Our nation has been hit with a demographic tidal wave of historic proportions. They are sometimes called Generation Y, because they followed Generation X. Some refer to them as the Echoboomers, because they are children of the Boomers. In an older book, I called them the Bridger Generation, because they are a bridge from one millennium to the next.

But the Millennials seems to be the name of choice. They are the generation that will begin and lead in this new millennium.

The Largest Generation Ever

Do you remember the attention that we aging Baby Boomers received? The reason for the attention was largely pragmatic. There are 76 million of us Boomers, and we represented much spending power.

But the numbers of the Millennials dwarf those of the Boomers. Though demographers have not quite settled on the birth dates of the Millennials, the consensus seems to be falling in the 1978 to 2000 range for birth years. If that is the case, there are 103 million of these young people whose ages range from nine to 31 today.

Did you get the number? 103 million! There are several nations smaller than this generation.

And four out of ten in this generation will be a part of a minority race or ethnic group. They are diverse, and they will be politically powerful. In the 2020 presidential election, this generation will represent nearly 40 percent of all eligible voters.

Into the Workforce

The Millennials are poised to take the workplace by storm. By next year an estimated 31 million of these young adults will be in the U. S. workplace. Of course, that number will grow every year for years to come.

And the Millennials don’t think or act as previous generations did. They aren’t just breaking the rules; they are creating new rules. Some organizations will be threatened by their numbers; others will see it as an opportunity.

The Generation of Social Media

We are just beginning to get a grasp on how significant social media is to this generation and, conversely, how significant the generation is to the growth of that media. This is the generation of text messages, Facebook, and Twitter. This is the generation that communicates electronically even if they are in the same room. This is the generation that has a significantly different understanding of communication than previous generations. Four out of ten Millennials visit Facebook at least weekly. For some it is the most meaningful form of communication they have.

Millennials and the Church

How will the American church respond? The answer thus far is not encouraging. Approximately one out of ten Millennials has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the most non-Christian generation in America’s history. And the attitude of the Millennials toward churches is generally negative, even among Christian Millennials.

But the news is not all bad. This generation may not include many Christians, but their attitude toward spiritual matters is generally open. And when they happen to show up at one of our churches, they want deep and meaty preaching and teaching. They want to know what we believe and why we believe.

Further, those churches that are reaching the Millennials tend to be high expectation churches. This generation wants to be a part of something where they can make a difference.

The Millennials are coming.

They are the largest generation in our history.

We can lament the lack of Christian influence among these young people. Or we can see it as one of the greatest opportunities to reach a generation we have ever known.

There is much at stake. Over 100 million souls.

The Millennials are coming.

Are you ready?

Brad Waggoner, president of B&H Publishing Group, likes to joke that he has the perfect title for a book: Humility and How I Attained It. While I appreciate the humor, I flinch internally at the irony of the title. Those who strive for humility and proclaim that they have attained it are clearly among those who lack humility.

And my problem is that I know I am often chief among the sinners.

I know cognitively that humility is a virtue of godliness. The psalmist writes: “The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. God, you will not despise a broken and humbled heart” (Psalm 52:17, HCSB). I can read the words. I can accept that truth. But I fail so often.

Humility toward Others

I like to win. I like to win in sports. I can make almost anything competitive because I want to be first. And in conversation and interaction with others, I like to be right, to have the right answers, to show my “superior” knowledge to others.

There are obvious problems there. First, I am not nearly as bright as I often think. Much to my shame, I have discovered my dogmatic certainty on some matters is pure pride. I can’t count the number of times I knew I had the answer, only to be proven wrong.

Further, my tendency toward pride is certainly not a family trait. My dad was an incredibly humble man. My wife, Nellie Jo, is the epitome of humility. And my sons have taught me many lessons in humility over the years. Yet the Bible teaches, “Do nothing out of rivalry and conceit, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3).

Sometimes those words really sting.

Humility in Person

I have seen true humility in action countless times. You would think that I could get it right from these living examples.

The first time I met Billy Graham, he took my hand to shake it and said, “It is an honor to meet you.” I was stunned. Here was one of the most famous men in the world, and he humbly spoke of the honor of meeting me. I could hardly refrain from saying, “Hey, I’m Rainer. You’re Graham. You’ve got this honor thing backwards.”

But he really meant it.

