Growing Leaders produced a Mac vs. PC parody a few years ago that still speaks clearly to the relationship between the many “programs” that we utilize in our society. It speaks to the relationship between a event in our lives, and the process that we use to solidify the change that event promotes. This is true in so many areas in our lives…for instance:
We commit to love and cherish our spouse at the wedding ceremony, but the outcome of that commitment is lived out in our daily actions and habits at home.
We commit to change our lives every Sunday during the emotional high of a church service, but the reality of that change only becomes concrete when we adapt our routines to remind us of the decision we’ve made.
Craig Groeschel has put much of the content of his latest book, It, on video. I for one am grateful for leadership training that can be shared in both formats, as it is with another favorite series of mine: Habitudes. Enjoy the same video from Craig below, and check out Lifechurch.tv for more on the resources. Habitudes is available on GrowingLeaders.com.
Craig Groeschel has an excellent post on the next generation today, and some of the differences that set them apart from our generation, at the Lifechurch blog here.
Their world is smaller and perspective is broader
They have a wider definition of “friends”
They’re more experiential
Most have been under-challenged
Their world is grey
They are searching for a cause
I would add:
They collect information (and read more information) than any other previous generation. See John Dyer’s comparision here.
They are less relationally-skilled than previous generation: due to less face-to-face interaction, and lower rates of stable family environments.
I personally find the next generation an exciting group of people to reach. My perspective realizes the potential it has for communication and coordinating efforts across the entire globe. I think we simply need to train and equip them to lead their peers. My suggestion, besides being aware of these differences, is to make sure we enable them to reach their full potential. What do you think???
The world is changing so quickly…it’s almost unthinkable to attempt to consider the future. A huge number of children will solve problems and work in jobs that do not even exist today… This begs the question, how should we seek to prepare leaders of the future church???
Watch this video, then have a look at my suggestions below.
My suggestions:
1. Teach them to accurately interpret the Word of God, and create a foundational center of information where the people of the world can go to find a trustworthy source of those interpretations. Because the word of God does not change, and if we can give people the universal principles of the Word of God, they can apply it effectively.
2. Make the major task of the church to train up leaders of character and effectiveness for future generations. If our main task as a church is leadership development, then one thing is for certain: We will multiply our influence, rather than see it diminish. We cannot simply judge our progress on our own performance. The acid test of our lives should be that we ensured that more people would carry our work on after we’ve passed away.
The church Stacy and I are a part of is not a trend-setter for the new generation, but it is an example of a church that balances outreach and discipleship in the love of Christ, one that is unified with hundreds of other churches in missions work, and one that has the eye and ears of much of the world each Sunday morning. I am proud to be a part of Prestonwood, and I hope you will watch and enjoy their 2008 year in review.
Let me also mention, that while Prestonwood is often known more for it’s size, than for it’s ministry, it does a great job at making the huge church feel like a small town. It works hard to make it’s Bible classes very relational, and it has a food court which creates a VERY relational atmosphere for its members with reflects the original communion of believers in the early church.
Life Church My Current Church. They've got an amazing Church Online you can experience no matter where you live! (They give away their sermon material)
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