Millennials and the Church, Part 5

Part 5:  Ministry Implications In Discipling Millennials

One implication for discipleship is that churches must do more to make Millennials feel wanted, valued, and appreciated.   Assimilation teams should consider intentionally showering their new believers with attention from the moment they accept Christ.  This includes emphasizing baptisms as special moments of celebration in worship services, not rushed add-ons at the end of service. This gives the congregation a chance to get to know new believers through shared backgrounds statements and their statements of faith.  This also encourages new believers to continue in obedience to the word of God. New members should be given the right hand of fellowship before the congregation and recognized for completing new believers’ and special discipleship studies.  Additionally, assimilation teams might consider providing special seating arrangements for them at holiday services, church picnics, youth festivals, lock-ins, concerts, and outings in order to help them get acclimated to church culture. When new believers feel comfortable, they are more likely to invite their family members and friends to evangelistic outreach events, such as church picnics.  Finally, assimilation teams should see that new Millennials are featured in ministry videos and provide them with frequent opportunities to get plugged into small groups and ministries since they are service-oriented.  Mercado states,

The implications of this way of thinking are profound. The church has to look a lot more like Jesus in order to attract postmodern Millennials. Evangelization, practiced as the proclamation of Jesus, may have to give way to “immanuelization,” where our communities of faith are the presence of Jesus to the world. This is why so many young people are attracted to service. Teens profoundly encounter Jesus through identifying with his mission and through the eyes of those they serve—almost reversing the conventional order of spiritual growth. (Mercadante, p. 11)

Discipling differently not only means that the cart might be placed before the conventional horse where growing in knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is concerned, but it also means that churches and ministries must rethink how the gospel is taught, preached and communicated.   Tim Elmore states in the book, Generation iY, The Last Chance to Save Their Future, “Forget the lecture, unless it is accompanied by an experience that enables them to remember the point you are making.  This means they want to see something, or do something, not just hear something.  Communication, in other words, must be more than two-dimensional.  It must include other senses” (Elmore, 2010, p. 173).   Borrowing from Leonard Sweet who first coined the acronym, Elmore states that communication must be EPIC,  Experiential, Participatory, Image-rich, and Connected.  Artistic communication will need to implore more story, metaphor, and film.  The more technology is utilized to capture their attention, the better.  Preaching and teaching will need to be transparent and relational without compromising the integrity of the Gospel.
 

Millennials are very close to their parents and thrive on relationships.  Not only have “helicopter parents” hovered over their children and given Millennials special attention and sheltering, they have created great relationships with their teens and young adults.  Churches can capitalize on these strong family bonds by extending youth ministry to include outreach to parents.  Churches need to see parents as the primary spiritual educators of their youth and take more definitive steps to equip parents to disciple their young adults.  Frank Mercadante , in the article, “The Millennial Generation, Postmodernism and the Changing Face of Catholic Youth Ministry,” states,  “It means working together to better evangelize the entire parish community. It means not doing youth ministry in an adolescent vacuum. Instead of building disciple-making youth ministries, we need to work collaboratively to grow a disciple-making parish community.”  (Mercadante, 2008, p. 8)  His point is that the whole church, and not the youth or young adult ministries, must make discipleship a priority.  While speaking for the Catholic faith, his statement holds great validity for Protestant Evangelicals as well. 

Excerpts from my research paper, The Millennials, will be posted August 26th-31st as a seven-part series. This paper was written in partial fulfillment of course work for the Masters of Theology program at Campbellsville University, June 2013. All rights reserved.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!  Jesus Saves Ministries Celebrating 8 Years of Lifting Up Jesus Christ!

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Millennials and the Church, Part 4

Part 4:  Personal Interest – Employment and Investments

Millennials view money as a major motivating force in their lives.  They may ascribe noble reasons for wanting to acquire income and wealth, but obtaining and saving money are huge issues for them.  A new study released in May 2013 from Merril Edge indicates that Millennials are beginning to save for retirement earlier than any other generation.  An article published in the Courier-Journal Newspaper entitled, “Millennials More Likely to Get Early Start on Retirement Savings,” states that many are investing by age 22 compared to Baby boomers who started on average at age 35.  The study on mass-affluent Millennials, those with $50,000 to $250,000 in assets, reveals that on average, this age group has $55,000 saved for retirement.  Merrill Edge Director Alok Prasad states this is “quite impressive,” and adds, “They are a lot more disciplined in terms of thinking ahead and being proactive about saving for the future.”  The penchant for saving was formed after living through two economic downturns, the dot-com bust and Great Recession, and watching their parents struggle because of high unemployment and economic uncertainty. 

