I’m still thinking about them: Farmers. We posted on it earlier this week. The farmer leadership crisis here in Iowa is weighing heavily on my mind. So much so that I want to throw some more thoughts against the wall and see if they stick.

Some of you had some brilliant insights regarding our first post.

Reader Sam said,

I also hope that we [younger people] can get over ourselves and our new thoughts/ideas/strategies long enough to ask respectfully for their [older generation] help.

Reader Jesse said,

Way too much is at stake if this [transition] isn’t done well. In fact, there have been several along the way that chose to leave instead of play a part in passing things on or participate with a generation going in a different direction than they’d prefer.

Great insights. The stubbornness of a younger generation to insist on “doing things my way” may lead to years and years of painful trips ’round the mountain. Are younger people willing to stand on the shoulders of the generation that came before them?

As I reflect on the leadership from older generations in my own life, here’s what I’m grateful for:

• Since my college days, I’ve always had a strong, grace-filled older voice in my life. I cannot imagine where I would be without the voices of Jeff, Marsha, Drew, Victoria, Kent, Megs, Christine, Mitch, Mel, Mike, Richard and Gina.
• Rarely have these older voices been prescriptive (“Do this because I said so!“). The older voices have descriptive (“This is what happened when I made a similar choice”), but never have they played the “do-it-this-way-because-I’m-older-than-you-are” card. This has made all the difference.
• Most of these people have pursued a relationship with me. They have been the ones to reach out and ask to have coffee with me, hang out, grab lunch, etc. This, too, has made all the difference. Relationally, they did they heavy-lifting.
• Most of these relationships have left me with more questions than answers. This is a good thing. It goes back to being descriptive rather than prescriptive. They’ve allowed me to make my own choices and have been there if/when there’s a need for “clean up.” This has made all the difference.

These are the shoulders I’ve stood on throughout the years. When I look around at other young people, I see a staggering need for more shoulders. The sturdiness of older generations that will allow us to reach places that they never dreamed of.

Do you have “shoulders” to stand on? If so, what do you appreciate most? If not, what would you want from a relationship with an older mentor?

Sunday mornings have come to be know as “Scrambled Egg-stravaganza” in the Wise household. I make eggs (my wife says they’re the best she’s ever had). We watch the news and generally enjoy the morning.

This past Sunday, I saw a news story that hasn’t left my mind. It was about the next generation of Iowa farmers. As older farmers begin to reach retirement age, younger farmers are rising up and take their place. To make this process more efficient, farm co-ops are starting a “farmers mentorship” program, of sorts.

Simply put, Young Farmer Joe enrolls in the program and is put on a waiting list. Older Farmer John enrolls in the program to be a “mentor” and then retires. Through this mentoring initiative, Young Farmer Joe inherits the farm of Old Farmer John. John shows Joe how farming works–what the land is like, how much to water it, when to put the seed down, etc.

Desperate for Mentors

One sentence by the reporter struck me. At the end of the piece she said, “The list of younger farmers in Iowa is growing daily, with some 300 already on a waiting list. The mentoring program is desperate for older farmers to take part in the initiative.”

Desperate. Wow. Just, wow.

There was no shortage of younger people wanting to learn from an older generation. Wanting to learn the way of the land–learn the craft of farming. But yet, the program was literally begging for older farmers to come alongside a younger generation and show them how things worked. Striking.

Where Da Farmers At?

I wonder where those older farmers are at?

Did I fail to mention that none of the younger farmers profiled in the piece were the “typical” farmer?

• One guy got sick of the corporate world so he decided to take up farming.
• One young woman was studying to be a sex therapist but changed career paths after selling her tomatoes at a farmer’s market.
• Another guy had a passion for producing alternative Iowa produce–watermelon, popcorn, asparagus–as opposed to the traditional corn and soybean crop.

None of them fit the “mold” of a typical farmer. I can’t help but wonder if this is part of the reluctance of the older generation to take young ones under their wing. “They don’t look/act/think/work/talk or farm like us,” I picture the protest sounding like. It could simply be a sense of inadequacy, “Who am I to teach a younger generation? I’m not successful/talented/smart enough!”

We Need Your Help

Either way, this younger generation of farmers let out a collective cry that said, “We need your help. We need your wisdom. We need you to pass us the baton. Help us!” Only, I don’t think it’s just farmers. Young entrepreneurs and pastors; executives and accountants; mothers and project managers; web designers and bakers; foremen and firefighters–they all cry out to the established generation, “We need you!” They may not do things the same way as their predecessors, but they still need help. Maybe even your help?

