yorker cartoon. Back to matters of greater importance, I suppose.

Let's think about Fermi's paradox here. I get the sense that this is no longer considered a rational thought but what if our planet is not billions of years old but can be measured in thousands? What if it didn't just "happen" but was the intentional act of an intelligent designer? When it comes to talks of paradoxes and the origins of life, I am perplexed that we write this option off as not even plausible anymore.

If the earth isn't billions of years old, then the whole formula behind Fermi's paradox changes. And if the stars were created by God, then there is hope. Isn't an explanation that ends well even worth exploring? It's like we're trying to find someone's contact info in our phone and yet that person is standing right next to us and we're saying "Not now. I'm busy looking for something."

In my opinion, a core flaw in this science-focused mindset is that we look at ourselves as a higher form of intelligence scrutinizing lower forms of intelligence. Science posits that we should be able to explain everything. Sure, if you create something, you have a right to scrutinize it and understand it in and out. After all, you know exactly where it came from and why. But so far I haven't seen any humans make any habitable and self-sustaining planets. So we are the students here, not the teachers. The most we can only ever hope to know is just as much as the teacher.

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher." - Luke 6:40

I am not proposing, by any means, that I have the answer to Fermi's paradox, or any other paradox for that matter. I am simply bothered by the close-minded nature of our approach in exploring the answers.

If science can be defined as "systematic knowledge of the physical or material world gained through observation and experimentation" (Dictionary.com) then, for me, there is a blurry line between that and religion because what I've observed and experienced is that God is real. Just like the wind, I can sense his coming and going, anticipate his direction, and see the effects him moving all around me. Is wind also a religious belief? Can God be explained by science? Why do we put our faith in meteorologists but not pastors? Because meteorologists get stuff wrong all the time. Just sayin'...