Resilient Disciple Making
Dear Pastors
Last week Wednesday I listened in to the 2.5hr webcast that David Kinnamen from Barna hosted called, ‘Faith for the Future’. My goodness such good content. I would highly recommend you do the same. You have until the 1st November to do that and what’s more it is free. Check it out here.
Over the last two years or so Barna partnered with World Vision to do what has been Barna’s largest research project ever. It is focused on the 18 – 35 year olds. They interviewed 15,000 Millennials and Gen Z young adults (YA’s), in 25 countries (NZ included) and in 9 languages. The presentation is in three parts. 1) Effective Ministry in an Anxious Age, 2) Spirituality and Church Engagement and 3) Empowering the Connected Generation.
What follows are some of the key ideas shared. Some of these points you will be very familiar with but others not so much.
- YA’s feel more connected to their generational cohort globally than they do to the people in their own country.
- This generation needs an emotionally connected church.
- Only 1 in 3 YA’s have someone who truly believes in them.
- The church will naturally go up in age and inward in focus. It needs intentionality to stay younger and outward.
- In our screen age our devices are discipling us and Google is our sex educator.
- The Instagram motto is, ‘Show your best, hide the rest’, and it is terribly damaging.
- In this age band of 18-35 year olds 22% are prodigals (left Christian faith), 30% nomads (wanderers and casual attenders), 38% habitual church goers and the remaining 10% are what Barna calls, ‘Resilient Disciples’.
- And so much more.
Included in the study is a section on the characteristics of Resilient Disciples. This is pure gold and I think is our ‘job description’ as Pastors for this age group.
- Meaningful Relationships at church especially a mentoring relationship or two.
- Strong relational networks.
- Counter-cultural mission and transformational experiences.
- Deploy and debrief. It is in the debrief that the learning takes place.
- Want to contribute meaningfully and are not satisfied with consuming.
- Keen to engage in ‘holistic spiritual practises’.
- Music and singing together is very important.
Can I encourage you to take a ‘dive’ into this material. You’ll be glad you did as will many YA’s both those who are part of you now and those that will be in the future.
Blessings
Alan
Announcement
If you live in Tauranga or Hamilton or near by please don’t forget to register for the ‘Hate Speech’ briefing with Prof Paul Moon on Thursday 26th September. All details and rego facility here.
Alan Vink is currently the Executive Director for LeadershipWorx. Prior to this role he has been the Executive Director of Willow Creek Association NZ (WillowNZ), a Baptist pastor (23 years), Bible College teacher, and church consultant.
