I just started reading “The Millennium Matrix” by Rex Miller. The book is about the digital age that we live in and how the church can respond. When speaking about today’s kids, he says, “The basis of knowing and understanding is shifting to an interactive, global anytime anywhere multimedia experience with countless eras to explore and test. We are moving from a passive television generation to a sensory experience generation”
Think about it. Kids in this digital age need to explore and test. Thus American Idol – you no longer just watch television, you vote on what you see. Thus Deal or No Deal – if you will call in and text your digital message in you might be the winner.
What does this have to do with the church? Everything! The generation that you and I work with is bombarded with messages. If you think kids are just going to sit and listen to life as it always was I am sorry but it just isn’t happening.
Kids today get on their computer and play games with kids around the world. They talk to each other on their computer. They text message each other in school. They interact. This is the day in which we live.
What a great day to preach the Gospel! We have more venues to creatively present the Gospel than ever before. If you’re stuck with a flannel graph you’re not going to reach this generation. The Gospel is the power – the medium is not the Gospel. We must learn to package the Gospel without changing one syllable of it for the digital generation.
What do we do with the Gospel in a digital age? Paul tells us in II Timothy 4:1-5.
1. Children’s pastors must minister biblically.
“Preach the word” (v. 2).
2. Children’s pastors must minister creatively.
“be instant in season, out of season” (vs. 2).
3. Children’s pastors must minister lovingly.
“with all longsuffering and doctrine” (vs. 2)
4. Children’s pastors must minister evangelistically.
“do the work of an evangelist” (vs. 5)
I wish I could elaborate on each of these points. Maybe in another blog post.
Here’s the bottom line. What an exciting day to be in ministry! But we have to know how. It’s more than just having a website and using PowerPoint. You have to begin to interact with this generation. But never lower the standard of the Word of God.
What do you think?
Enjoyed the post Ryan, I will have to pick up the book for myself.
I agree with you on everything you have posted here. I think is where so many struggle is not that they are hooked on the flannel graph, but how to do what we all know must be done. How to actually involve, incorporate, and invite the kids into living their relationship out and creating an environment where experimenting is not only allowed, but built into the time.
So away we all go, as we each stumble to figure out what that really means. We will, all make it though.