Global Youth Culture
Relational• Looking for real people in real life• Are aware of the real world with its good
and bad and so want to relate to people and organisations that are real
• Seeking after people to guide and mentor them without controlling them
• Have a strong focus on being part of a team or a group rather than being an individual
Committed (but not too much)
• They are committed to people before they are committed to an organisation
• Need a sense of support and direction from people older than them but they also feel the need to not feel controlled
• Commitment is to a people and not to the structures
• Commitment is usually for a loose amount of time
• Commitment will continue as long as the cause stays true
Friends Rule• Friends are becoming more important than
family relationships• Family may let you down and not
understand you but your friends will be there for you
• Importance of being in regular contact with friends
• Influence of friends in bringing people to faith and church involvement
Connected to the World• Better understanding of what is happening
in the world and the issues than previous generations
• In constant contact with the world through the internet, video, music and mobile phone
• Young people have got used to thinking and evaluating things for themselves outside of adult influence
• Uses new forms of gaining information such as the movies, blogs, social network sites and chat rooms
• Used to mix of friends from different cultures, value systems and religions
One – Two Year Vision• Most young people can think up to
about one to two years at a time• Five years away is an eternity and
heaps might change by then and so they want to keep their options open
• Part of not wanting to tie themselves down to a role and commitment that might not ‘be them’
• Want freedom to choose and to develop and evolve as a person and in Christian faith
• Fear of becoming like their parents
Wider view of Christian faith• Denominations and theology is not as
important in church commitment but it is personal relationships that determine where a young person goes to church
• Inclusive rather than exclusive faith• Interactive and relational faith rather than
static• Style and structure of experiencing the
Christian faith is now widely diverse (not one model)
• Communal faith increasing in importance while individual faith is taking more of a back seat
Faith and Justice• Younger generations need to see an holistic
faith in action otherwise they feel hypocritical (faith without works)
• Creating God’s kingdom here on earth as well as heaven (2 Peter 3:13 / Revelation 21:1)
• Wary of overtly spiritual focus of church that is more concerned about keeping things looking good than their concern for people’s practical needs
• Wants to work alongside and not above
Experiential
• They grow up in an experiential world where they get to feel and sense a variety of things
• If they cant experience it then it isn't real for them
• They want to do more than hear a story or situation – they want to feel it, handle it, meet it
• They often therefore want to feel and experience something before they buy into it – they want to see the Christian faith in action and making a difference in this world
Brought to you by:
www.youthmesh.org
Top Related