So this will be the first of occasional thoughts that I put out for people to read. My goal is not to make these argumentative, but grace filled appeals to compassion and understanding. We'll see; arguments are easier.
I would guess that I spend more time than the average person my age with people who are 60 and over. These people are often wise, experienced, and caring. They have seen and experienced a lot, and they care for the communities and institutions that have been important in their lives. For better or for worse, many of these communities and institutions are changing and many are declining. Civic organizations, churches, you name it and these pillars of the 20th century community are in decline when measured by members and money. (One could argue that this is not the best way to measure such things, but that's not what I'm here to do.) And these folks are asking all the time at meetings and gatherings I attend, "What can we do to get millenials (younger people) to be a part of our organizations and institutions?"
Now, as a called and employed pastor in the institutional church, I admit that my perspective is probably bias. But, I do believe that civic institutions are not a dying vestige of an older culture. True, the culture has changed, but one thing has not changed. People still desire to be social with other people. That is how we are created. The very first problem that God identifies with God's otherwise "good" creation is that "It is not good that the man should be alone." (Gen 2:18). We are created to be in community with other people, and churches, clubs, and civic organizations provide venues for that. So, theologically speaking, these are good things that can help us be who we are created to be.
The problem that I hear identified most often by the leaders and members active in these organizations that is causing them to decline is with "kids today." It is usually expressed in general terms, to sum up an entire generation with a few words, and goes something like this. "Kids today don't want to join our [church, club, group] because: a) they are stuck in their digital devices. This usually refers to video games, FaceBook, or mobile phones. b) they just want to be entertained. This implies a shallowness, suggesting this generation values good coffee and music above all else. c) they don't care about their communities or other people. Most solutions to the problem are based off of these assessments and there by seek to engage millenials through digital media, good coffee and music, and me-centered programs.
Here's the thing. The "kids today" I know do not bear out these diagnoses of their generation. The articles I read about the generation at large don't either. So, if institutions of the 20th century want to reach "kids today," they/we need to do some serious rethinking about who "kids today" are and what drives them.
I also interact with a lot of millenials. Although I am technically in "Generation X" and I am just old enough to remember a world without mobile phones and the internet, I am much more at home in the digital, social media world than my parents. I do not have these answers. But here is what I can tell you about kids today, based on the ones I know.
Our culture is placing tremendous demands on them without the promises of yesterday. You should be married and start a family by 30, but your chance of divorce is 50%. You should exercise and eat right, but your life-expectancy is lower than your parents' generation. You should go to college and get a career, until that interferes with expectation 1, in which case, women should drop their careers we told them to get and go back home. Oh by the way, college and day care are more expensive than ever, while wages have only seen moderate increases. And it is true that our culture at large no longer tells them that they SHOULD be a part of a church or civic organization. So, given all the other demands on their lives, many of them are not.
Kids today are not shallow people who want video games, coffee, and music. The ones I know work hard. Really hard. And they care deeply for their friends and family. Hmm, that sounds an awful lot like the people over 60 that I know.
Kids today want community. They don't just want acquaintances, people to talk sports and weather with; they want family. They want people to love and support them for who they are. And they want to love and support their communities, but not in the fundraiser way. They want to get involved, to have relationships, to get their hands on something, to see a face and shake a hand, not read a report.
Hope for the over 60s reading this: Kids today are not as different as you as you think. Yes, your organization may have to change a little about what you do and how you do it. But the fundamental principles of building community are still solid.
Hope for the kids today reading this: People over 60 are not as different as you think. Try to see past their generalizations. Yes, they want their organizations to continue. But fundamentally, they just want to be in relationship with you, to teach you what they know, to share their passions with you, and to love you.
