Two questions for Millennials and Gen X-ers

Monday, January 23, 2012

Two questions for Millennials and Gen X-ers

What made you leave, or consider leaving, the Church? (or, What made you stay?)

In what practical ways would you like to see folks from older generations come alongside us as we evolve and make our faith our own?

[1] Constant consideration of exiting the church due to (a) currents of fundamentalism and legalism, (b) legalism, (c) attention to style, i.e. the “show”, over substance, (d) focus on “the word” instead of practicing the way of Jesus. But I (we) stay because of (a) community, (b) fellowship, (c) friends, (d) and the truth and realization that no church comprised of fallen humans can ever be perfect, at least until all have risen.

[2] Would love to see the church become more cross-generational, as I decry the church practice of segregating and slotting individuals into age and gender buckets — I believe it to be a vestige of boomer and older mentality more apt to 20th century. Want to witness the church less segregated by all factors — race, socioeconomic, education, etc.… So much elders can learn from youth so pregnant with ideas and energy, and so much youth can absorb from the wisdom of elders.

Heh.

We began going again because we found a church that specifically does focus on substance over show and calls out the dissonance of focusing on “the word” instead of practicing the way of Jesus. We also stay because of (a) community, (b) fellowship, (c) friends.

Just tonight we went to see a couple that we’ve become close with. Their not yet two month old son is having open heart surgery tomorrow to repair a congenital valve leak.

We went with half a dozen others that have all become close, including our pastor and his wife to baptize the baby. It was real, significant and authentic. It felt very human to be there, supporting our friends and making the commitment to help them raise their son to make a difference in the world.