On another occasion, I was one of several speakers at a real big event. I knew I had arrived to be in the company of these other men, and to be speaking to a very large crowd. I was picked up at the airport by one of the most humble men I have ever met. He informed me that his role was to look after me the entire event, and to serve me as I had needs.

Cool.

Well, I decided that I would be friendly to the “servant.” After all, I am such a humble guy. I asked him how long he had been in this role. He indicated that he had been serving other Christians like me for over five years. Through the course of several questions, this man finally admitted that this was a volunteer role, that he had another full-time paying job. I pressed him to tell me his primary vocation. With reluctance, he looked to the ground, and spoke softly, “I’m a cardiac surgeon.”

Ouch. I have so much to learn about humility.

Humility in Christ

Those who think they are humble aren’t.

Those who write blogs on humility probably aren’t either.

What can I do? Am I a hopeless case? Certainly I am in my own power. But there is hope.

My mandate is to “make (my) own attitude that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5), because “He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death – even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8).

I will become truly a man of humility only as much as I submit myself to Him who died in humility on a cross. Humility will never come of my own power, but His. I must yield all of my life and desires to conform to His will.

Then I will know true humility.

And then I won't have to write any more blogs on becoming humble. 

The phone call came while I was in the car.

The pleasant greeting from my youngest son, Jess, included these celebratory words. “Dad, how does a grandson sound to you?”

It was not news that his wife Rachel was pregnant. We had been rejoicing in that reality for several weeks. Jess’s call was to let me know that they had been able to determine the gender from the sonogram. It’s a boy.

I felt the tears form in my eyes. My words were choked. I had difficulty responding to my son. I was going to have a grandson.

You see, it really did not matter if the baby was a boy or girl. But the news of the gender brought me closer to the reality of the moment. I was going to have a grandson.

Then Came the Photos

Through the marvels of medical science and Internet technology, Jess soon sent me the photos of his son in the womb. Each photo had a caption, sometimes humorous, and always moving. And my son made clear markers on the photos lest there be any anatomical doubt of this baby’s gender.

But the moment I saw the pictures, I knew that my earlier assertion was wrong. I wasn’t going to be a grandfather. I am a grandfather.

I did not see a mass of tissue. I did not see a form that would one day be a person. I saw hands and feet and a beautifully-formed head. I saw the little hand that had moved toward his mouth, just as my son described when he saw the motion actually take place. I saw those little legs that are already giving mom a swift kick of a reminder that he is here. I saw a real person. I saw a miracle and a gift.

I saw my grandson.

He was secure in the comfort and love of his mother’s womb. And perhaps he sensed something of the careful protection of a loving dad in the outside world.

The Right Perspective

The photos caused me to have a right perspective. No longer would I declare that I was going to love this child when he came into the world. I already love this child. No longer would Nellie Jo and I pray each night for our future grandson. He is very real and very present in this world right now.

I saw my grandson.

And though it might be a stretch to say I saw him smile, I can say that I sensed a smiling child. He knows his mother loves him. He might even know his dad loves him. And soon he will meet a host of grandparents, uncles, aunts, a cousin, and many friends. He will know he is welcomed in this world.

Thank You God

My preference was to keep talking to Jess, to keep celebrating this moment with him. Rachel had called her family. Jess had called Nellie Jo. But he still had brothers and friends to contact. I reluctantly let him go.

In the emotion of the moment, I turned to God in His Word as soon as I could get out of the car. I read again all of Psalm 139. And I focused on verses 13 and 14, an incredible statement of God’s love and care for the unborn.

“For it was You who created my inward parts. You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, and I know this very well.”

Thank You, God.

I saw my grandson.

He is remarkably and wonderfully made.

He asked the question in all sincerity.

“What is the best program or methodology for evangelism in the local church today?” he began. “Is it a certain program or memorized approach? Or is it simply encouraging members to develop relationships with unchurched people? Or is it an incarnational approach, where Christians live and work and play among non-Christians with an intentional desire to share the Gospel with them?”

My answer was yes.

Some who knew me at that speaking engagement began to laugh with hesitation. I could tell that they thought it was another Rainer attempt at humor. A weak attempt.

But my response came with no smile. I was serious.

“Any prayerful approach to evangelism,” I began, “is better than what most churches are doing, because most churches are doing little or nothing.”

