Generation Gap no more

In the late 1960s, talk of the “generation gap” was everywhere. It described the vast differences between Boomers and their parents. It was an era of profound change – music, fashion and politics went wild. Neither generation understood the other. Neither side wanted to try.

Even in the 1980s, when I was in my teens and 20s, I would only feel comfortable in the presence of those who were roughly the same age. There were rare exceptions – those hip, wise grandparents who were younger at heart than their children.

These days, intergenerational friendships are more common. It’s not widespread, but it’s better than it was. Music, fashion and culture don’t seem to matter as much. What matters is truth.

Several weeks ago, the board of The Renewal Fellowship invited Rachael Chen (“PCC Renewal: my story”) to our annual in-person gathering. I knew that she and the board members had a lot in common faith wise but I was also mindful of the fact that some of us are old enough to be her grandparents. To my delight, we all clicked. She joined us first thing in the morning and ended up staying (with our invitation, no pressure) during the afternoon and into the evening. It was not the first time I’ve shared a spiritual bond with someone from Generation Z. The magic ingredient? It’s our common desire to submit to the authority of God. We are bonded by the Holy Spirit and age is no barrier. (Race and culture too – but that’s a topic for another day.)

I have more in common with Gen Z evangelicals than I do with many people my age. It doesn’t matter that we grew up in the same times, listened to the same music, wore the same fashion and came of age in the same culture. If our theology is wildly different, it’s really hard to click. It’s truly wonderful that some Gen Z faithful are more conservative theologically than their parents and grandparents. It’s part of something infinitely and divinely powerful.

So what do we do with that?

As Peter Bush reports in his first-person story (“I was a virtual delegate at Lausanne 4”) one of the three areas of attention raised at the gathering was the need to make space for young leaders under 40. It reminded him of the late Dr. Ian Rennie’s point that many of the significant leaders in the history of the church began their leadership before they were 30.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to bring a message to the weekly chapel at a Christian secondary school. It was an opportunity to share some hope. First and foremost, I suggested, we can be encouraged and fueled by the fact that God is willing and able to forgive and give us new life. It’s our hope and our strength in dark and divided times. Second is that churches which uphold Biblical sexuality, the sanctity of life and the complete word of God are more likely to be growing. It’s statistically proven. Third is the belief among many people in the charismatic and Pentecostal wings of the church that the Next Great Awakening (NGA) is on its way and that God has been working since the 1960s to create just the right climate for a surge in new believers.

Which brings us to Generation Z – people born roughly 1996-2010, ages 12 to 27. How amazing that these young evangelicals are not drawn to megachurches and celebrity preachers but rather to the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Heidelberg Catechism. They love stained glass and old church buildings. They see history as a foundation to be maintained and built on, not torn down and replaced. And they know how to use digital technology and are willing to share. Praise the Lord.

There is diversity in every generation. Always has been and always will be. But the times, as the 1960s folk song suggests, they are a-changin. The cultural, political and religious landscape has shifted radically over the past 60 years, as Eugênio Anunciação points out in “Dialogue, Pluralism and Discipleship,” a refreshing look at the Canadian landscape from a Brazilian pastor seeking a call to a PCC congregation. What new, Biblically centred ministries will rise up?

I reminded the students of Rennie’s point that many of the church’s greatest leaders started their unique ministries prior to reaching middle age. John Calvin was 27 when he published his first volume in the Institutes of the Christian Religion. Billy Graham was 30 when he and his evangelistic team established the Modesto Manifesto: a code of ethics for life and work to protect against accusations of financial, sexual, and power abuse. It’s about discipline. Neal Mathers (“The unasked questions”) points to a significant shortcoming in many of our churches: the lack of disciplined spiritual formation. Neal asks: “How do we deepen our walk with Christ so that we move from being spiritual children to becoming mature children of God? The answer is to live a disciplined Christian life.”

We may be on the cusp of very interesting times. Politics for sure. But also spiritual. There are families which haven’t been part of a church for many generations. There is a void in their lives, a spiritual starvation. They are trying to fill it with spiritual junk food, feel good stuff, which we know will not last and may even create addictions. The Gospel – with its simplicity of activation but its incredible depth of engagement – is waiting to be served to generations who have no experience with it. When the NGA breaks out – it could be next year or in 50 years – those who adhere to authentic Biblical thinking are perfectly situated to answer the questions of those who have never met the Lord – to witness the hope, peace, strength, joy and love we have for God and each other, to share stories of Kingdom living.

People, get ready. A good place to start for those who need to get back to Reformed basics is a dose of solid Reformed theological thing, which Robert K. MacKenzie brings with “Bavinck in Brief: Method as Model.”

What will the church look like when a new generation rises up? One possibility is a growth in house churches. A vibrant example is Cariboo House Churches – a Living Stones faith community. Jon Wyminga, one of the Cariboo pastors, brings an inspired message, based on Isaiah 6:1-13, “What God is doing at Cariboo.” Jon asks, “Lord, give me the humility to see the signs of unholiness that exists in me and in people like me. Not just in people that are different than me.” Where is the hope? It might come after a dose of destruction. And it might arise in unexpected ways. But it is always spectacular.

More churches will struggle and close. Denominations may split. But like the seedlings that spring up from a fire-ravaged forest, something greater will come. God is moving. Always has.

Download a selection of articles from this issue in PDF format here.