THE MILLENNIAL CONNECTION PASSAGE: Psalm 145:4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.

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1 THE MILLENNIAL CONNECTION PASSAGE: Psalm 145:4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. INTRODUCE: VIDEO BARNA YOU LOST ME PART 1 INTRODUCING THE MILLENNIALS Young people born between 1982 & early 2000 s. Currently defining our pop culture, growing into leaders & constantly on their smart phones! Never known a world w/o Internet, cell phones, texting, and HD streaming video. Totally digitized > 60% of millennials agree, I look at stuff to buy online almost every day. The largest generation in the US: As of summer, yy olds = 100 million, over 1/3 rd Presently, 18-34yy olds > 75 million (23.5%) The most socially-connected generation. The most technologically-advanced generation. The most ethnically-diverse of any generation. The most biblically-illiterate generation. The most un-churched generation. Only 2 of 10 Millennials consider church attendance important. More than 1/3 of them take an anti-church stance. 59% of millennials who grew up in the church have left at some point. More than ½ have not attended church in the last 6 months.!1

2 PART 2 THE STORY OF ALL OF US & THE QUESTIONS WE ASK. 1. THE BUILDERS Traditionalists ( ) Experienced Great Depression; 2 World Wars; loss of millions of fathers The Survivors Strong Biblical worldview Church was the center of the community. What s expected of me? Bumper Sticker Keep your nose to the grindstone 2. BABY BOOMERS The Modernists ( ) Goal was upward mobility blue collar > white collar > I will have more than my parents? Self-worth is tied to success and achievement. Split between Boom Generation and Hippies > Yuppies How can I prove my success? Bumper Sticker He who dies with the most toys wins! 3. GENERATION X The Postmodernists Encompasses two generations Baby Busters ( ) & MTV Generation ( ) From Vietnam War to the end of the Cold War... The Rise of Mass Media First generation where the majority experienced divorce; Latchkey kids Rebellion rejection of authority We re not gonna take it anymore What does it all mean, anyway? Bumper Sticker Question Everything Coexist 4. GENERATION Y The Why Generation ( ) Older Millennials Unlimited access to information rise of the Internet the world is a 24/7 place. They Work to live, not live to work > life is about mission. Culture war deep divide between conservative & progressives The offspring of postmodernism... but they are starting new trends & asking new questions Who am I & why am I here? Bumper Sticker N/A... don t label me 5. GENERATION Z Younger Millennials The silent generation total absorption in the digital world 8 second attention span > process, move on need engaging experiences, personally beneficial Diversity & creativity is everything Olivia makes her own movies on i-pad Trying on one face after another till they find a face of their own. And why is this important to me? Bumper Sticker N/A... because I don t have my license yet So who is shaping today s Millennial Generation??? Who is driving the entertainment industry, education system, & Information highway? Who is pulling the strings to shape and control this young generation?!2

3 POSTMODERNISTS Postmodernism is their common sense /their default mindset PART 3 THE ANTI-RELIGIOUS RELIGION OF POSTMODERNISM I. No Meta-Narratives There is no metanarrator no God who is the reason behind the human story Denial and defiance of the God of the Bible. There is no metanarrative no overarching story Nothing guides the course of history and, at the end of the day, stuff just happens. Chaos and random chance, often so small we d never notice it, are responsible for the way the world is. All that exists is self-narrative My story is all that is important. Self is transcendent reality is what I perceive it to be... and I answer to no one. PoMo is hyper-subjective and feeling-based emotion is the center of experience The only thing that can be known is our personal experience and our interpretation of that experience. Since each person s experience is all that can be known, it cannot be concluded that man can know anything in any absolute sense. (Field) Never is subjective existentialism more prevalent than in sexuality... All definitions fail, what you are is what you perceive yourself to be II.No Absolutes There is no universal truth-claim, Christian or otherwise Modernism says, Given enough time, science will discover the great universal answer(s) to life. Postmodernism says, There is no universal answer(s)/truth. There is no right, there is no wrong and no one has the right to impose his view. There are many ways, but no one way. (Hanson) Submission to objective truth is self-destructive. Claiming to have figured out the world only keeps us from figuring out ourselves. Therefore, everything should be doubted and questioned. If Postmodernism had to be about something, it s about skepticism In the search for REALITY, reality is what I perceive it to be merely a state of mind Nothing makes sense and even if it did, the world is too complex to know it. Reality alludes attempts at conformity... Postmodernism rejects the idea that reality makes sense in any absolute fashion. (Fields) Postmodernism, you have to remember, didn t grow out of a need to make sense of the world but out of a failure of the world to make sense. III.Religious Pluralism Since there are no absolutes, religious truth is totally relative > personal preference. What we believe is not what s important, it s our sincerity in believing that s important. We have to go to our graves unresolved, but with the knowledge that we experienced as much as we could. God is like an ink blot (Ruby, punker girl)!3

