Are you like everybody else? Do you have an opinion about things? Of course you do!
I am struck by how many people have an opinion about the generations coming up.
Millennials are the roughly the 28-43 year olds and Gen Z is the 12 -27 year olds. As long as there have been older people and younger people (forever) there has been some wrangling about generational differences.
Who had it harder growing up…How work ethic changes…What we should be grateful for…and on and on. You know the drill.
I was floored though by how widely different the takes are on the financial well being and future of the different generations.
Some say Gen Z is poor and will be worse off financially than their parents. Another article and TED Talk insist they are unprecedently rich.
One writer complains Millennials are doomed and will never have any certainty with their financial future while others remark how it is an entitled generation.
I am not smart enough to figure out the financial present and future for two entire generations. Don’t get me wrong it is important but it is out of my depth.
Here is what I do know is different. Young adults and teens show rates of anxiety and depression higher then previous generations and they continue to rise.
Academically Covid set students back. On average US students were 5 months behind in math and 4 months behind in reading compared to pre-pandemic levels.
Jobs are tough. Youth unemployment is three times the rate of adult unemployment. Almost 30% of young adult employees are either unemployed or underemployed.
Social isolation is high. At a time when teens and young adults traditionally form important friendships, career networks, and marry…they aren’t. Instead, loneliness and social isolation on are the rise.
Ok, that’s enough ugly stuff.
On a quick side note, was Sunday INCREDIBLE or what? If you were not with us, we celebrated our NextGen (preschool-High school seniors) folks big!
The stories, the baptisms, the fun were all an incredible highlight. Whatever your opinions are about coming generations it is wonderful to hear how God is at work, lives are changing, and older students and younger adults are stepping forward without hesitation to follow Jesus!
Honestly this is why we invest so much in families. As a church we are committed to building marriage and families.
Reversing some of the disturbing generational trends isn’t going to happen because the right politician gets elected or a particular law gets passed. When hearts change, lives change. When enough lives change, generations change.
I can’t believe we get the honor and privilege of being a part of this!
You may have seen a post going around social media lately called “choose your hard.” It makes the point being married is hard, being divorces is hard. Obesity is hard, being fit is hard. Being in debt is hard. Being financially disciplined is hard. Choose your hard. *
*Best I could find this comes from a poem by Devon Brough
I share this because being married and being a parent is hard. It always has been. Nothing will change this. But, we get to help!
Who wants to watch young generations crack and fail? I am not talking about learning resiliency and the ability to endure difficulty, that is good. I am talking about damage that crashes a life.
As a church we not only believe God has incredible things for the upcoming generations we are going to love, serve, give, and even sacrifice to help them step into what God has for them.
Parents, we want to partner with you. Couples we want to help you build a solid relationship.
As someone with some seasoning (the not so harsh way of admitting I am older) I do see a different climate in our culture. It is not changing for the better.
There have been no golden ages or righteous generations in the past. Yet, the current level of immorality, divisiveness, anxiety, hopelessness, and idolatry (putting anything other than God first) is at the highest point in my lifetime. It is darker. It is hard to be married and hard to parent.
Even though this is the case, I am encouraged.
The darker it gets out there the more obvious, the harder to miss, the more curious it is when light shines.
This is our moment.
This is our moment to shine the love of God into a dark place.
This is our moment to love and pour ourselves out for a generation who needs Jesus to heal them.
This is our moment to bring our neighbors back to God.
This is our moment to be salt in light in a world desperate to see.
We are not going to stop. Generations have come and gone but we are not going to sit back and watch the next generation go by without doing all we can point them to Jesus.
Do you want to help? I know you do!
Give generously of your resources to equip our church to reach them
Serve them in one of our NextGen ministries (Find out More) like Preschool, Children, or Youth.
Pray. Ask God to bless those you know in the next generation and to show you how you can bless them too.
Find a young adult or teen to mentor and disciple.
We are going to do this together and you need to be a part. Yes it will take time and be hard. Choose your hard! This one is worth it.
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