The Curious But Sad Trajectory

Because I have consulted with churches for over twenty years, I have been able to observe the pattern up close. Each year it seems that local churches are devoting less time, less funding, and less emphasis on equipping, encouraging, and sending people to share the good news of Christ, particularly within their own immediate communities.

At one point, I could see theological distinctions. As a rule, the more theologically conservative churches were more likely to emphasize evangelism as a critical component of the church’s life. Such is not the case any more. The conservative churches are almost as anemic in evangelism as others.

And the even more troubling news is that the trajectory gets worse every year.

More Evidence of the Disappearance of Evangelism

If my anecdotal consultation observations are insufficient evidence, our recent studies support our thesis. In one study we asked senior or lead pastors how many times they had intentionally shared their faith with someone, or just developed a relationship with a non-Christian with the hope of sharing the good news. In this survey where anonymity was protected, over half of the pastors, 53% to be precise, said “zero” in the previous six months.

You read that correctly. The majority of pastors aren’t doing evangelism.

Before we criticize these leaders too harshly, we see even less evidence of evangelistic efforts among the laity. And in some churches, the laity will get angry if the pastor doesn’t visit them when they have a minor illness. But they have no problem if no one in the church makes an effort to tell a lost person about Jesus.

"Meet my needs," they cry.  "Who cares if those people spend eternity in hell?"

I’m sorry. My cynicism is not always healthy.

Decreasing Evangelism, Greater Receptivity

The sad irony is that our evangelistic efforts are diminishing while a significant number of non-Christians are more receptive to hear about Jesus from a Christian. In one study we conducted, we found that nearly four out of ten (38%) of non-Christians would either be highly receptive or receptive to hear from Christians about their beliefs. And only five percent indicated an antagonistic attitude toward hearing the Good News.

Tens of millions of lost persons in America are waiting to hear from Christians.

The silence is deafening.

A Beginning of One

Whatever happened to evangelism? I have my thoughts and my research, but for now the question is unanswered.

I can whine. I can lament. I can point to what others are not doing.

Or I can do something myself.

I admit that I could do more. A lot more. I could specifically pray each day that the Lord would put someone in my path where I could at least begin the Gospel conversation. I could pray for more spiritually sensitive eyes to those around me. I could be consistently accountable to someone about consistently sharing my faith. And I could encourage others to join me.

It’s time to do less analysis, less complaining, and less finger pointing. It’s time for action.

And for me, it has to begin in my heart. 

Sports analogies abound when you start thinking about building a team in the church or other workplace. Many times you will hear the story of the 1980 United States’ hockey team that pulled off one of the greatest upsets in sports’ history. Their epic defeat of the Soviet hockey team is referred to as “the miracle on ice.”

Coach Herb Brooks of the U.S. team faced a daunting task. His team was all amateurs, mostly college kids. They were seeded twelve in the tournament. The Soviet team had held the gold medal for twenty years. They were by far the most dominant hockey team in the world. They had recently destroyed an all-star team of professional players from the National Hockey League.

The 1980 U.S. hockey players were a team that defined every measure of positive teamwork.

Becoming a Team

Most all of you are part of a team. The team may be your workplace, your department, or the organization you serve. It may be the place where you volunteer your time. It may be your church. And you may be a member of the team, or you may be the leader of the team.

But how are the best teams built?

The Three Cs of Effective Team Players

When I am responsible for building a team, I keep in mind the three Cs: character, chemistry, and competency. Others have used similar nomenclature, so I take no credit for originality. And the three Cs are listed in their order of importance.

I must always begin with character. What is the person’s relationship with Christ? With his family? With others? Is his word good? Does she have a devotional life that honors the Lord? Without character, the other Cs are meaningless.

The second C is chemistry. I find that this aspect of team building is the most often overlooked. How would the person fit on the team? Would that person be loyal both to the area where he or she serves as well as the entirety of the organization? For the teams I have led or am leading, I look for people who are joyous, who know how to have fun while doing serious work, who exude a positive nature. I look for “can-do” people instead of those who always have a reason something won’t succeed.

