Spirituality and commitment are at the heart of the commitment level model of youth ministry. How do Millennials relate to spirituality and commitment, and how effective is the model in ministry among
them?
1. Enter the Millennials
Millennials are youth born since 1981. They are the generation entering high school on the heels of their Generation X brothers and sisters. They have been exposed to life's realities - violence, racial tension, increased sexual awareness, technical sophistication, etc. They have also experienced the apathy, general discontent and hostility of the Xers. The '2000 kids' will be the torchbearers of the next millennium, which gives them a certain 'mystical significance,' says Dean Borgman, from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. They are participants in what he calls 'the second great watershed' for youth culture. And the repercussions are causing us to rethink how churches do youth ministry.
2. Characteristics of Millennials
These youth, say Howe and Strauss in The Fourth Turning, will be vastly different from the youth we have worked with over the past two decades. The following characteristics are predicted:
A. Trusting
The millennials are mostly trusting, liberal sorts, who believe in second chances. They are among the few preservers of social conscience, though they tend to be willing to accept almost any party line as long as they remain involved.
B. Confident
Their confidence has been produced by a focus on protective family structures. They are being raised
in a youth-friendly (some say youth-obsessed) environment. The parents of millennials raise their children protectively and encourage cooperative behaviour. While politicians define adult issues in terms of their effects on children; Hollywood is replacing cinematic child devils with child angels; TV and the Internet are cordoning off 'child-friendly' havens; and educators speak of standards and cooperative learning.
C. Favoured
This is already visible in movies as there's an almost angelic characterization of Millennials as opposed to the almost satanic view of Xers when they were the same age. Older people are going to be very interested in protecting this generation. There's a big interest in making sure kids aren't just left alone - that parents are always with them. The thinking is kids do bad things when they're alone. That's when they do drugs, have sex and other kinds of horrible things.
D. Collaborative
There is an emphasis on doing things in teams. It is possible that youth in our world have more in
common with each other than with the adults of their own cultures due to the pervasive influence of the
media in their lives. Collaborative learning is being stressed--team learning in the classroom and
noncompetitive sports. (Xers have a more individualistic approach to life). The motto for Xers is "Just
do it." The motto for Millennials will be "Just do it together." There's going to be a revolution in the
way kids judge each other. Now it's a youth who can dominate and get the edge who's admired, but
with millennials, the youth who tries to get the edge at the expense of his peers is going to be looked
upon badly. The one downside may be the lack of individuality youth will have, but there will be a lot
less youth with attitude.
E. Involved
These youth are becoming more interested in the political sphere of life. They will get more involved in
politics and community service and be less concerned about working after school to earn spending
money.
F. Optimistic
They will combine peer pressure with optimism to bring solutions to problems. They will use positive
peer pressure to lower the rate of teenage crime, pregnancy, and suicide. All in all they will form a
culture that will be more wholesome, upbeat, and conformist. They will not be cynical like their Xer
brothers and sisters. They will be praised by the media for their positive contributions to society. A
recent study by the Horatio Alger Association found that "today's teens are neither as rebellious as
adolescents in the 1970s nor as materialistic as those of the 1980s." Among their greatest concerns is
the "decline in moral and social values." Teens in the nineties, the survey says, are "troubled by crime
and violence, AIDS, drugs and environmental problems."
G. Religious
The study by the Horatio Alger Association found that seven in ten youth say 'religion is important in
their lives.' The following comments from millennials show something of their feelings and expressions
of spirituality: The messages in church and youth group have a strong effect on the decisions I make (age 14); it is extremely hard to pay attention, no matter how hard you try (14); going to church is the highlight of my week (16); it is good to go to church to get a better understanding of what God wants
us to do, but it is boring (16); I have a hard time applying the messages to the hard parts of teenage
life (16); a lot of times the messages at church go in one ear and out the other (16); when God has his
way in the church, it gets exciting - you can't help it (16); I don't like long sermons or gabbing women
after church (14); it recharges me for the week - the pews hurt my back, but that's a small thing (15);
sometimes the church makes everything so complicated that I can't relate it to my life (14); it is for
older people who know more and understand more (15); our church has speakers that talk generally
in a monotone, which is mostly boring - if they told how they really felt, and showed it, it would be
wonderful (15); if I saw my church telling others about Jesus and reaching out more to others it would
influence me to do the same (15); I like church because it gives me time to talk to God and ask him to
forgive my sins (14).
The following features of millennials were presented in the Christianity Today article: Class of '00: "This generation's pulse runs fast. Bombarded by frequent images, they are in need of continual 'hits'. The remote control symbolizes their reality: change is constant; focus is fragmented. They've eaten from the tree of knowledge. They live for now. They are jaded, having a "Been there/Done that" attitude, nothing shocks them. They take consumerism for granted. They are a cyber-suckled community. They process information in narrative images. They've had everything handed to them. They don't trust adults."
