Category Archives: Missional Millennials
The five elements that define a Missional Millennial
J.R. Daniel Kirk on withdrawal and isolation from the world
I’m reading through a book by J.R. Daniel Kirk, called Jesus have I loved, but Paul?, which seeks to harmonize what some see as discrepancies between Jesus’ mission and Paul’s. One of them is Jesus’ love for outsiders, and Paul’s supposed judgment of them. But after Kirk corrects this faulty understanding (e.g., Matt. 18; 1 Cor. 5), he then shows how we’ve lived out a different lifestyle than the intended mission of Paul to outsiders.
This sentence stands out, in particular,
Too often modern church concerns for purity entail a withdrawal from the world around us, creating an isolated community that stands in perpetual judgment of the world. (Kirk, p. 109)
Think of the rhythms and spaces that intersect your life outside of your Christian community. How do we take on the life Jesus and Paul lived while on mission among outsiders, without being judgmental of the world we live in? What does this look like with your athletic team? With your co-workers? With your agnostic friends? With the sexually promiscuous couple you met in class? With the binge drinkers next door?
Millennials: the promised generation, part 2 – Redeeming lost talent
At the end of January, I asked what you would do if you were given so much promise and deprived of so much opportunity. All Millennials are. You are the promising generation, and you know it; decades of pampering and care has gone into a Millennial generation’s upbringing, and now you have come of age.
Unfortunately, there’s no where left for you to be awesome.
The first post was a wake up call. I know you all like it more when I write inspiring posts about Millennials—after all, I am one, and at a DOB of 1981, I barely made it!—but I can’t help noticing a bad trend emerging from those of us who are called to speak into the lives of Millennials.
Millennials are so high up on a pedestal, that we forgot what it was like to fall on the ground.
The world isn’t always fair. There are not always opportunities open for us to waltz into, and this has caused many to feel ripped off. It’s true for college leaders, as well. We love that you are the promised generation! We have also placed so much hope in you, that we are sometimes quick to disregard the entire picture, that circumstances do not always turn out ideal, and in ignoring reality, we sometimes explain away a basic understanding that life is unromantic. You are given great gifts, talents, and education, only to find that life has given you the shaft.
But God has plenty of opportunity for you in his mission.
While you may not get a high-paying job with benefits right out of college, your calling in life will always concern being on God’s mission to make disciples of the nations and your city. I want to propose a biblical worldview of calling.
You have not been seasoned for this moment to make much of yourself and career, but to put God’s eternal purposes on display. God is out to renew creation, from the material nature of the environment, to structures, cultures, and societies. And of course, he is in the process of renewing and restoring a broken group of humanity for his own glory. Approach life differently.
Use your gifts to make much of others and align your calling with the mission of Jesus.
That’s redemption. It means your life is not wasted. It means God is not ignoring you. It means there is a plan. And it means you are in the middle of it, albeit, one larger than yourself. This is what Peter was referring to when saying that “As each one has received a special gift, use it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” ( 1 Peter 4:10-11). Even if you’re stuck in a dead-end job; the glorious mission of God is always available to you in the form of servanthood, for in the serving of others, you loosen the fragrance of Jesus.
It’s less glamorous, but then again, when has “glamorous” ever changed the world?
We were made for more.
Millennials: The Promising Generation
Millennials want to make a difference because they are pampered and sheltered.
When generational experts, Neil Howe and William Strauss, wrote their defining book on Millennials, they highlighted our generation’s pros and cons, namely, that we had a desire to achieve greatness, and our parent’s generation was the driving force behind this.
We are the result of a domino effect.
Some mothers will recall the tragic crime in September 1982, when “a cyanide-tainted Tylenol triggered an October wave of parental panic over trick-or-treating” (Howe and Strauss, 43). On its heels was a “national hysteria over the sexual abuse of toddlers,” an immediate distaste for classic 80′s horror flicks victimizing children, replaced with a flood of sitcoms portraying kids as the heroes. While parents filtered the family television, American school teachers experienced a newfound pressure to raise better kids in the classroom. And the trend continued.