A Prudential survey released in December 2012 revealed that lower-earning Millennials are participating in 40l(k) plans at significantly higher rates than Baby boomers their same age.  Approximately 70 percent of workers age 21 to 29 eligible for 401(k) plans who earn less than $50,000 participate in the plans compared with 40 percent participation for boomers.  That number increases to 91 percent for Millennials making more than $50,000. 

Excerpts from my research paper, The Millennials, will be posted August 26th-31st as a seven-part series. This paper was written in partial fulfillment of course work for the Masters of Theology program at Campbellsville University, June 2013. All rights reserved.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!  Jesus Saves Ministries Celebrating 8 Years of Lifting Up Jesus Christ!

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Test Your Knowledge of the 1963 March On Washington

Test your knowledge of the August 28, 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.  The answers to the questions are provided from the book, Like a Mighty Stream, The March on Washington, August 28, 1963, by Patrick Henry Bass.

1. What year was the Civil Rights Bill passed? 19642. Who was A. Phillip Randolph? Originator of the March on Washington idea. He organized the first march in 1941, The March On Washington for Participation in National Defense. He was also president of the Pullman Porters. Randolph called off the first march due to President Roosevelt's issuing of Executive Order 8802 which forbade racial and religious discrimination in war industries, government training programs and government industries.
3. What two events in 1955 gave birth to the Civil Rights Movement? The death of Emmett Till in Money, Mississippi, and the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama bus.
4. Who was Anna Arnold Hedgeman? She was the lone woman on the Central Administrative Committee of the March on Washington, the planning committee. She was responsible for Daisy Bates' Tribute to Negro Women Fighters for Freedom being added to the March on Washington program schedule.
5. Name one of three women who provided musical numbers at the March on Washington? Marian Anderson, Eva Jessye and Mahalia Jackson.
6. What church assembled more than 80,000 cheese sandwiches, and packed each bag with a sandwich, marble cake and an apple? Three hundred volunteers at the Riverside Church in New York City. They put all those sandwiches in a refrigerated truck at 4:00 a.m., the morning of the March.
7. Who was Medgar Evers? Mississippi NAACP leader and first martyr of the Civil Rights Movement. He was murdered outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi on June 11, 1963.
8. Name the six black organizers of the March On Washington? A. Phillip Randolph, Martin Luther King, Jr., Roy Wilkins, John Lewis, Whitney Young, and James Farmer.
9. Name the four white organizers of the March On Washington? Mathew Ahmann, Dr. Eugene Carson Blacke, Rabbi Joachim Prinz, and Walter Reuher.
10. Name the four women recognized by Daisy Bates at the March on Washington? Diane Nash Bevel, Rosa Parks, Gloria Richardson, and Mrs. Herbert Lee.

Source:
Like A Mighty Stream: The March On Washington, August 28, 1963 by Patrik Henry Bass.

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!  Jesus Saves Ministries Celebrating 8 Years of Lifting Up Jesus Christ!

 

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Millennials and the Church, Part 3

By: Angela Lee Price

If the Kingdom of God is to advance, it behooves the church to think innovatively in reaching the largest demographic, the Millennial Generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am sharing excerpts from my research paper, The Millennials, on the Jesus Saves Ministries Blog August 25th-31st as a seven-part series. Scroll down the blog to read Part 1, the Introduction and Part 2 on Demographics. Today's segment will address Cultural Influences. Wednesday's segment will look at Employment & Investment. Thursday & Friday, we will explore Ministry Implications and Saturday, I will recap and conclude the series. This research project was an eye-opener for me. If you are a pastor, minister, lay leader struggling to keep young people in your church, or just a concerned parent wondering why your young adult won't go to church, this should begin to help answer questions for you.

 Part 3:  Cultural Influences

            Every generation has experienced unique developments and advances, crises and catastrophes, and political impacts that have help to shape their perspectives as they matured into adulthood.  Major innovations in technology, postmodernism, the World Trade Center attack, the war on terror, the Great Recession, numerous natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina, an increase in school shootings and bombings including the Columbine High School shooting and Murrah Federal Building truck bombing, and the election of the first African American president in U.S. history are some of the cultural influences that have impacted young adults 32 and under.  This age group witnessed the introduction of homeland security and new policies to secure our boarders from terrorist attacks.  Consequently, “homelanders” are more cautious and calculated than previous generations. Though cautious, they are not fearful.  In fact, they are very optimistic that they can provide answers to both domestic and international problems.   Nine out of ten young adults believe it is their responsibility to make a difference in the world (Rainer, p. 36), and 75 percent believe it is their role to serve other people (Ibid, p. 37). 

