The Perfect Storm

My wife, Brenna, stole my copy of Len Sweet’s new book, The Perfect Storm. Actually, I ordered it for her; she really likes his stuff as do I. Anywho, she started reading it yesterday and is now blogging through the book. Take a look.

Len writes about three chapters in this book, but adds insights from Mark Batterson, Alan Jamison and others.

The first chapter looks really interesting. Brenna states:

The church is headed for and in the midst of culturestorms: postmodernity, post-Christendom, and post-scale. Each of these storms is huge and requires huge adjustments, but the future is secure in God and Christians need not run from these storms. Len Sweet says, “Christians go out to meet the storm. Christians embrace the wind. And pass out kites” (page 5).

Generation Me, part two

This is a book review of the Generation Me from the AARP website. It was actually written by a 23 yr old. It is very interesting to hear their take on the book.

As a 23-year-old American who considers himself mildly confident and assertive but neither miserable nor entitled, I was curious to see what Jean M. Twenge, a San Diego State University psychology professor in her mid-30s, had to say in her new book, Generation Me: Why Today’s Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled-and More Miserable-Than Ever Before.

Twenge saddles herself with the task of describing the defining characteristics of the children of Baby Boomers born from 1970 to the end of the 20th century, a group she terms Generation Me. The members of this generation, while remarkably diverse in many respects, share a unifying aspect: we are “unapologetically focused on the individual,” a trait inherited from our Boomer parents and fanned to extremes by the culture they engendered.

While no one-especially a generation raised to worship individualism-likes to have their sameness within a group pointed out to them, I was struck by how consistently Twenge’s generalizations about GenMe rang true about me and most of my friends. We think of work more as a path toward self-fulfillment than as a means to a stable livelihood; we feel we can have it all and believe in “following our dreams” and doing things our own way; we heed social rules and figures of authority only insofar as they don’t get in our way; and we view our 20s as a period to bounce around and “find ourselves” because otherwise we won’t be ready for married family life in our late 20s and early 30s. As to whether these trends are good or bad, Twenge only occasionally makes an outright judgment, letting her research instead speak for itself. And most of the time her research convincingly shows-though it never hurts to be reminded that her data and sources are selectively mediated by her- that these developments have no small hand in creating the doldrums of the book’s subtitle.

In sketching out how these conditions came to be, Twenge tells an engaging story, fueled and supported by a solid base of data, illustrative quotes from her and others’ research, and barometric examples from TV shows, movies, comics, and advertisements. She explains how the defiance of authority and shirking of social approval pioneered by Boomers in the ’60s and ’70s was subsumed by the mainstream and incorporated into the status quo, informing GenMe’s Weltanschauung. Twenge also serves up a well argued critique of the self-esteem industry in the United States, which she says has a narcissistic-tinged ethos that is harming America’s youth vastly more than it helps. Throughout the book, her analyses of myriad topics articulated a number of ideas on the tip of my mind’s tongue, getting me to think about myself and my parents, as well the culture we come from and help create.

Generation Me is cogent, thoughtful, and fun to read, but over the course of the book I couldn’t shake my discomfort with the sensationalistic use of the word miserable to describe my generation. In spite of all the dispiriting trends that dog GenMe-depression, crushing disappointment when the real world doesn’t deliver on the things we’ve been taught to expect, credit card debt, mountainous student loans, divorce-like breakups, rising health-insurance premiums and real estate prices, estrangement from the community-to say we’re miserable seems to preclude resilience. Yes, GenMe must confront some bleak obstacles, but doesn’t every generation? Thinking of ourselves as miserable doesn’t seem to be a move in the right direction. Twenge does realize this, in a sense, and closes her book with prescriptive optimism: “Generation Me needs realistic expectations, careful career guidance, and assistance when we become parents. In return, we will gladly lend our energy and ambition toward our work and toward helping others.”

Characteristics of Generation Me

One of our required readings this semester is Generation Me by author Jean M. Twenge. Dr. Twenge is actually a GenMe’er. You’re part of Generation Me if you were born in the 1970s, 80s or 90s. I was going to blog about the book, but in doing some searching online, I found a good synopsis, and I’m not really one to re-invent the wheel. I couldn’t tell if this was the author’s own observations or a reflection of what they had read in the book. Regardless, these characteristics all come out in the book, and it is well worth the read.

Without further adieu, here are 10 characteristics of Generation Me.

