2 B or not 2 B

Being a GenX-er, my heart runs deep in Postmodern ministry. I've heard many statistics about my generation, but the one that sticks with me is that mine is the first generation where more than half of all its members have never had positive, meaningful contact with Christianity beyond the vague, ignorant stereotypes played out in the media. In addition, it's the first generation in a unique and important cultural shift sweeping our world. The church, never one to make necessary changes smoothly, has been slow and largely ineffective in reaching this group of people.

Why is this such an issue for me right now? Well, I'm currently working in a church that is definitely not ministering to postmoderns. It is also in sharp decline, especially in the area of youth and young adults. The combination of these mean that unless this church changes, it will soon not exist. This one of those extremely crucial points in the future of the church, but many don't know, or don't care, or just give up.

Some definitions for the uninitiated:

Modern Era: 1500's through the mid 20th Century.

Postmodern Era: The mid 20th Century and ongoing.

Modernism: The philosophy in which science, knowledge, facts, etc. define truth; where the scientific method, and later the traditionally structured "business model" is applied to give life meaning. God is culturally seen as the Christian God, a distant author of absolute truth.

Postmodernism: The philosophy in which spiritualism, experiences, social exchange, etc. define truth; where community (especially social/communal technologies) and the ongoing, fluidly changing story of shared experiences are tapped into to explore meaning. God is culturally seen as an extension of your personal experience of "God" and "truth", whatever that means to you.

A modern: Someone who has spent the formative years of their life in the Modern Era. Most recently, "baby boomers/busters." Not necessarily one who aligns themselves with Modernism.

A postmodern: Someone who has spent the formative year of their life in the Postmodern Era. "Gen-X-ers" and "millennials." Not necessarily one who aligns themselves with Postmodernism.

I'm a writer and musician. I'm not the best at public speaking, nor debating. As such, I have great difficulty communicating the great need for our church to begin a ministry to postmoderns. The biggest trouble I have is getting across the difference between ministering to postmoderns and selling out to the "philosophy of Postmodernism." Many moderns I've talked to about this seem to believe that to minister to a postmodern, you have to water down sound Biblical doctrine with the "all religions are valid ways to God" philosophy. That's not true. The point of postmodern ministry is to take the solid doctrine of Truth and communicate it in new ways that postmoderns can relate to. This is: Communicating genuinely, deepening spirituality and connection to the ancient past by not being afraid of "churchy words", and interacting/connecting meaningfully (not the forced and fake "meet and greet" that happens in the middle of the church service at the command of a minister).

Anyway, I'm constantly frustrated by the inability to communicate this desire in a way that people fully grasp. It's like explaining chartreuse to someone who has been blind their entire life. But in this case, the future of the church may depend on it. I did find a great website that explains it pretty clearly (http://www.emergingministry,com/).