Our generation is almost entirely conditioned for greatness
By the time we reached grade school, we had already adopted a skip in our step (or perhaps a leap in our step). And why not? We were being preened to take over the world by an earlier generation that wanted to leave a better legacy. We evolved from the latchkey kids of our ancestors to kids inheriting all the keys on the latch.
Millennials are unlike any generation that has gone before. And because of this, there is an overwhelming pressure to succeed. Unfortunately, the opportunities available to an aspiring millennial are underwhelming enough to damper the passion of the most resolute college grad. Our parents didn’t just leave us with a different outlook on life, they left us with a different life. Look no farther than a broken economy, steep living prices, and a job famine. It’s as if someone taught us how to fish in the middle of the Sahara. The world’s greatest generation, pampered with hopeful expectations, and sheltered from the grim truth of everything our parents never wanted us to experience. How do we handle this? Can we take advantage of the momentum we’ve been given?
What do you do when someone promises so much and gives back so little?
Why you should write a personal mission statement
Last week I railed about the mess of New Year’s resolutions that are motivated only by a longing for self-worth.
Assuming it sunk in, I want to back up the drama horse a bit and balance that chariot. See, the LACK of structure or goals can have the same effect. It goes something like this…
Well, since Jesus loves me, I’m not going to be proactive.
Well, since my wife loves me, I don’t have to vacuum the carpets anymore.
Well, since my boyfriend loves me, I don’t have to tell him I appreciate him.
Well, since Y3K is coming eventually, I don’t have to create a budget.
You get the point. It’s still good to plan, and even New Year’s resolutions can be fine, if they flow out of your identity as an image-bearer of God instead of sucking on your identity.
But instead of making New Years resolutions, I prefer to make personal mission statements.
Ever make one of those?
Remember those nice corporate buildings in the 90′s that always sported those engraved plaques in their foyers with a pithy statement expressing why you should care about them?
Those were mission statements.
A mission statement is a short description of an objective to which you are called.
Business do these a lot, and some are really good…
“Finding the very best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment and the farmers.” – Chipotle
Simple, clear, and driven. They know what their goal is, and whether or not they’re reaching that goal.
Other mission statements, well, not so much…
Guided by relentless focus on our five imperatives, we will constantly strive to implement the critical initiatives required to achieve our vision. In doing this, we will deliver operational excellence in every corner of the Company and meet or exceed our commitments to the many constituencies we serve. All of our long-term strategies and short-term actions will be molded by a set of core values that are shared by each and every associate. – Albertsons Read the rest of this entry
Age of Accountability
We live in an era that demands just decision-making. We’re in an age where the weak can speak up on occasion. And the world is asking a lot of questions about…well, stuff that never used to get questioned.
Look at some of the biggest events on the web this year.
- Cairo, Egypt. In January 2011, an uprising begins to form which results in the ousting of a President (Hosni Mubarak), an unprecedented outcome in thousands of years of Egyptian civilization.
- Occupy Wall Street. People get inspired by what happens in Egypt and begin to protest the richest in the nation, arguing that the rest of the American population must have a voice in the direction of the country.
- John Pike. The reputation of a decorated lieutenant is forever roasted in his eight minute abuse of authority on the campus of UC Davis.
- Penn State. No one saw this coming…well, except for a few whose careers are now over, as well as the lives ruined.
In each of these recent implosions, a person, corporation, or company is being made accountable, after being fueled by a firestorm of social media.
For example…
- The revolution in Egypt was fueled Twitter and Facebook users to organize their protests.
- The Occupy movement was (and is) heavily organized by the famous Twitter hashtag #OccupyWallstreet
- John Pike’s fate was sealed by one short YouTube video.