            According to Millennials under age 30, innovations in technology is the number one factor that uniquely distinguishes them from the previous three generations.  Theirs is a world of uninhibited access to data and information through technology.   They see the world as a much smaller place since they can connect with people in the next state or on the next continent with almost equally quick internet speeds. Based on a recent Pew Report, approximately 24 % of young adults under age 30 say technology sets their generation apart, followed by their music, pop culture and style (11%),  their liberalism and tolerance (7%), with Intelligence and clothing round out the top five factors, at 6% and 5% respectively.  Joel Stein states in the Time article, “Millennials:  The Me, Me, Me Generation,” “The information revolution has further empowered individuals by handing them the technology to compete against huge organizations: hackers vs. corporations, bloggers vs. newspapers, terrorists vs. nation-states, YouTube directors vs. studios, app-makers vs. entire industries. Millennials don't need us. That's why we're scared of them.”   

 

  Contrary to previously held notions about the “generation gap” and parents not being able to relate to their children, surprisingly, Millennials rank parental influence number one on their list influences.  Millennials are very close to their parents and want to receive advice from them.  Not only have “helicopter parents” hovered over their children, giving special attention and sheltering, they have created great relationships with their teens and young adults    Nearly nine out of ten, 88% look to their parents as a positive influence and a vast majority, 85 percent look to their parents as their primary source of advice and guidance (Rainer, p. ).  Because they have such great relationships with their parents, many are able to relate to older adults.  Approximately 40 percent say they have mentors.

Excerpts from my research paper, The Millennials, will be posted August 26th-31st as a seven-part series. This paper was written in partial fulfillment of course work for the Masters of Theology program at Campbellsville University, June 2013. All rights reserved. 

Remember, it is not Mohammad, Buddha, Confucius, nor New Age that saves. Jesus Saves!  Jesus Saves Ministries Celebrating 8 Years of Lifting Up Jesus Christ!

 

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Millennials and the Church, Part 2

By:  Angela Lee Price

Part 2:  Demographics: Population, Ethnicity and Race, Where live

The Millennial Generation has been described as the “Good News” generation.  That is because within their demography there is a lot of good news. The Millennial Generation has surpassed the Baby Boomer Generation (75.9 million) as the largest in American history and most influential on record with 78 million members.  Not only are they the largest and most influential generation, Millennials also are the most ethnically and racially diverse.  Further, they are projected to become the most educated generation in American history with young adults scoring high on aptitude tests and taking advance placement tests in high numbers.

Birth year ranges often vary for the generational groupings.  Generally, groupings are determined by live births per year demographic patterns or by common historical experiences and behavior. Based on a research of Thom Rainer and Jess Rainer on 1,200 Millennials published in 2011 in the work, The Millennials, Connecting America’s Largest Generation, generational groups based on live birth patterns for the Millennials and four previous generations is as follows (Rainer, 2011, p.8):

Generation Name	Years	Live Births
G. I.	1904 -1924	59.6 million
Silent	1925-1945	55.4 million
Boomer	1946-1964	75.9 million
Generation X	1965 - 1979	51.5 million
Millennial	1980 - 2000	77.9 million

The Millennials have been called by many names, The Digital Generation, Nexters, Screenagers, Echo Boomers, Bridgers, Mosiacs, Generation Y.  While the Millennials are the first generation of the 21^st century, younger Millennials born after 1990 have been impacted much more by technology than their older cohorts.  Younger Millennials are often sub-divided from those born before 1989 and are referred to as the iY Generation. 

The 1980s ushered in the beginning of a significant and steady upturn in population growth which has yielded the largest and ethnically and racially young adult generation.  Whites make up 61 % of the population; Hispanics, 19 %; African Americans, 14 %; Asians, 5 %; and mixed, 1 %.   

Racial and ethnic minorities make up 39% of Millennials and 38% of Gen Xers, compared with just 27% of Baby Boomers and 20% of the Silent generation.  (Pew Report, p. 16)....

