“Who’s The New Kid”?
A recent survey conducted by both MSNBC and Fox News suggests that many Americans are leaving the nation’s big cities in search of cheaper homes and open spaces farther out. Where are they going? Believe it or not, they are moving to the country. Many are returning to small towns where they grew up.
According to a Casey Institute Report On Rural America, entitled, “Demographic Trends In Rural and Small Town America”, author Kenneth Johnson confirms this and points out that it’s not just affordable housing these people are looking for. He says, “Important as economic and technical forces are, opinion polls continue to suggest a real preference among many Americans for small town life. The desire to retreat from big city stresses and hazards, the desire to live in a community where one can be known and make a difference, and a safer environment for raising children and a desire to be closer to nature all have contributed to the appeal of rural areas, especially those that are either within the sphere of nearby metropolitan areas or that have a micropolitan center of their own.” God is sending new people to Rural America and He is expecting our Churches to be ready to reach them. If Churches in rural communities are going to be productive and effective, we must “Rethink Church”. We must not only understand that “There’s A New Kid In Town”, we must find out “Who’s The New Kid?”
I read a book recently entitled, “The Millennials”, by Thom Rainer and Jess Rainer. Every Pastor needs to read this book. It opened my eyes and helped me realize that the “New Kid” that has come to our towns, is the generation known as “The Millennials”. The Millennials are those that were born between 1980–2000. They are the largest generation America has ever known–77.9 million live births. This generation is shaping our nation right now and the Church had better be learning how to reach them. Many of them were raised in church, but the facts are that they are leaving the church, and though they claim that there are many reasons why, the main reason is that they don’t feel that church is relevant to their life. Most churches in Rural America are not prepared to connect with the Millennial Generation and many are determined not to change. Many Pastors and Church Leaders are most comfortable working in the traditional way of yesterday, and therefore they are not connecting with the Millennials. The reality is that the world is changing in significant ways and the “New Kid” is having a difficult time staying connected in the traditional church. Now that we know who the “New Kid” is, we have a responsibility to reach them. We have to “Rethink Church”. There’s a generation hanging in the balance and we must not lose them! In my next post, I will be sharing “Five Keys To Rethink Church”.
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Your Rural Pastor,
Johnny H. Moore
(Source: ruralpastor.com)