- The news of Paterno’s firing at Penn State in the middle of the Sandusky scandal was quickly spread “via students’ cellphones” before the chaos ensued.
Without arguing whether the results or methods of these outbursts are right, I do want to call attention to the organizational power of social media to bring people to a new level of accountability.
I’ve already remarked on ways social media can aid a Christian being on mission.
Are there any ways we can redeem the powerful influence of social media? Should we even try?
Pray for the sick
God wants to heal people.
He has been using his people for this since the first century…
- Part of the breaking forth of God’s kingdom means that there will be physical healings as a result of God’s power.
- We don’t just see this in Jesus, but in his Apostles who were sent out to pray for sick people (Luke 9:2), and would lay hands on them and see them healed (Mark 6:13).
- This was not exclusive to the Apostles, for even unnamed Ananias lays hands on Saul who regains his sight (Acts 9:17), and…
- The elders of the church are told to anoint sick people with oil and pray for their physical healing (Jam 5:14-15).
God heals through our prayers.
When Brianna and I first got married, we lived in a small studio apartment. Sometimes the landlord would offer us lemons when we needed them to cook dinner, and would sometimes tell us that we could “help ourselves” to his backyard. So… I took him at his word. One day, I hoped the fence, went over to a tree, and started plucking fruit!
Here’s the deal with prayer: God CAN do anything he wants, and he wants to heal people. But there will be times when God (who wants to heal) will simply wait for his children to ask him (Matt. 7:7). There will be times, when all God is waiting for is for his Children to hop the fence, and start grabbing lemons. There will be times, when the lemons are so high up in the tree that you must grab a branch and begin shaking it vigorously. That’s prayer. Shaking the tree vigorously until an answer from God falls.
This post was adapted from a talk I gave last night:
Any thoughts on this topic? Don’t be so quiet! 
Introverts in a Church Community
Are you introverted? Me too.
Herein lies a wonderful irony:
The Scriptures implore (introverted) Christians to be in active fellowship with others.
I know it seems like keeping to ourselves is to our benefit, but the Scriptures suggest a multi-faceted approach. Along with the rest we find in solitude, comes a deeper form of restoration in Christian community. Honestly, this has always been a difficult thing for me to square with the body of Christ. I often fight the urge to retreat into a corner of isolation when I know I’m suppose to mingle with people. So it may take a bit of work for you to jump into an awkward social setting as well, but it is worth our struggle.
“And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” ~ Hebrews 10:25
There is another mistake we often fall into.
We sometimes put so much effort into showing up, that we leave conversational initiation to others.
“Ok, I came to the gathering. Now, someone please talk to me while I hide in a corner!”
This is not introversion, but simply being shy, and non-committal.
We may be tempted to remain on the edge of a community, or float from one community to the next, without making commitments or becoming known. If we stay on the outskirts we don’t owe anyone anything and people don’t expect anything. (Adam McHugh, Introverts in the Church)
This kind of non-committal self-entitlement will cause us to end up as wall flowers; feeling neglected, ignored, overlooked, and wondering why we can’t make meaningful relationships. Sometimes it’s because people do ignore us. But more often it’s because we’re too scared to put both feet in the door by reaching out to others despite our discomfort. Now is the time to try.
But allow me to offer a liberating suggestion as a fellow introvert….
You will be more successful in Christian community when you think of the well-being of others instead of your own.
In other words…
Let your drive for community be mission instead of self-aggrandizement.
You’re already in the building, and that was difficult! You might as well go all the way in your effort. You may find the reward of committed human contact in the body of Christ far outweighs the momentary anxiety of meeting new people.
Operation Lydia ~ Discipleship
Operation Lydia is a four-part series, which is a simple way to consider mission within the context in which you live.
You can find a longer explanation here, the first post here (image), and the second post here (mission), and the third post here (community).