         

Millennials generally live in suburban-metropolitan areas. Suburban expansion can be seen when the share of Millennials now living in them (54%) is compared with the share of Boomers who lived in a suburb in 1978 (41%) and the share of Silents who lived in a suburb in 1963 (31%). Millennials are much less likely to live in rural areas than previous generations at comparable ages. Only 14% of Millennials live in rural areas, compared with 29% of Boomers and 36% of the Silent Generation at the same ages. Millennials also are more likely to live in central cities, 32% of them do compared to 23% of the Silent generation. (Pew Report, p. 19).

 Excerpts from my research paper, The Millennials, will be posted here this week as a seven-part series. This paper was written in partial fulfillment of course work for the Masters of Theology program at Campbellsville University, June 2013. All rights reserved.

 



Millennials & The Church, Part 1

By:  Angela Lee Price

If the Kingdom of God is to advance, it behooves the church to think innovatively in reaching the largest demographic, the Millennial Generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am sharing excerpts from my research paper, The Millennials, on the Jesus Saves Ministries Blog August 25th-31st as a seven-part series. Scroll down the blog to read Part 1, the Introduction and Part 2 on Demographics. Today's segment will address Cultural Influences. Wednesday's segment will look at Employment & Investment. Thursday & Friday, We will explore Ministry Implications and Saturday, I will recap and conclude the series. This research project was an eye-opener for me. If you are a pastor, minister, lay leader struggling to keep young people in your church, or just a concerned parent wondering why your young adult won't go to church, this should begin to help answer questions for you.

 

Part 1:  Introduction

A tidal wave of change is beating against our global shores. The Millennial Generation is coming of age, and with more than 78 million members, they are coming in like a flood.  For the marketers especially this means good news. They whistle while they work targeting goods, services, and experiences to a generation that has moved beyond the final frontier of space and time to boldly go where no man has gone before. However, the Psalmist declared in ancient of days, “I will cause Thy name to be remembered in all generations” (Ps. 45:17).  The Psalmist declared, “I will bless the Lord at all times, his praises shall continually be in my mouth.”  The question that begs to be answered and remains to be seen is will the Millennial Generation born between 1980 and 2000, and raised in a postmodern era where choice is abundant, there are no absolutes and technology is ever-changing – will they bless the Lord?   

If the Millennial Generation is to “bless the Lord at all times,” they will need much more spiritual nurturing and guidance from the preceding generations, Generation X, the Baby Boomers, and the Silents.  Although there is a lot of good news to report statistically, relationally, educationally, and potentially financially for the Millennials, one ominous statistic remains, this population is largely apathetic to and uninvolved with church.   Roughly, only one-fourth of Millennials attend church weekly.  Consequently, many Millennials do not know what they believe or why they believe it as they cannot clearly define their beliefs.  Getting to know young adults under age 33 must become priority to the church as no church exists without a multi generational mix of some sort.  Theirs is a vast mission field.  Helping them come to know and remember the name of the Lord is how we advance the Kingdom in this age.

This paper/series will give an overview of the demographics, the cultural influences, employment and investment matters, and ministry applications for discipling Millennials into internally strong believers capable of effectively sharing their faith and the gospel of Jesus Christ with non-believers and people of non-Christian beliefs.

 Excerpts from my research paper, The Millennials, will be posted here this week as a seven-part series..  If you would like the entire paper, download it from the Jesus Saves Social Network. This paper was written in partial fulfillment of course work for the Masters of Theology program at Campbellsville University, June 2013. All rights reserved.

A Prayer for School Students

It is that time of the year when our children, young adults and some of us older adults, like myself, return back to school. Exciting times are ahead, but we need to watch as well as pray! Satan has an arsenal of weapons that are aimed at us to defeat us, peer pressure, lies, doubt, worry, fear, temptation, addiction, and unforeseen crises. We are reminded in Scripture that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Philippians 1:6 states, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." We are trusting God for a victorious school year for our members and their families.

 

Provided all goes well, I will graduate on December 13th with a Master of Theology degree from Campbellsville University.  As I ask you to keep me in your prayers, I also pray for everyone in school: 

 

We pray in the name of Jesus, Lord that you will go before us as we go back to school and keep us from all hurt, harm, and danger; that you will give us caring teachers, professors, and administrators to lead and guide us throughout the school year. We pray by the power of the Holy Ghost for those children who are fearful, and who are going to new schools. Lord God, reduce their fear and anxiety about their new surroundings, changing classes, and new processes and procedures. Turn their frowns upside down, oh Lord. We pray especially for the mislabeled and misunderstood children needing special attention.  Reveal the mystery of their giftedness and set them on the proper course for success.  We thank you in advance for the education of our children and for their salvation as well. We pray, too, for non-traditional adults who are trying to complete a degree while working, raising a family, and battling life's issues. Give them strength, Heavenly Father. Allow them to finish what they have started, Lord. Provide resources by Your sovereign will. You are Jehovah Jireh, our Great and Awesome Provider! You are the Way Maker, making ways out of no way! You open doors no man can shut, and shut doors no man can open. We believe that You equip the called as we walk by faith.  Proverbs 16:1 states, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans." We commit our education to You trusting that only You know what is best for each one of us. We pray success in this school year. In Jesus name. Amen! Amen!

