Some Provocative Thoughts About The Next Generation of Churchgoers

So, I finished "Emergent Worship" by Dan Kimball. If you have any interest at all in the future of the church, it's a must read.

A few quotes:

"They wonder if coming together to worship really only consists of a few songs and a central focus on preaching. They feel more and more uncomfortable with the way many worship services profile one or two male-only leaders up front. They are wondering why there is hardly (if any at all) participation from the people in the congregation...In terms of music, they feel more embarrassed by many of the lyrics in popular worship songs. Many feel unsettled by the way the song leader leads or the way the band plays. (When explored, you will find that these comments about music usually go way beyond generational music styles or personal preferences. It entirely has to do with values of what and how musical worship is done in a worship gathering."

"We now see art being brought into worship, the use of visuals, the practice of ancient disciplines, the design of the gathering being more participatory than passive-spectator."

In my estimation, the most provocative question to ask after church:
"What comments do you hear about your worship service? Do people say, 'I enjoyed that' or 'That was fun' or 'Good job today'? Or do they say, 'I encountered God here today' or 'I appreciated that people prayed for me here' or 'I felt the presence of Jesus here'? There is a big--no, huge--difference between the two."

If you're church has a Baby-Boomer designed functional box that is light and airy:
"Emerging generations are very visual. They crave a sense of mystery and wonder of God as they worship. They desire a spiritual environment for worship."

And, one more for good measure:
"Prayer is threaded throughout the gathering, not simply tagged on at the beginning or the end of the sermon."

And, once again, I'm amazed that people don't understand why I'd rather work with the upcoming generation than the older folks...