Connecting the Generations to Discipleship: Gen X and Millennials
Dr. Allen Jackson currently serves as both a professor and pastor. For over half of his adult ministry life, he lived on the NOBTS campus and taught, researched, and spoke in the field of youth and collegiate ministry. Over the years, his interests expanded into other fields in Christian Education and Spiritual formation including leadership, administration, developmental psychology, risk management, and a heavy investment in the next generation. He has written extensively in adolescent, collegiate, leader training, and Bible teaching areas. Allen now serves as senior pastor at Dunwoody Baptist Church in Atlanta and has been a constant source of wisdom and friendship in my life for over two decades.
Ray Sullivan III serves as the Discipleship Consultant in South Georgia for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. Because conversion is the starting line, not the finish line, Ray is passionate about helping pastors and churches take their next step in developing intentional disciple-making pathways that lead converts to become fully trained disciples of Jesus. Before joining the GBMB, Ray served as lead pastor in churches throughout Kentucky, Florida, and Georgia.
In the episode:
- Learn the events and experiences that influenced each generation and why that matters as we seek to reach and retain Millennials and Gen X.
- Millennials are the largest generation in the American workforce.
- Gen X is the first generation to experience the full effects of divorce and both parents working outside the home.
- Millennials are the first generation to be fully influenced by the cell phone becoming an everyday tool.
- Gen X accounted for the majority of start-ups pre-pandemic and has incurred more debt than any other generation.
- Millennials made popular long beards, flannel, and fedoras.
- Gen X, well, they got parachute pants!
- Millennials will experience the greatest transfer of wealth in American history so helping them learn to manage money is critical.
- Gen X are caring for aging parents and local churches can offer caregiver support.
- Note the pendulum swing regarding what becomes important from one generation to the next.
- Millennials want to be involved.
- Gen X are skeptical and need to see authenticity and moral integrity.
- Listen to learn best practices churches are utilizing to engage both.