::Observations-Gen Xodus - Gen X Has Left the Building... I was listening to a radio program the other night (as I do driving home at odd hours) and the subject was Gen Y and the political process. They three people (one was the interviewer and the other two representing various aspects of the political process) were discussing if and how Gen Y engages in Australian politics. At one point in the discussion, a question regarding Gen X (the previous generation) and the nature of their involvement in the political process was asked.

They commentators begain describing how Gen X largely abandoned the political process. When asked "where are they", one of the commentators suggested that Gen X had largely forsaken the corporate approach (to everything) en masse and had taken up residence in the NGO sphere, as well as being found in areas of innovation and creativity. The values that drive Gen X (continues the commentator) tend to be more altruistic rather than monetary as in the case of Boomers (the generation proceeding Gen X) and Gen Y.

The conversation continued along this vein for a few minutes. While it did, my mind wandered to two other incidents.

The first was when a colleague of mine, Brian Holden (seen in this picture wearing his Liverpool FC shirt, poor misguided lad) was involved in a ministry exposure trip. As part of his theological education, the students spent some time in two of Australia's biggest cities, visiting all sorts of churches: some of the mega variety, medium and smaller sized churches as well as various church related ministries. The most glaring observation for him was that Gen X was by and large absent. As he tail ends Gen X, he was looking for those involved in ministry who are Gen X, and his comment was in all of the churches he visited, there were none in significant positions of influence, if at all.

The second incident, or more accuratley, phenomenon, is that of the bulletin board. I speak at any number of bible colleges and theological institutions throughout the year, in all parts of the country. On the bulletin boards, there are often advertisements for ministry positions, seeking students or soon to be graduates. The number of advertisments for ministry vacancies looking for people in the age bracket that is essentially Gen X (roughly 28 to 40 year olds) is quite significant.

I started to think about the implications for the church that essentially is missing the better part of a generation. When I move around mission training agencies and organisations in the NGO sector, it seems as though these parts of the church were the "promised land" of the Gen Xodus.

I need to reflect further what the implications for this disproportionate representation mean for the future of mission and ministry in Australia, and possibly elsewhere.

Your thoughts?

Labels: Church, Gen X, Gen Y, Ministry, Mission

  Posted by Stephen @ 8:49 PM