Wednesday, May 03, 2006

20 somethings...



I have one question for those who find themselves in the chunk of their lives known in our culture as 20-somethings…


1) what role do we play in the body of Christ?


…I certainly don’t know all the answers, but I am curious what others out there think, feel, yearn for, crave etc…where is it that we fit in? …how can we tangibly contribute? …what do we have to say?


journey with me on this one:

Ty

2 comments:

Dalton said...

I think that us as a generation (excuse the overused word) have a very big role to play in the church. I believe that us as a generation have a critical eye when it comes to marketing. We have been targeted because of our disposable incomes for years, and we know what a sell is.
The chuch and the gospel cannot be packaged and sold like some product. We are tech saavy, but know that those things on their own don't produce life-long disciples of Jesus.
We don't want a three-point sermon, we need to know what the context and setting of the stories of the Bible.
We enjoy each others company in all settings and want to see heroes of the faith today.
Last year at B.B.C., they had that great white north supertour. The next day, there was a roundtable discussion with all of the artists. I don't remember who said it, but this guy said something that really stuck with me. "The world is asking: Where are the sons and daughters of God?"

We want to be the answer to that question. We want to right the wrongs that the previous generations committed. We want those after us to really KNOW their faith back to front, dealing with the hard teachings and still able to stand strong. We see and recognize the potential that lies within the church, but desire to see it spill into our communities, homes, schools etc. Brian Buhler was at a youth conference in Cobourg last May and he said 'What flows down, must go out".

We are being watched by the younger and older generations. The younger look up to us and the older are expectant.

That's what's on my heart. What about you Ty?

Ty said...

Great post Dalton...
Way to be the often awkward 1st person to post something. Now that the ice has been broken I hope others will answer too.

I've been having a great conversation over the past few months with a friend of mine who's passion is seeing us as a generation (20-somethings) become deeper engaged in living out a faith that is missional.

Here's a quote from my friend...

"Theoretically, the reason we should segregate if we do is for the sake of being missional. For the past 100 years (the industrialized era) we’ve split apart for ‘discipleship’, but again – sequestering Christians away from the people they’re supposed to be sent to seems a weak application of God and the Bible."

We've been talking about the whole idea of how does discipleship happen in our current church models. I feel that "church" for 20-somethings isn't really about cream coloured walls and cushion covered pews. It's about creating discipleship communities, places where anyone can come and dialogue together about God, Faith, Life, their Culture, in an environment that is non-threatening.

I think I'm rambling now, but what's really on my heart...is that it's gotta look different. Not just change for the sake of change...but change so that God becomes real in the lives of 20-somethings and that the church is a vibrant, and passionate group of red-letter Christians.

So thats it...

Ty