April 16, 2001

Millennials called a 'generation of hope'
___By Ken Camp
___Texas Baptist Communications
___WACO--Today's young people--the so-called "Millennials"--represent a "generation of hope" in a sense their older siblings and their parents did not, a veteran student minister told Texas Baptist Acteens leaders.
___Jerry Hendrix, student minister at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene, drew upon his 23 years of experience in youth ministry to identify for Acteens leaders the distinctive qualities of "Generation 2K." Hendrix led a seminar--"Who are these kids?"--for leaders of the missions organization at Acteens IMPACT, March 2-3 at Baylor University.
___The Millennial generation, variously identified as those born since 1977 or 1981, was part of a second "baby boom," and the group numbers 72 million. That makes it the second-largest generation in United States history, Hendrix noted.
___"They will be the dominant adult group of the next century," he said. "They will have the kind of influence on this new century that the Baby Boomers had on the last one."
___Hendrix noted key characteristics of the millennials:
___ "They thrive on change," he said. Whether it is the rapidly changing images of a music video or computer screen, or whether it is changes in society and its norms, the current generation of young people draws energy from that constant change.
___ "They live in a multi-cultural world," he noted. The millennials have grown up with ethnic, racial and cultural diversity, and they are accustomed to it. At the same time, they have experienced the counter-trend of a growing sense of racial and ethnic division.
___ "They come from diverse families," he added. Fewer than half of the millennials spent their childhood with both parents.
___ "They make spontaneous decisions," he said. The millennials watch and participate in "extreme sports," and they thrive on the challenge of making quick, intuitive decisions and taking risks.
___ "They believe in almost any expression of a higher being or higher power. They resist any claim that one faith system is superior or exclusive," he said. The millennials readily accept the existence of God, but they tend to resist the exclusive message of the New Testament, Hendrix noted. They believe in God, but they have a hard time believing that Jesus is the only way to God.
___ "They resist absolutes," he said. They affirm many things as true, but they resist exclusive claims of unchanging truth. They accept fewer ethical absolutes or limitations on personal behavior and lifestyle choices. "They think True Love Waits, but only 'til you're 18."
___While not all these characteristics make the current generation of students prime candidates for Christian discipleship, Hendrix maintained that in some respects they are better candidates than the generations before them.
___Unlike the materialistic baby boomers or the cynical generation-Xers, the millennials have a strong altruistic tendency. They are willing to take risks, cross cultures and adjust to changing circumstances.
___"I believe they are the next generation of heroes," Hendrix said. "They have a new openness to missions. They want to help the world and improve the environment in which people live."
___The challenge for the church is to disciple a generation that wants to be actively involved in mission without any grounding in doctrine, he noted.
___While students may resist classroom-style instruction, he said, "They respond well to accountability groups and mentoring relationships. Mission projects are one of the best places for this to happen."

Get printer-friendly version of this story


Send this story to a friend

News of religion, faith, missions, Bible study and Christian ministry among Texas Baptist
churches, in the Southern Baptist Convention ( SBC ) and around the world.

---

Contents/ Masthead / Why We're Here / Links / Archive / E-mail us/ SUBSCRIBE!