1. Generation Direct - On the TV teen soap, The O.C., a father chides his son with “Watch your mouth. I was trying to be polite. You might want to give it a try.” The son’s response? “No thanks. I’d rather be honest.” Being open, almost guileless, is preferred; even if others might interpret it as rudeness. It’s about being true to yourself. Or, as the t-shirts proclaim: It’s all about me. This candour has found a ready outlet in online networks like Facebook where every social and sexual burp in life is readily shared with lots of strangers.

2. Generation Self-Esteem - The guilt here lies primarily with the boomers, the folks who enshrined the concept of self-esteem into education and child-raising. Many schools have “specific programs to increase children’s self-esteem, most of which actually build self-importance and narcissism.” Kids need to feel good about themselves. Some educators don’t want to disturb that feeling by actually correcting mistakes in class. Inflated grades and independent spelling are two by-products of the self-esteem movement. When these bump against the reality of quality control at college or on the job, Generation Me is genuinely surprised - and who can blame them?

3. Generation Entitlement - The cocoon of self-centredness has left young people feeling that they deserve everything right away. Interns expect positions where they’ll be given plenty of responsibility from the beginning. Earlier this week, a PR agency VP told me about her surprise at the lofty short-term ambitions of some of her staff. It’s tough to manage expectations of employees who have never encountered the quaint concept of ‘paying your dues’.

4. Generation Thin-Skin - Generation Me doesn’t respond well to criticism. In many case, it has never been part of their upbringing. They feel they can’t do wrong. So, when the boss rips into them about a half-effort on the job, they’re devastated. In the past, most people have complimented them on their efforts - no matter how shoddy or lazy those efforts might actually be. (You would think watching Donald Trump and Simon Cowell on reality TV would have prepared them!)

5. Generation Dream-the-Impossible-Dream - “You can be whatever you want to be.” “Never give up on your dream.” “Nothing is impossible.” Coupled with the concept of entitlement, this can be a potent brew. I see it first-hand in applicants who really want to work in public relations but can’t write. No one ever drew the problem to their attention, so they never made much effort to work on it or strengthen it Once again, everything was fine until pesky reality intervened.

6. Generation Get-an-Education - There’s more pressure than ever to get a good education. A degree is no guarantee to a career. In fact, that’s why there are so many graduate certificate programs in community colleges. But it’s often still not enough. Generation Me may have learned they can be whatever they want to be, but just what is that exactly? Many agonize over finding the right profession. It’s an agony that prevents them from finding any profession. Of course, there’s always another academic credential and another extended stay at home.

7. Generation Don’t-Want-To-Be-Bored - Skills help prepare students for the workplace. But what prepares them emotionally? The cult of self-esteem, plus the prevalence of film & TV characters (and the actors themselves!) in exciting jobs, sets Generation Me up for a fall. Job descriptions and salary expectations often can’t match the inspired expectations that have been cultivated.

8. Generation It’s-Not-My-Fault - This starts early when GenMe kids discover how often their shortcomings in school are blamed on their teachers. It’s always external forces at work. And so, the victim mentality is nurtured.

9. Generation Tough-to-Make-a-Living - Yes, the GenMe has high expectations, but some of it is justified. Economically, it’s much harder today to get a career started. Whopping student debts, whopping house prices and whopping child care fees have created hurdles the boomers generally didn’t face. My first house cost two-and-half times my annual salary. How many entry-level practitioners can pull that off today? The pricetag on my first car was 40 per cent of my salary. Again, not so easily done today. We boomers have a tendency to set our own historical measuring sticks up against today’s reality.

10. Generation Can’t-Change-a-Thing - Here’s where the It’s-All-About-Me-I-Can-Do-Anything syndrome encounters a dichotomy. For all the self-confidence, there is also a cynicism that most things are beyond their control. So, why bother. Why bother to work hard at finding a job; it just comes down to being in the right place at the right time. Why bother to work hard for a promotion; it’s who you know, not what you know. Why bother to vote; my single ballot will influence nothing.

The Big Idea: Changing Churches One Big Idea at a Time

Over the past few weeks we are spending some time working through The Big Idea: focus the message, multiply the impact. The book is part of the Leadership Network Innovation Series. It is written by Dave Ferguson, Jon Ferguson, and Eric Bramlett, who are staff leaders at Community Christian Church in suburban Chicago. Today will look at Chapter 5 entitled, “Changing Churches One Big Idea at a Time”.

