Generation Next… What they are telling US about the faith we are passing down to them

On Sunday we kicked off a new and very important series of studies on the faith of the next generation.  During the course of the next few weeks I will be sharing information from various studies which have been done on the thought patterns and the faith of the next generation… particularly those born between 1980 and 2000.  Known as “Millennials” they are America’s largest generation EVER… and what we are learning is that they are a generation in crisis!  Here are some of the stats I shared yesterday…

Major Findings of the National Study on Youth & Religion (www.youthandreligion.org)

1. Most American teenagers have religious beliefs (that’s good)
2. Organized religion doesn’t matter to most teenagers  (not so good)
3. For a significant minority of teens, faith DOES matter.  They are referred to as “highly devoted” (great!)
4. Adolescents are incredibly inarticulate about their faith (not so great)
5. Religious vitality differs by tradition (denomination)—Mormons ranked to be among the most highly devoted.
6. Highly religious teenagers fare better in other areas of life than less religious teens. (not news to us)
7. Teenagers- by and large- mimic the religious devotion of their parents. (ouch!)

Further Findings…

• A decline in the number of adolescents reporting affiliation with a traditional
• A decline in certainty in beliefs about God, judgment, angels or the afterlife
• Decline in attendance in Sunday School, in bible reading & prayer
• Increase in the proportion of adolescents who believed in demons, evil spirits, reincarnation & astrology
• Increase in teens reporting to be “more religious”

Kenda Creasy Dean in her recent book of the same title calls this kind of faith, “Almost Christian.”  Yet, to be “almost Christian” is really to be nothing at all.  What’s more… the study suggests that we are responsible!  This is the faith we are passing on to the next generation.  Ouch!  This week we will delve more deeply into this idea and take a look at just what it is we are passing on and how we can make much-needed change now before it is too late in order to reclaim the next generation for Christ!  You will want to be a part of these important lessons!

Generation Next- Reaching Tomorrow's Generation Today

I am about to begin a new sermon series on Sunday, "Generation Next: Reaching Tomorrow's Generation Today" and we will be exploring the church's mission to reach our young people for Christ.  I thought that I'd provide a list of references that I have used throughout this study which I would recommend for anyone to read... especially those of us who are parents of teenagers.  Please let me know if you know of other good material that we might add!

Altrock, Chris.  Preaching to Pluralists: How to Proclaim Christ in a Postmodern Age.  St. Louis: Chalice, 2004.

Clark, Chap.  Hurt 2.0  Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011.

Dean, Kenda Creasy.  Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church.  New York: Oxford, 2010.

Kinnaman, David and Gabe Lyons.  Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity.  Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007.

Kinnaman, David.  You Lost Me: Why Young Christians are Leaving Church and Rethinking Faith.  Grand Rapids: Baker, 2012.

Nash, Robert.  An 8-track Church in a CD World.  Macon: Smyth & Helwys, 2001.

Rainer, Thom S.  The Bridger Generation.  Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2006.

Rainer, Thom S. and Jess W.  The Millennials: America's Largest Generation.  Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 2011.

Smith, Christian.  The National Study on Youth and Religion.  www.youthandreligion.org

Yeakley, Flavil R. Jr.,  Why They Left: Listening to Those Who Have Left Churches of Christ.  Nashville: Gospel Advocate, 2012