This is the final post, and arguably the most climatic once it is experienced…
4. Find your “Lydia”
Acts 16:12-13 ~ “On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening…”
Assuming you’ve been frequenting a particular place where you normally enjoy life, begin to prayerfully and thoughtfully consider a “regular” there who you will commit to in friendship for a long period of time. The rest is simple: engage with that person! The knowledge that you will be devoting yourself to that person in friendship for the long haul will remove from you the pressure to paint a target on them as a potential convert, and will allow you to more freely learn who they are as fellow imagers of God, empathize with their struggles, and enjoy them as potential friends. 
I challenge you, after identifying your “Lydia,” to spend the next six months just learning and listening to them.
You will be surprised what a litte L&L can do to further the mission of God.
Related articles
- Operation Lydia – an introduction (christopherlazo.com)
- Operation Lydia ~ Image (christopherlazo.com)
- Operation Lydia ~ mission (christopherlazo.com)
- Operation Lydia ~ community (christopherlazo.com)
The Church needs to do more!
Heard that one before? Said that one before??
Millennials thirst for significance, and we are no different in the church; too restless to settle with the status quo ante, we want to push any limit that smacks of apathy. Neither do younger generations like to fall into routine, just because “That ‘s how it’s always been done,” especially when we see some traditions actually harming the body of Christ or the world around us. This Millennial boat-shaking ought to be welcomed as a blessing.
With limits, of course.
Sometimes we take it overboard, and may grow disgruntled with the church because it won’t move as fast as we would like.
Ever been in that Bible study where the young dude shouts in zealous angst, “The modern church should be more like the church in the book of Acts! More like the Early Church!”
To which I reply, “No, YOU need to be more like the Early Church! Drink some decaf and stop yelling.”
Sometimes our zeal is too tightly packed. We end up waving a gun around at anyone who gets in the way….including the Church.
But how can Millennials remain passionate without dishonoring the Bride of Christ? Below are means that will help us more effectively siphon a passion for change back into the church.
Let’s repent of our pride, and remember that we ARE the church.
Things always seem to go awry when we remove ourselves from the mayhem (even if we had nothing to do with it!). When you join a church, you are joining the mess! And when you follow Christ, you join his Church. I’ve heard Millennials cite Martin Luther’s reform of the church as reason to rebel, yet unaware of how hard he struggled to bring change from within, in fact, he never left the church—he was kicked out! And when the prophet Daniel wanted healing for God’s people, he did not do so from a safe place, but identified with the mess, praying, “We have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against you and scorned your commands and regulation” (Dan. 9:5, emphasis mine), though he is one of the few men in Scripture whose sins went unrecorded!
Passion must never travel without humility.
Conviction must not go unchecked by a community.
Change must always be accompanied by empathy.
And this is where we often thrive, anyway: through collaborative relationships.
Read the rest of this entry
Operation Lydia ~ mission
Adorn’s second step of Operation Lydia is to…
2. Go outside the gate to where the people are.
The idea is that Christians are called beyond the “gate” of their church subculture, and into the lives of outsiders on a regular basis. We are called to interact with them. A simple way to start this is by getting out of the house! (or church).
- Paul “went outside the gate to a riverside” before happening by a group of spiritually hungry people (Acts 16:12).
- Jesus had an urge to “pass through Samaria” where he met a spiritually broken woman (John 4:4).
God’s instructions can’t always be systematized. But sometimes it helps to break things down in our minds so that we aren’t overwhelmed with the grandioseness of the mission. Here’s a way to start…
- Be intentional (don’t aimlessly go anywhere. Seek the Lord as to where He would have you be)
- Take initiative (don’t expect opportunities to come to your doorstep. Engage! Seek out!)
- Expend yourself (commit to that place/area/community/scene once you discover it)
This “place” should be where the Christian is best able to cultivate their own identity as imagers of God.
Invest yourself there!
Related articles
- Operation Lydia – an introduction (christopherlazo.com)
- Operation Lydia ~ Image (christopherlazo.com)