Implementing the Big Idea doesn’t have to be an all or nothing proposition. The implementation is open source, and can be implemented in as many or as few areas of your church’s ministry as needed. The authors state that the process of implementing the Big Idea is a BIG task.

B is for Basic
Start the process in one area of the church’s ministry. The question to ask is this, “What is the first, definitive way to take what are currently several little ideas and craft them into one Big Idea?” This may be in the main worship service. It could start in the children’s ministry. To see movement, you have to start somewhere.

I is for Integrated
The next step is to find processes that will allow another branch of the Big Idea to grow. This begins to integrate the Big Idea into other aspects of the church’s ministry. More people get involved in the idea planning meetings and slowly the system begins to work throughout the organization. People who serve in children’s ministry or student ministries are coming together in planning meetings to create the idea. The synergy and movement of the team grows and the church begins to move in one direction, not fighting itself for resources or ideas.

G is for Global
When the church is buzzing from the movement of the Big Idea, begin to create a network, or partner with a network that enables the church to do what it could not on its own. For some who are denominationally connected, this may me remaining in the denomination, but aligning with networks outside the denomination to accomplish what the denomination cannot do because of resistance to change or an entrenchment of processes or theology that will not allow for this type of connectivity. It could also mean detaching from the denomination. Regardless, the church should seek to reproduce itself in some form, as that is the nature of organic beings. Not only does this create a reproductive DNA in the body, but adds more creative power throughout the entire network.

Whose Religion is Christianity - Definitions

Over the next few weeks we are looking at Lamin Sanneh’s book, Whose Religion in Christianity? The Gospel Beyond the West.

It is this section where Sanneh begins a more question and answer format. These questions and answers are broken up into topics with a total of 90 questions. In some cases, I will give the question, in others, just talk about the answer - it depends on how I feel about you the reader understanding implicitly the question by discussing the answer. This first section of questions form around the topic, Definitions.

The subtitle of this chapter is “Ferment, Renewal, and Pluralism in World Christianity.” By the term ferment, the author speaks of the spontaneous coming to into being of Christian communities among populations that had not been Christian. Christianity, as well, has caused a renewal of local languages, as well as the old customs and traditions of a population in response to the ethics it upholds; things such as love, reconciliation, justice, and responsibility. In addition, this renewal has led to new structures and institutions that are guiding this expansion.

The author then makes note of the difference between World Christianity and Global Christianity. “World Christianity”, Sanneh states,

is the movement of Christianity as it takes form and shape in societies that previously were not Christian, societies that had no bureaucratic tradition with which to domesticate the gospel…World Christianity is not one thing, but a variety of indigenous responses through more or less effective local idioms, but in an case without necessarily the European Enlightenment frame.

Global Christianity, however, is the replication of Christianity derived from the forms and patterns developed in Europe. It is “religious establishment and the cultural captivity of faith.”

The next question centers on the topic of Christendom. According to Sanneh, Christendom is the medieval, imperial phase of Christianity. During this time, the church became a domain of the state and Christian confession was enforced by the government. Wars of religion thus were wars of nations. Global Christianity still carries the vestiges of that root imperial phase by suggesting that growing communities of professing Christians around the world are evidence of the economic and political security interests of Europe, that churches everywhere are a religious expression of Europe’s political reach, or else a reaction to it.” By this, I have to think he would integrate Western culture and align it with Europe. This may help us understand the warring mentality of Islam and its aggressive state, especially towards western culture.

The next question Sanneh addresses revolves around the structural shift that began the demise of Christianity as a global, imperial mandate. The shift was brought about as the development of mother tongues as the means of receiving the gospel became the norm. Christendom had its evangelistic methodology integrated with annexation and subjugation and the church was an afterthought. The institutions of the conquering nation was imported to the colonies and church life was regulated. Indigonizing the faith meant decolonizing its theology. World Christianity was weaned of the politics of Christendom, though practices do not die easy. Some western writers still speak of Christendom as a political construct, “with religion creating new political groupings marked by competition and rivalry.”

Local pioneers have taken charge of the indigenous deployment. Therefore,

an inculturated Christianity is not merely a sequel of discredited versions of the religion; it anticipates an emancipated society,, a situation for which local leadership is best suited. Consequently the somewhat limited goal of Bible translation triggered a much broader process of ethnographic field research and historical documentation to produce a ripple effect on politics, economics, culture, and society, as well as religion.

An example he gives of this occurred in Hawaii. By translating the Bible, the missionaries were the first to learn the language and write it down. According to Sanneh, this has lead to the preservation of the language.

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