Learning from the Streets

In the good old days. Sunday schools were brimmed to capacity. The pews were full to over flowing.

The church had power. It had influence.

The church created youth ministry. And it became full of Baby Boomers!

They made it great

They had conferences

Music

Resources

Badges

T-shirts

Media

And kept them all going.

But in the early 1980s. Young people were found to still be leaving the church.  Millenials were born and leaving the church.

The Baby boomers called meetings. Created strategies. Wrote resources. Ramped up the conferences, festivals and music. MADE EVERYTHING BIGGER.

Everything youth ministry has become bigger and better than everything else before it.

But young people are still leaving the church. Millenials. are. leaving. Church works with 5% of young people.

There is only one conclusion.

Millenials have killed the church and youth ministry. 

This is by far the best reaction. Blame the millenials. Everything else was fine before.

And whilst we’re at it blame the generation X parents of millenials.

Blame the Millenials- because its not like things didnt work before

Blame the Millenials – because theyve quite literally killed everything else: http://mashable.com/2017/07/31/things-millennials-have-killed/#su_HsDXuTZqJ

Blame the Millenials – then its an individuals fault – not our system

Blame the Millenials – if they cant adjust to what how things are done round here, then we’re better off without them in the church

Blame the Millenials – Weve tried to do a youth club but ‘they’ smashed in the windows, or didnt turn up. 

Blame the Millenials – theyve killed youth ministry, by not attending our great festivals anymore, or the ‘youth events’ . 

Blame the Millenials – theyre using technology more and reading the bible less 

Blame the Millenials – and whilst we’re at it, post-modernism, inclusivity, relativity and tolerance. All the things millenials might be in sympathy of. 

I guess once the use of ‘generalisms’ for generationalisms, like ‘millenials’ can be so readily used in youth ministry and the church (often fuelled by their over use in the Guardian) then as easy is it that ‘they’ can be blamed, or have some responsibility when ‘our’ practices of mission, church and faith dont work like we thought they ought to.

If we’re serious about reflective practice in youth ministry (see previous post), then might we reflect on whether generalisations are helpful, and instead as we live and do mission in specific contexts it is there where research begins. Otherwise we might just end up blaming a whole generation for the disappearance of practices that developed into cultures within churches by the baby boomers, and we wouldnt want to blame them for that now would we.