It may be interesting to some that competency is listed last. Indeed the skills of competency are those typically listed on a resume. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate education, work experience, and other accomplishments. But a person with all the skill sets who has either weak character or poor chemistry can turn a well functioning team into a dysfunctional team 

Learning Team Building from Jesus

During his brief years on earth, Jesus assembled what seemed to be an unlikely team. Their vocations ranged from fishermen to tax collectors. And their temperaments ranged from fiery to quiet. Indeed the one with the most serious problem, Judas, didn’t pass the first C, so he was the first off the team as they began to turn the world upside down with the gospel.

For those of us who serve in Christian ministry, whether it is our paid vocation, or whether we are volunteers, the team on which we serve is critical. May we be committed to building teams with people of strong character, people who bring a positive chemistry to the team, and people who have skill sets necessary to carry out the most important tasks in the world. 

I recently made the annual pilgrimage for my check up with my ophthalmologist.  The eye exam begins like any other: Read the chart and tell us what you see. I must admit: I don’t like that part of the eye exam because I have such poor vision. I have been wearing contact lens for forty years, and when I take those slivers of optic salvation out, I can hardly see a thing.

“Read the chart,” the nurse requests. “What chart?” I respond only part joking. The nurse sighs. She’s heard all the corny lines. She then begins to change lens strength on the contraption through which I am attempting to see the chart. Soon the letters come into focus. I can see again.

Focus and the Church

When I served as a pastor, my ministry was at its God-given best when I was focused. And I had more lousy days than I like to admit when I was unfocused. Such a statement begs the question then, "Where should I focus?"

The early church at Jerusalem was in danger of losing focus. There were so many people in the fast-growing church with so many needs that some were being neglected. But the leaders refused to lose focus. They said without hesitation, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry” (Acts 6:4, HCSB). The leaders focused on prayer and the Word, but they made certain that other needs were met by equipping people in the church.

So for the leader of a church, focus means that much time is spent in prayer and the study of God’s Word. A ministry without a praying leader is unfocused. A ministry without a leader in the Word is unfocused. The demands of local church ministry are unending. If you are a layperson in a church, are you helping your pastor keep his focus?  Or perhaps, are you part of the problem? Do you have so many expectations of your pastor that he can’t fulfill his primary calling?

Focus and Evangelism

In our research of interviewing hundreds of people who are self-described non-Christians, we found that almost four out of ten of these non-believers are receptive to hearing about Jesus from a Christian. Because a pastor or church staff member is pulled in so many ways, he or she often does not have time to develop relationships with unchurched persons. The gospel is thus rarely shared. It is a ministry out of focus.

When Peter and John were faced with further imprisonment and possible death, they refused to be distracted. They were focused on sharing the gospel. They thus told their antagonists, “We are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20, HCSB). Do you make certain that your pastor and those who serve on the church staff have time and focus to tell the good news of Christ?

Focus and the Family

My writing of this article was interrupted by a phone call from my youngest son, Jess.  He was in an auto accident. He was okay though the car was damaged.

Stop.

Slow down.

Get focused.

You see, in the few seconds that it took me to hear my son’s words, nothing else mattered. My only concern was for his welfare and safety. I praised God. My son was okay.

We are keeping so many pastors and staff so busy and distracted that many of them have lost focus on caring for their own families. The words of Paul to the young pastor Timothy are words for our church leaders today: “If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?” (1 Timothy 3:5).

A Revolution of Focus

A week ago, I wrote about praying for pastors. Many of you wrote me with enthusiasm that you would do just that. Let’s continue the revolution. Let’s make sure that we are allowing our pastors and staff the time to focus on that which really matters: prayer; time in the Word; sharing the gospel; and commitment to their families.

It’s all about focus.

It’s all about that which really matters. 

 It’s cliché, but the years are passing quickly.

When I first met Nellie Jo, she was a mere sophomore in high school; I was a mighty junior. We dated for six years, and we’ve been married for 31 years.

Nellie Jo can brighten any room with her smile. She knows no guile. She has compassion for the weak and downtrodden. She knows no stranger. And she emanates the love of Christ in her life to all who know her.

So many accolades could rightly be given to this girl I call “Jo Jo.” But, among the many deserving titles that could be bestowed upon her, one my favorites is the simple but profound name of “Mom.”

I was in the delivery room when all three of my boys were born. With each birth, she looked at the little miracle handed to her and exclaimed, “Oh, Thomas, we have a son.”

Nellie Jo loves those boys with as selfless love as I have ever witnessed beyond the love of our Savior. From the moment of their births to the young men they are today, she radiates with joy at the mere mention of Sam, Art, and Jess. She loves with such a sacrificial love that it becomes an amazing thing to witness.

