the    sides

This is a great article and definitely worth the read if you are in a setting where X’s, Y’s, and Boomers collide.

Implications for church/ministry? Hmm, how do I tiptoe through this minefield? ha ha ha.

First, let’s recognize I’m an X’er. So all of the generalizations of my generation - I probably represent that but I wouldn’t admit it.

Second, while there is a whole truckload of implications for these differences in the family arena or even the career arena, I’m not going down that road. I’ll let one of my fellow X’ers pick up that baton.

I’m going to try to focus on the church/ministry setting. Which leads me to say this…

Third, any resemblance to my current situation is purely coincendental and I hold no responsibility for that. Taking responsibility is a characteristic of the boomers, not the X’ers.

These are GENERALIZATIONS…so take ‘em for what they are worth.

BOOMERS (Pull the pin)
1. I think Boomers have a tremendous amount of experience and insight to give to ministries and leaders.

2. I think Boomers TEND TO leverage their resources (money, influence) to perserve these experiences at the expense of a ‘new song’, new vision or new way of doing something.

3. I think Boomers are slower in giving away authority and releasing leaders…(Could it be because of a “we built it, we should run it” mentality?)

4. I think Boomers CAN BE incredibly self-focused in their programming and ‘vision for ministry.’ Example? The children’s ministry was awesome and well-funded when they had children, the student ministry was incredible and well-funded when they had teenagers (thank you, by the way), the service now needs to meet the 45-60 age group now because we are empty nesters.

5. I think Boomers are great at throwing opinions/ideas at ‘opportunities’ but are reluctant to lend ’sweat equity.’ In other words - great at giving money, not-so-great at time.

X’ers & Younger
1. I think (because every institution has failed us?) we are too easily jaded and quick to quit to do our own thing when we things don’t go the way we want them.

2. I think we tend to see Boomers as ‘deep pockets’ instead of people who are also on the journey with Jesus.

3. I think we TEND to handle conflict with passive aggressiveness (just quit, not engage anymore, do what we want anyway, deal with consequences later) rather than biblical confrontation (face to face disagreement without trashing the other person).

4. I think we error on the side of jumping before thinking. Technology and movies immediately come to mind.

5. If Boomers are stingy with their time (see 5 above), we are stingy with our money.

So What?
Glad you asked. The process of implementing change in a church is hard enough, through these dynamics in the mix and you might have outright war. That might explain both the explosion of church closings AND church plantings.

Churches that have critical mass and funding - ‘mega-churches’ - answer the dilemna by ‘divide and conquer.’ Set up ministries for every age group with their own style of service, style of small group, style of communicator.

That’s great if you are a church of 1,000 or more. But what if you aren’t? What if you are a church of 500 or 150?

Is this just an American phenomenon or is this international? Europe? Africa?

Hmmm…still chewing.