Lausanne World Pulse – Innovista: Reaching the Emerging Generation in Europe and Eurasia
By Frauke Eicker
|
Nearly 2.5 billion of the six billion people around the world |
Emma is doing well in life. At twenty-six she has a good-paying job, a boyfriend who loves her and a group of friends with whom she spends weekends. Yet she is not satisfied. Emma desires something more. She is seeking.
Carl’s parents split up when he was eight. With nearly half of all marriages ending in divorce in most Western European countries, Carl’s situation is normal, isn’t it? For the most part, Carl enjoys life. He is studying for his degree and has the freedom that comes with being a young, single man. Why look for more?
You probably know people like Emma and Carl—they belong to the emerging generation.
Nearly 2.5 billion of the six billion people around the world are aged 15-35.1 The emerging generation is a subgroup of this number. Typically raised in a Western context, this generation is the first to have grown up in a global culture defined by media such as television and the Internet. As a result they share common values (friendship, community, no absolute truth, discovery and consumerism) that may be expressed differently in various cultures.
Because many (like Carl) have seen their families break down, those in the emerging generation value friendship above all else. This results in a strong desire for community. It is this community of friends that plays an important role in helping people like Emma make sense of life.
Truth is not viewed as absolute by the young people today; instead, truth is subjective. Anyone claiming absolute truth will be met with suspicion. This profoundly affects how we communicate faith today.
The emerging generation also tends to approach subjects in a non-linear way. The inner search for something more is driving many young people to look into spirituality. They tend to find themselves on a journey of discovery that looks at the world from different angles. They want both experience and logic to speak to them.
The way the emerging generation goes about their spiritual search bears a strong resemblance to their consumeristic lifestyle. They pick, choose and mix according to personal preference. Sadly, the Church is not where most of them turn to for answers. Church numbers are declining while alternative religions and religious activities continue to increase.
The good news is that young people today are deeply and genuinely seeking. They are looking for practical and real ways to live life to its fullest. They are longing for answers to questions of origin and purpose. They need to be known and accepted by a community of friends. What they are really searching for, whether they know it or not, is God.
Innovista Seeks to Reach the Emerging Generation
Innovista is an organisation that is passionate about reaching this generation. With centres in the UK, the Ukraine and the US, Innovista helps the emerging generation engage with Jesus in the context of contemporary culture. This means seeing the good news bring change to people, churches and communities.
Seeing People Change
Helen treated her questions about life the same way she treated math equations. Things needed to follow a certain logic to make sense and have validity. Clearly, she thought, religion and spirituality did not fall into this category.
|
Frauke Eicker works for Innovista International in Oxford, UK. She has helped develop MONDAY, a training and outreach experience for teens. She is also the regional Lausanne prayer chair for Western Europe. |