And those three boys love their Mom. They simply adore her. Every time I speak with one of the boys, they inevitably conclude the conversation with, “Tell Mom I love her."

Selfless Love in Action

I have so many stories about this Mom called Nellie Jo that a year of blogs could not contain them. Two will have to suffice.

Nellie Jo walked through the valley of cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation a few years ago. When she confronted the possibility of her own death, she thanked God that her boys were young men, and that they could make it just fine (so she thought) without her. In the midst of her own trial and suffering, her boys were first on her heart.

Shortly thereafter, as our sons married, she refused to hold on to them or lament this passage of life. Instead, Nellie Jo praised God that they had found wonderful Christian wives, and celebrated that each of the wives would now be the first lady in her sons’ lives.

Indeed, since the boys were born, this Mom had prayed for their salvation, and for them to be one day united with godly wives. Her boys were always at the first of heart, mind, and prayers.

Nellie Jo will celebrate another passage this October. She will become a grandmother. And I have no doubt that she will love this new gift of life with the same selfless love that has typified her life as a mother.

A Godly Mother

On the one hand, it is a shame that we have a Mother’s Day only once a year. The high calling of motherhood should be celebrated every day. On the other hand, it is a good reminder to those of us who sometimes get too busy to see that which is really important.

Nellie Jo is an incredible wife. And she is a mother who deserves so much more than my meager and insufficient words can offer in this blog.

We love you Nellie Jo.

Sam, Art, Jess, and I really do love you.

The wisdom writer offers these words in Proverbs 31:28:

“Her sons rise up and call her blessed. Her husband also praises her.”

And so I do.

And so I do.

I miss Frances Mason

Frances was a member of a church where I served as pastor. She died three years ago. I still miss her.

She came by my office the first week I was on the field in the church. “Pastor,” she told me, “I want you to know that I will pray for you every day. As spiritual leader of this church, you will experience some tough days. The Enemy doesn’t want you or our church to do God’s work. He will oppose you constantly.” Frances paused for a moment and then said with a smile and twinkle in her eye, “And there are some pretty mean people in the church. You will need prayer to deal with them.”

Frances was good to her word. She called or wrote me every week, asking for specific prayer requests from me.

The Demands of Being a Pastor

When the first of my three sons shared with Nellie Jo and me his sense of God’s call to local church ministry, we were totally supportive, but we gave words of caution as well. We knew that there are few vocations as tough as being a pastor. The pastor is expected to meet the needs of all the church members. He quickly finds that he will disappoint and even anger those in the church if he doesn’t meet their expectations.

 I tell seminary students preparing for local church ministry, particularly the pastorate, that they only need three attributes to please every one in the church: omnipresence, omnicompetence, and omniscience. As long as they can be everywhere at one time, excel in every task of pastoral ministry, and have supernatural knowledge of all the needs in the church, they will do fine. Otherwise, they will disappoint some people.

Hardly a week goes by that I don’t talk to a pastor who is discouraged or even despondent. Ministry is tough. Critics can be brutal. Many consider quitting; many do.

Perhaps the reason some churches struggle is because they have struggling pastors. And there are few people to whom the pastor can turn when he is hurting and discouraged.

Back to Frances

But I haven’t finished my story about Frances. She did much more than pray for me. She organized an intercessory prayer ministry for me. I was overwhelmed. I felt undeserving but very gratefu

Frances’ concept for the pastor intercessory prayer ministry was simple. She asked for commitments from church members to pray for my ministry and me every day for five minutes. At the height of this ministry, over 500 people were praying for me every day.

From my perspective, these were the best days of my ministry as a pastor. I truly could sense the power of the collective prayer in my ministry. And the attitudes of those praying for me grew more positive. They showed much grace toward me, even when I did not lead, preach, or minister as well as I should.

Frances said that God was putting a “prayer shield” around me. I do know that the power of prayer for me was unmistakable in my life.

I miss Frances Mason. I could never repay her for the love she had for me, and the ministry she led on my behalf.

But then again, maybe I could make some form of repayment. I can set aside five minutes each day to pray for my pastor. Maybe others will join me.

And maybe this ministry could grow in churches across our nation and world. Perhaps it could begin in your church with you.