The only question that remains is, “Are they listening?”

“What is the next generation of North American church-goer looking for?”

I’ve been dwelling on this thought a lot recently. Mainly because I work with young people day-in and day-out. Like most people in church leadership today, I find myself scratching my head, wondering. Vexed!

So I flip the question to you: What are they/you looking for?

• Megachurch? Minichurch?
• Lutheran? Baptist? Both? Neither?
• Hi-tech? Low-tech?
• Communal? Missional? Theological?

Tell me where you’re at, what you’re hearing, what you’re seeing. What’s working and what’s not working?

Questions like these always demand a context, but I’m wondering if there’s a theme (or two) in the midst of it all? Something tangible that transcends context.

This is a guest post by Sam Mahlstadt.

Have you ever noticed some in the millennial generation are bent on bringing about change to their fields of interest, while maintaining fixed beliefs that actually work against the change they wish to see?

I have a theory: We don’t actually want things to change.

Seriously. Because if things change, we have to learn new systems and alter the way we work.

This effects many different areas in society, but I see it especially in the church.

Young, talented, entrepreneurial Christians with a desire to see the church become a creative expression of Christ’s love for the world, but not committed to change their mindset in order to make their ideas a reality. What’s missing is a belief that we can make a difference from right where we are. Anyone, at any time, can spark change. However, becoming a catalyst for change is difficult, and requires a sacrifice of comfort. Most people will give up on an idea, because even though they want things to change, they don’t really want to give anything up for it.

Trust me, we need your voice. We need your ideas. We need your innovation. If we are going to see the local church become a creative, compassionate and powerful force in our communities, we need you to think differently about yourself. Re-think your views and jump in. We are waiting.

What are you waiting for?

We had a visioning meeting yesterday for the ministry I’m involved in. We target 20-somethings in the Des Moines area with a desire to build biblical community.

One of the exercises was to describe the generation that we’re trying to reach. The presenting question was this:

What are three words you would use to describe to the Gen Y/Millenial/Young Adult generation?

Here are mine:

1. Smart
2. Compassionate
3. What’s-In-It-For-Me?

Help me out with some “market research”–What three words would you add to the list?

Some people get hijacked by Scripture. I get hijacked by people describing their workflows. In particular, Jason Fried’s. Fried founded 37signals.com, a web-based software development company. In an interview in Inc., here’s how he describes a part of his workday:

I usually get to work between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Of the 16 people at the company, eight of us live here in Chicago. Employees come to the office if and when they feel like it, or else they work from home. I don’t believe in the 40-hour workweek, so we cut all that BS about being somewhere for a certain number of hours. I have no idea how many hours my employees work — I just know they get the work done.

Notice how he said “40-hour workweek.” Some weeks, that may mean you work 60, 70 hours. Other weeks it may mean you work 20. Or 10. Or even four. Either way, younger people seem to gravitate towards “getting things done” rather than “punching the clock”. Either way, this is the quintessential work philosophy for the next generation workforce:

• Show up when they feel it appropriate to show up; when their schedule allows.
• Work from where they want to work. Not necessarily where a company dictates.
• Working to accomplish goals rather than passing the time.

If you are leading a team full of young people, this is how they think. If you want to lead a team of young people, this is how they will think. If you are frustrated with the young people in your workforce because they think this way, they will always think this way whether you’re frustrated with them or not. If you aren’t willing to compromise with this younger generation, they will take their time and talents and find a place that will.

This was a great look into a start-up company with a young person at the helm. As young people take leadership positions in America’s workforce, look for more of this, not less.

In his context, the “large group” model is facing challenges that he hasn’t seen before. Simply put, people aren’t as interested in coming to a large group gathering anymore. What was working was the medium-sized “cluster” groups of about 10-12 people. These groups met weekly and allowed for a deeper connection between the people in that group. He said large group gatherings still held a place in his ministry, but it wasn’t as prominent as it was just five years ago.

These changes and shifts are happening on not just his college campus, but others around the country as well. Large group gatherings don’t have the “pulling power” that they used to for younger people. My own alma mater saw a 50% decline in attendance at the college ministry large group gathering over the last five years while school enrollment steadily increased.

How Can Churches Reach Young People?