4 Religious truth falls under the category of personal preference, not objective truth. Those who make truth-claims are the enemies of societal progress/evolution. Bible-believing Christians are the real sinners because of their intolerance. Evangelism is seen as imperialistic preaching is totalitarian Religion-based authority is the direct or indirect cause of all oppression on earth. Religion exists for one reason > to benefit humans. PART 4 TURNING MILLENNIAL VALUES INTO SACRED ROOTS I. PERSONAL IDENTITY & FREEDOM A deep cry for significance & meaning & a need to feel free inside Negatively: Obsession with self excessive individualism me-centered Consumer mentality entitlement Project Self The world exists for maximum pleasure and maximum expression of the individual. In its extreme: We are our own deities. All authority, then is intolerant; it is always a threat to personal freedom. Christianity doesn t offer freedom, it exploits the free. B. Planting the Sacred Root of New Life in Jesus. The message of Jesus was so different > servanthood, dying to self We need to model what true freedom really is. We can acknowledge that God does offer freedom of choice, but we also are personally responsible. We need to appeal to the spiritual hunger God has placed in every heart. II.ACCEPTANCE & COMMUNITY They crave meaningful relationships They crave to be loved... to be known... to be accepted Negatively: Acceptance at any costs runaways > trafficked In its extreme: 20K come to Zombiecon in Fort, Myers, Fla 2014 Theme is VOODOO NIGHTMARE There s a curse upon this land, and soon the dead will rise up from the swamp to walk & feast once more!!4

5 B. Planting the Sacred Root of the Community of Believers Be real; authentic; show genuine interest; earn trust; live your convictions. Focus on relationships instead of buildings and programs. Millennials are open to what older people have to say as long as we are genuine & respectful. Make the connection between belief system into everyday life experiences. Make the Christian community alive with activity & participation. Be ready to answer the tough questions. Lose the religious bickering over silly things that have nothing to do with relationships. Work toward healing and unity. III.JUSTICE & COMPASSION They fight against real and perceived inequalities. Justice for all! They have big hearts, love community, and are socially conscious. Negatively: Strong leaning toward socialism on the campus today B. Planting the Sacred Root of the love of Jesus for people. Jesus was all about serving and justice Matthew 12:20 Jesus also valued people over possessions. We need to demonstrate love and respect for people. We need to emphasize that every person is of equal and great value to God. IV.MISSION & CAUSE Millennials are more concerned than postmodernists to make a difference in their world. They want their daily work to have missional significance. Resist working a job for the sake of a job. They have a great need for active participation B. Planting the Sacred Root of life mission. From the beginning of His ministry Jesus always welcomed participation. We need to reinforce telling with being and doing. We must live out the abundant life before a world void of meaning. We must consistently live our convictions about the urgency of our Gospel mission. We must not represent the Church and its mission as a closed club. Conclusion:!5

6 Have generations pray for one another.!6