Tuesday 23 December 2008

Thoughts on Gen Y

A friend asked me these questions. This was my quick response... better answers would have been achieved in dialogue!

What characterises Gen Y?
This generation expects everything instantly – email, photos, results. RSVP’s are outmoded because people don’t commit until the very last second. Information is not a scarce commodity or hard to come by. They are overwhelmed with information. The biggest challenge is knowing what information to trust… and so the source becomes more important than the content. In this context, relationships take on a whole new meaning. Relationships, not information, are now the source of power. And relationships themselves are morphing. Facebook, etc. make keeping in touch with hundreds of people regularly so much easier. And some people are substituting real intimacy for electronic interaction – facebook, online gaming, etc. It is a false intimacy because people only reveal what they want to of themselves.

What do they value?
Freedom and authenticity. They feel that it is important to be able to do what they want – no commitments (hence no rsvps), so limits.
But they are also aware that so much of what is presented is managed by the image makers – TV producers, internet websites, even their own facebook pages. Authenticity becomes a rare commodity – and powerful when encountered. Slick is good (almost essential) but real is better.

What are they searching for?
Hope. Materially their lives are better than any previous generation, and they know it. They are also aware that their self-centred consumerism is destroying the planet. But there seems little point in one person stopping, so they all continue. And they refuse to think about the consequences. There is no viable alternative. But if someone presented “hope” for a better future – one that could “top” their present high – then they would be interested.

What are their needs?
They need to learn how to relate authentically. They need to learn the core values of living in a democracy – not just a secular, humanistic society. They need to learn how to live simply. They need to understand how spiritual life underlies the rest of their lives... informing it and shaping it and determining it.

How are they unique from other generations?
They are the most prosperous. They are the most connected. They are the most ignorant of spiritual things.

How can we best reach and address their needs as a mission or church body?
I really believe that a multitude of approaches is needed – broad sowing (to regularly connect with the disconnected), focussed relational (so that Xns are working specifically with their friends) and incarnational (being salt and light).
The problem with the Church is that the trend in Western cultures over the last 30 years has been to higher quality, more professional ministry. The distance between the average pastor and the average layperson is growing. Lay people are not being expected to do as much – and they are walking away from active ministry. Therefore, even the few non-Churched people who have Xns friends are less likely to be effectively engaged by them with the gospel. We need to do better at mobilising (equipping and releasing) the laity.

Mobilising Gen Y Xns means forming them into mission teams who can work flexibly towards a common goal together. Isolated Xns are ineffective.
The Church can use multimedia effectively to conduct broad sowing ministry. It can also be used for certain types of follow up. And it should be used far more for equipping Xns. Online courses are becoming increasingly popular (even on iTunes) but need to be directed more to mobilising laity rather than repeating formal theological training.

Wednesday 17 December 2008

Greatest Australian Challenge

The greatest challenge that faith faces in Australia today is that the dominant metanarrative guiding people's every decision is so pervasively secular that spiritual issues are not seen as being true or false, real or fake, but simply irrelevant.

Tuesday 9 December 2008

Give 10% of Government's Christmas Bonus to Charity

Give Away 10% of Government's Christmas Bonus to Charity

Over these next two weeks the Australian Federal Government will be giving $1,000 per child to parents on low income, and $1,400 to single and $2,100 to couples with a senior card. These government handouts (costing a total of $10 billion) were totally unexpected a couple of months ago.

The message from the government is that this short term stimulus package is designed to boost the economy, protect jobs and avoid a recession. The Prime Minister, and other senior government officials, have been urging those receiving the handout to spend it - and before Christmas.

Supposedly, consumption is the cure for our current economic ills. Now I recognise that many of the people receiving this bonus are in desperate need. They have suffered under Australia's high interest rates and petrol prices over the last year or two. But I dispute the assumption that material prosperity is the sole (or even main) measure of our performance as a nation. The best way to break a materialistic mindset is to maintain a practice of generosity through a habit of giving.

One discipline, a spiritual discipline, that we could put in place is to give away 10% of this government windfall to a charity or not-for-profit organisation. Giving away $100 or $200 reminds us that we are not just consumers, we are citizens. We are not victims of financial circumstances, we have a choice.

What are some reasons we should give away 10% of this bonus?
  1. In times of economic downturn the demands on charities goes up and the donations to charities goes down;
  2. We commit to being citizens, not just consumers;
  3. We can involve our children in deciding which charity to support - thus instilling in them the value of generosity;
  4. We reflect the generosity of God who gave His Son, Jesus to us, which we remember at Christmas;
  5. At Christmas lunch, you will feel better about helping the Salvos or Wesley Mission or ... rather than having spent that extra $100 on an imported toy which now lies broken on the floor;
  6. We complain about the greed of corporate executives who get huge bonuses and seem to spend them selfishly. Now is our opportunity to demonstrate generosity with a Christmas bonus.

Monday 1 December 2008

December Craziness

I sat down this morning to write out my "to do" list for the day. Most of us feel the craziness of the weeks leading up to Christmas. I am no different.

In his book, "How To Get Things Done", David Allen talks about some basic principles:
1) If it can be done in less than 2 minutes, do it straight away;
2) If it will take more than two minutes:
a) schedule it for a particular time; or
b) add it to a list of things to do when you have time to work on it.

I seem to have a fair amount of flexible time this week, and lots of things to try to fit in the schedule. I couldn't do any of these at 8am on Monday morning, so here is the list I came up with:

1) A ministry leader/friend (Howard) from the US is visiting this week and staying with another ministry leader/friend (Richard). Call Richard to work out when I will meet with Howard.
2) CM2009 conference needs to have major issues planned this week:
+ check on development of the online registration website;
+ post more flyers to pastors/friends of the ministry (I've already sent out 5,000);
+ call Wesley Mission to work out details for catering, venue specifications re: lighting and sound;
3) U@NU? is the SL summer project I am involved with in January. We have a meeting today. I need to re-write some training in time for the printing deadline;
4) US Green Cards. Liz has a meeting with the US Consulate in Sydney on Thursday morning to begin the process of obtaining Green Cards for Philip, Katrise and me. We need to ensure all the paperwork is completed, all the supporting documentation is gathered and completed and copied.
5) TH501: this week is the last week for my Theology course. I need to:
+ listen to the online lectures;
+ complete the extra reading;
+ contribute to the online forum discussing this week's issue.
6) Prepare for next major study exercise:
+ print John's gospel in Gk for me to write on;
+ buy technical commentary on Gk to further my understanding of John's gospel.
7) Christmas cards:
+ Write Christmas letter (and get it printed);
+ Take Christmas photo (?);
+ Compile Christmas cards
+ Post Christmas Cards
8) Write Ministry Update email & "Missionaries in Focus" blurb for church newsletter

All this has to happen around various appointments, and before I leave for a men's conference on Thursday afternoon.

I am in serious need of God's enabling grace!!