People of the 21People of the 21stst Century Century

As church members, we minister to a range of generations with different values, perspectives, theologies, and priorities. Because we were all born into a generation and have probably adopted their viewpoints, it is important to understand how other generations function.

In particular, we need a firm grasp of the characteristics of the generations that will predominate in the church in the 21st century.

There are five significant generations in present-day America

Seniors - born 1926 and earlier

Builders - born 1927 - 1945

Boomers - born 1946 - 1964

Busters - born 1965 - 1983

Mosaics - born 1984 - 2002

The "Lucky" Generation (Builders)1927 - 1945

The generation born in the 20s or 30s regard themselves as "lucky," because their formative years were characterized by hardship (Great Depression, World War 2), and through these difficult times you learned values like loyalty, saving, the work ethic, the importance of sacrifice for others, and patriotism.

In contrast, your later years have seen great prosperity. Even now, the generation that benefited from low taxation when raising children are enjoying the provisions of generous aged pensions. So you see yourselves as "lucky" because you have both clear values and comparative wealth.

You do have tinges of regret. You feel that they may not have tried hard enough to inculcate your values in their children and you are concerned about declining moral values and loss of community. You believe we are losing our way.

The "Stress" Generation (Baby Boomers)1946 - 1964

Boomers were forged in a cauldron of economic

prosperity and the danger of nuclear

extinction.

These circumstances together produced a generation who needed instant

gratification and who lacked a clear moral framework.

Life, which promised so much in their youth, has failed to deliver,

and their middle years seem heavy going.

All of this has created a pervasive sense of stress.

The two major factors that combine to make Boomers feel unsure of themselves:

Families

high ideals

broken relationships,

working wives

rebellious children

Work

expectations

unemployment

restructuring

demands

The "Options" Generation (Busters, Generation X, Postmoderns)1965 - 1983

The generation born in the 70s breathe

the air of constant

change and therefore believe in keeping

your options open.

You don't lack energy or passion, you are just

patient, remaining as non-committal as possible for as

long as possible.

Goals seem incongruous.

You are also the first generation to grow up without having a moral framework espoused by your parents, so you test the limits. (However, being exposed to everything so young creates boredom and depression for some.)

You want to be more relaxed than your boomer parents and less driven.

As products of fragmentation, diversity and unpredictability, you pride yourselves on your individualism and independence, but in fact you are the most financially dependent generation of young people in our history.

You are used to being looked

after.

You take pride in your flexibility and openness to

possibility, but are generally pessimistic about the

future.

The "Options" Generation (Busters, Generation X, Postmoderns)1965 - 1983

Why are You Called Mosaics?Why are You Called Mosaics?

Eclectic Lifestyles:

Teens experiment with many

activities, making their lifestyles

more multifaceted and more stressful

than ever.

Nonlinear Thinking Styles:

Rather than using logic and rationality, teens embrace contradictions and process information in a flexible,

adaptable manner.

Fluid Relationships: Teen friendships are in a constant state of flux; their heroes and role models change regularly; their network of peers is extraordinarily diverse ethnically; and many experience an up-and-down family life.

Cut-and-Paste Values and Personalized Spirituality:

Most teens embrace moral pragmatism (that is, “whatever

works”) and customized spirituality, drawing on many

sources to decide ethical dilemmas and to determine

spiritual meaning.

Open-Minded Attitudes: Teens are not particularly

dogmatic about their views and they give others space to chart

their own paths — the same space they want for themselves.

Technology-Fueled Expectations:

The Internet and mobile devices like cell phones drive teenagers’ information use and much of

their connectivity. The Internet in particular represents an

ever-changing and broad-ranging collage of input that fuels much of the nonlinear expectations of

teens.

Mosaic MoralityMosaic Morality

Mosaics are widely embracing moral

pragmatism — the “whatever works”

method grounded in postmodern philosophy.

“There is no absolute truth.”

“What is right for you may not be right for me.”

“I do what I think is best, not what anyone else thinks is best.”

“You are the only one who can determine what is

right and what is wrong.”

A very small proportion of the Mosaics intend to be or to remain part of a Christian church. So, they're not looking at the church as something that's going to represent a foundation in their life when they start to call their own shots, living independent of their parents, on their own in the marketplace.

They're thinking, The church is ok now because it gives me another place to meet with my friends, but I'm not necessarily convinced that it has anything of value for my life in the future. 

What can we do as a Church in ministering to the Mosaics?In summary . . .

We have to learn to minister to a breadth of people with widely differing experiences and values. Most churches will have builders, boomers, busters, mosaics, and who knows what else, in the one congregation.

The other, easier option is to specialize in ministry to one generation. I suspect that many will choose this option.

This causes immense difficulty when these generations have to work together. It will stretch the wisdom of the leadership and the power of the Holy Spirit, but if the church cannot work in unity, the oneness of Christianity is denied.

The builders are almost gone. This solid, faithful, committed, but somewhat legalistic generation is retiring from church ministry.

Churches will have to make do with less finance and less people to do the long-term, thankless tasks. This will affect how we do ministry.

Their moving out of leadership lessens the opposition to change in our churches, but creates a huge vacuum in terms of financial support and practical ministry.

The Boomers are aging. This enthusiastic generation that loves size and quality and achievement, and has introduced a new dimension of professionalism (and consumerism) into the church is not quite the overwhelming force it once was.

Boomers will continue to dominate church leadership for many years, but their concerns for church growth and buildings and programs will not be shared by those who follow.

We need to be careful that Boomers don't commit us to directions that will have no relevance for future generations.

The post-moderns are among us with their distrust of hierarchy, longing for authentic community, and need to keep their options open.

Their apparently contradictory behavior is confusing. They don't want to be part of the structure, but they want the approval of their leaders.

They are passionate about issues but reticent to commit. However some directions are clear. Worship services will need to become more interactive and experiential.

There will be a growing emphasis on community. Integrity will be valued more than success in leadership. Post-moderns will demand involvement in the decision-making process.