Generational Differences in the Church Causes Conflict

An article about generational differences in the church caught my eye recently.  It seems that the young pastor's communication style is causing disconnect with the older members of the congregation.

The question posed was "Our church just hired a pastor who is young enough to be the child of many members.  His language about 'the emerging church', 'post modernism' and 'interfaith dialogue' distresses older members." 

The result is unhappy constituents in the church.  The communication style and words used by the young pastor is causing sparks to fly and a disconnect between the generations.    Older members have trouble understanding what he means by "the emerging church" and the terms he uses makes them turn away from his sermons.

Michael Clingenpeel, pastor of River Road Church believes that the young pastor is responsible for the words he uses to encourage change.

I believe this is a continuation of the ubiquitous generational conflict we all face.  Regardless of the industry, people of different generations have trouble communicating with each other.  It is not simply a matter of verbiage.  It is a matter of mindset.  Yes, people don't like change, but the truth is change is inevitable.

In this instance, the responsibility lies both with the young pastor and his congregation.  This is an opportunity to open a dialogue whereby everyone can candidly hold a discussion about their faith.

If the young pastor relents to the older members of the congregation, he might lose the support of the younger generation.  They are the future of the church and we need them in order for there to be a congregation going forward.

I say, follow the action of the Pope. On January 23, 2010 Pope Benedict XVI gave a new commandment to priests struggling to get their message across: Go forth and blog.

As a matter of fact the Pople has several blogs and many are right here on blogger.  A  really good blog by the pope allows the visitor to choose the languge that works for them.

Just google pope: blog and you might be surprised at the quantity of blogs out there.

My point is, the pope has jumped on the social media bandwagon because he realizes that generational differences mean that you must communicate with your constituents the way they expect it.  He communicates with his flock using the medium that works for them.

Here is another good pope website.  He is on Facebook as well.  You go with change and meet the people. 

I dare say the young pastor should do the same.  Help the congregation to realize the value of varied styles of communication and work with them break down the barriers he currently faces.

The Greatest Generation of Texters and Networkers

During my seminars, I often recommend that those who text should get one in before we start. I realize they are unable to help themselves. It's an addiction and they will do it anyway. Sometimes during my Generational Diversity programs attendees are incredulous that Gen Y and Gen M won't attend meetings or respond to email.

I explain that they are texters and to communicate with them one must also text. A perfect example is bourne out by this article about a 17 year old who was texting while being reprimanded for texting.

So what do you think?  How will the workforce be changed when these people join it a year from now?  Will they be able to put down the devices long enough to get work done?  Will they participate in meetings or text under the table the whole time? 

It's true they are more networked than ever, but face to face is another issue.  Just look at the picture above and consider how networked they are.

Read the full article here