 

Church & Ministry Events!

Post your church and ministry events on the Jesus Saves Social Network! We will blast them out to all network members at no charge this month. To invite Min. Angela Lee Price to speak at your church, conference, or gospel event, e-mail her at jesussaves1@insightbb.com or call 502-415-1001 .

The Life Suite Facility Dedication and Grand Opening Celebration

 

Join Jesus Saves Ministries for the grand opening and facility dedication for The Life Conference Suite, Where Believers Come to Meet, Friday, August 16th, 5:00PM-7:00PM. The Life Conference Suite, located at 2001 West Broadway, is the new home of Jesus Saves Ministries.

 

Pastors Kevin and Melissa Manzano, New Beginning Christian Church will officiate the facility dedication; Musical selection by Pat Mathison and other guest artists. Immediately following the dedication ceremony the celebration continues with our Taste of West Louisville. Sample healthy culinary cuisine by West Louisville finest Chefs, Donald’s Catering, Chef Jackson, Chef T.

 

Purchase Christ-centered Gift Baskets and enter our drawings to win great door prizes! Listen live on WLOU Radio between 5:00 - 6:00 PM. This event is FREE and open to the public!

 

Hosted by Jesus Saves Ministries and the Jesus Saves Social Network. 

 

 

It's Time to Take Back West Louisville

By:  Bill Price

We all know the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, a sordid place where all types of evil took place, where people were robbed of their dignity and their moral compass by ungodly men who followed their lusts rather than God. When it comes to economic empowerment and business development, The West End has become its own Sodom and Gomorrah where corporate greed and a lack of social responsibility has become the norm rather than the exception. It doesn't happen in Hurstbourne, and it doesn't happen in other parts of Jefferson County. However, in West Louisville, we have businesses that have done little to endear themselves to the community. Yes, we may get a couple of minimum wage jobs out of the deal, but little else. These businesses come and they take and give little back. Where is the support for community programs? Where is the philanthropic arm for social change? Where are the stakeholders from these businesses working to help us transform our community?  Money goes out, but little remains in.

 

No community can survive when businesses come and take and give little back. When we will stop allowing outside businesses to come in and rob us our most precious resource and that is economic prosperity? When will we stop allowing businesses that don't care for us, sell to us? The bible says : "Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, but the one who gathers by labor increases it."  The book of James put it this way: "Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.  it is time for us to turn our backs on oppressive businesses who fail to become a part of our community. Not only should we turn back, let's not look back as we encourage a new era of community development where we attract and retain businesses that have the best interests of West Louisville at heart. 

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God The Father, Godly Fathers, and The God Fathers

By:  Min. Angela Lee Price

Guardians Tag Ministry

As we celebrate Father's Day on the Jesus Saves Social Network, we are discussing three categories of fathers, God the Father, Godly Fathers, and The God Fathers.  Join us in our discussions this week by commenting on one of these categories of fathers:

1. God The Father                                                                                   Using the Word of God, provide examples of how God the Father was a great father to God, the Son. 
2. Godly Fathers
   What is the difference between godly fathers and those who perpetrate in the spirit of  the movie "Scarface" and "The God Father?"  Give examples of godly fathers in your family, church and/or community. 
3. The God Fathers
   What does God have to say to young fathers who have gotten caught up in the lifestyle of drugs, fast money, cars, women, and illegal commerce, i.e. to men who present themselves not at godly fathers but as gangsters or "God Fathers"? 
4. Identify men or verses in the Bible that you would attribute to one of the three "father" categories.  For example, you can identify your favorite verse by or about God the Father, identify your favorite "godly father" or the most infamous father. 

Post your comments here or join our discussions on the Jesus Saves Social Network! 

 

We are grateful for fathers who know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and who realize that God's grace, full of mercy and justice, is the force that gives all of us life and men the opportunity to be fathers.  

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