What does this all mean? For starters these ministries will necessarily need to change their approach in order to survive, even thrive. The always-sharp, technologically savvy team at LifeChurch.tv has picked up on this and is making an effort to bring LifeChurch to college campuses. Why? From the LifeChurch.tv blog:

God has put a passion in our hearts for college students. We could not be more excited about what he has in store for us in this opportunity. I believe that college students are in a unique place. They gather just about every day in a central place. They are connected to each other in more ways than many other people groups. They are passionate, creative and just plain awesome. We have the opportunity to give them a place to belong and a place to grow in their relationship with Christ while they’re away from home.

This is a huge opportunity and one that we’re uniquely positioned for. Church Online is everywhere. We have been blessed with leaders and volunteers from all over the world, many near colleges and universities. With some time and a lot of effort, I believe that we can create something unique to reach college students where they’re at.

Some Pro-Active Steps

A few thoughts when reflecting on their vision:

1. What if we stopped complaining and whining about how young people/college students and gave them the resources that allowed them to join the church no matter where they lived?
2. Churches learned from the models that are working on campuses across the country and began to shift in focus towards more “cluster” groups? Providing resources online to allow these groups to thrive and grow where they already are?
3. What if we saw this as our chance to invest in a younger generation using tools that they know and are comfortable with–Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, chat rooms, etc.?
4. What if translating the message of Christ to college students necessitates we begin speaking the language of “digital”? Any good missionary knows that to reach a people group, you must first be able to communicate. Most times that includes knowing the language. Can you speak “digital”? You’ll need to.

Keep in mind that the college students of today will be the church attenders of tomorrow. These young people will be the ones who will “take the torch” from the current generation and build upon the foundation that has already been laid. Also keep in mind these young people will build in the way that makes the most sense to them, not necessarily what has worked in the past. This is a generation that has tried on the armor of Saul and found, much like David, that it doesn’t quite “fit.”

Next time you’re on a college campus, stop and look around. These young people will be the ones shaping, molding and driving a completely new model of ministry.

Are you ready for that?

We asked the question earlier this week, “what do young people want from a local church?” The answers were wide and varied, but a consistent theme througout most of the comments was community.

Community.

A term that is at once both tangible yet impossibly ambiguous. What exactly does community mean and why are young people craving it so much?

Here’s five quick predictions on what the 21st century church will look like when young adults step into positions of influence in churches:

1. Home groups, cell groups, mid-sized gatherings will move to the forefront as the primary evangelistic tool for churches.
2. Large group gatherings will still have a place in the local church, but they will be seen as “icing on the cake,” instead of the cake itself.
3. Because of the shift towards smaller communities, pastors will take on bi-vocational roles for A.) budgetary reasons, B.) evangelistic reasons.
4. Denominational seminaries will become a thing of the past. Most theological learning will move online or become highly contextualized and internalized by the local church itself.
5. “Sinner’s prayer” evangelism (i.e. “linear” evangelism) will give way to a more messy form of discipleship that includes dips and valleys; doubts and discussion.

Phew. All that from a desire for more community. Make no mistake about it, there is a seismic shift occuring in the Western church right now. The next 20-30 years will be some of the most interesting, exciting and challenging times in the Church.

How do you see the need for community shaping the church around you?

Well?

Today’s an open forum kind of a day. An “open mic night” at BeDeviant.com, if you will.

If it’s one thing that’s perpetually on my mind, it’s asking the question, “what does your average 20-something want from a local church?”

I have some ideas. But I want to hear yours.

Ready? Go.

What would you do with an extra day added to your weekend?

Go fishing?
Sleep in?
Get some yard work done?

How about work out? According to a recent article in Time, that’s what most of the Utah state employees mandated to take a four-day work week would do.

• One year ago Utah mandated 4-day workweeks (closing on Fridays) for 17,000 state employees in an effort to reduce energy costs.

• Employees still worked 40 hours, just putting in longer days Monday-Thursday.

• There was a 13% reduction in energy use, and employees saved a total of $6 million in gas.

• A whopping 82% of workers say they are in favor of keeping the new schedule.

• “Fears that working 10-hour days would lead to burnout turned out to be unfounded…workers took fewer sick days and reported exercising more on Fridays. ‘This can really make a difference for work-life balance,’ says Jeff Herring, Utah’s executive director for human resources.”

I know of a few friends who have adopted this schedule and can attest that they are loving it. With the Millenial generation taking the ranks in the workforce in the next 5-15 years, could a five-day work week be a thing of the past?

What do you think? Would you want a perma-three-day weekend?

(HT: Jeremy Anderberg for the awesome research.)