The following comments have come from Millennials themselves: My generation seems oblivious. Everybody is too feeble because everything's handed to us. We don't do anything; we don't have any great achievements. We feel like everything is changing and we have nothing to do with it, so we sit back and let it happen. No one's thinking for [him/herself] anymore. No one has any sense of honour anymore. We have nothing stable to grasp; no one to look up to; no one to believe in. We're just coasting. We're not standing for anything. We desperately need to be standing for something.
3. Millennials and Spirituality
Very little has been written about Millennial spirituality. It appears that they will be more open to the
church than Xers. They too will be open to experience God - especially in ways that involve them in
corporate experiences of His presence. The large group worship experience will be an important way
in which Millennials will be able to express their belief in God. As their world increasingly revolves
around electronic communication (high tech), they will be longing for and open to intimate relationships
(high touch) - they will want to find and enjoy a closer and personal relationship with God.
4. Millennials and Commitment
Millennials will be a whole lot more open to commitment that Xers ever were. They will be more
trusting. They will respond to programmes that call them to commit, especially when there is a focus on
collaboration and not competition. They will commit to service-orientated programmes and projects that the youth group runs. Where these projects involve peer ministry they help millennials to increase their commitment level.
5. Ministry Among Millennials
The following changes will be necessary if we are to minister effectively among millennials:
A. New Ministry Approach
In order to reach millennials we must focus more on relationships both with kids and their parents -
becoming less program-oriented and more people-oriented. Programs may reach kids for Christ, but
relationships will help keep them there. More time will need to be spent in developing significant
relationships with youth.
B. New Ministry Philosophy
There was a time when entertainment worked with youth, They could easily be attracted to a church
building for a fun programme. This is getting harder and harder as society is creating more and more
entertainment for youth.
C. New Ministry Strategy
There was a time when a trickle-down strategy was used where the group would reach the leaders of
a high school (usually the athlete types) and then the people they influenced would be attracted. But
youth culture has changed and there is no longer one group that asserts an influence over all the others. There is a host of subculture groups that are generally accepted and co-exist.
D. New Ministry Events
The Class of '00 article reviewed the following ministries effective with today's teenagers:
(1) Peer ministry - Here the emphasis of youth ministry shifts from entertainment to long-term maturity and the discovery and implementation of spiritual gifts for church leadership. A youth group in Illinois discovered the truth of kids ministering to kids. At the heart of their approach serious meetings for believers who want to grow spiritually - youth church with intensive Bible studies. During these events youth are upfront. They minister to one another.
(2) The Practises - On the other end of the spectrum is a model that celebrates the established church while finding innovative ways of integrating young people into its tradition. Here adults and youth are involved in discovering their common heritage. A confirmation process is used that draws on the Jewish tradition of bar mitzvah and Christian catechesis, a fourth-century church tradition for training and discipleship with adult mentors. Here the service provides a meaningful ritual whereby the youth is expected to master the practices and rites of community and commit himself or herself to the faith as an adult member. Here too, youth are involved in the programme, but with adults involvement as well.
(3) Platoons and shepherds - Somewhere in-between the peer ministry and practices models is a two-pronged platoons and shepherds approach which captures the peer ministry impulse while preserving the intergenerational connection with the larger worshipping body. Student leaders are trained to run cell-groups within the youth ministry. Each group has a student leader and an adult coach. They meet together in the week and are involved in running the cell together. Five things happen at platoon meetings (a) fresh bread (sharing what God has communicated with them through a Bible passage in the week; (b) the empty chair (a reminder to pray for friends to join the group); (c) announcements (this preserves the cohesiveness of the larger youth group); (d) lesson (here the student platoon leader gets into the Word); (e) prayer, care, share (praise items, struggles and needs are shared in the context of
a prayer time).
6. Millennials and the Model
The following are strengths of the commitment level model for reaching Millennials:
A. The Model Focuses on Collaboration
Youth are involved together in ministry. There is a clear understanding on the part of those who have
been led to Christ that they are no longer spectators at events that target pre-Christian youth, but are
expected to fulfil their role in reaching others. There is no place for passivity in the model as young
people soon realise that the model is one in which they, and not the youth leader, are most important.
The emphasis is on youth reaching youth - under adult guidance and supervision.
B. The Model Focuses on Service
Millennials who long to get involved in corporate action where they bring change in society will find the
service-orientated events feed their sense of significance. They will commit to projects they can do with others. Both once-off and long-term projects will appeal to millennial youth who are optimistic of how their actions can bring positive change in their community. By tapping into their preference for using positive peer pressure to bring change, the model will effectively mobilise millennials.
C. The Model Focuses on Youth Leadership
Youth are trained in the commitment level model for significant ministry involvement. Youth are helped
to discover their spiritual gifts and provided a context in which they can use them. They are also trained
and involved in leadership within the youth group together with adults who serve on the leadership team and who head up various ministries and portfolios.
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