GENERATIONS #1 First of a four-part series on Builders ...

GENERATIONS #1
First of a four-part series on Builders, Boomers, Busters, Bridgers

A Sermon by David J. Droog
September 7, 2008 First Presbyterian Church, Rochester, MN

Romans 13:8-10 Matthew 18:10-14

Church Growth! How do you grow a church? New church developments usually
work for awhile, but when the church reaches a certain time in its development, it
often stops growing. Or, some grow to a plateau, like this one did in 1978, and then
reverses itself until it reaches some form of equilibrium, where it receives, each
year, the same number of members it loses, for several years in a row. It appears
that this church has not yet reached that point. It continues to have a net decrease
each year.

I believe it is the desire of every church to increase its membership. I believe that
every person in every church expects and wants a new pastor who will be a
dynamic speaker, an incredible evangelist and will have the secret to drawing in
young families so that the church can continue, in the same way we have come to
know church. I believe it was Ben Campbell Johnson who said, “every church is a
growing church. Some are growing larger and some are growing smaller, but every
church is a growing church.”

“Church” means different things to different people. And while there are
exceptions to every rule, many of those definitions or descriptions of church are
generational. Dr. Gary McIntosh, president of McIntosh Church Growth Network,
and Professor of Christian Ministry and Leadership at Talbot School of Theology,
has written extensively of these differences. As we begin this four part series on
Generations, much of the information comes from McIntosh’s book, One Church-
Four Generations and its predecessor, Three Generations.

Demographers and Sociologists have been labeling groups of people since the turn
of the last century. Skipping over many of the reasons why, we are at a point in
history when it is possible to identify four generations of people. We begin with
the Builders. They are the people born prior to 1939. This is Dan Rather’s
“Greatest Generation.” They are divided into two groups: The GI generation born
prior to 1925, and the Silent Generation born between ’25 and ’39. Those born
between 1940 and ’45 are called “war babies’ and are referred to as the ‘contented
generation’ and act as a transition or buffer between the Builders and the Boomers.

The Boomers are those we hear so much about. Their birthdates are 1946-1964.
The Boomers are almost 1/3 of the population in America today. They are also
divided into two groups, though the distinction is a little less defined. They are
simply the LEADING EDGE BOOMERS and THE TRAILING EDGE
BOOMERS. The next generation is called the Busters, so called because there are
not as many of them as there are Boomers, so they went ‘bust’ so to speak. They
have birth dates between 1965 and 1983. They have two subgroups called the
Busters and the Boomlet. They are sometimes referred to as Generation X. The
fourth and newest group is the Bridgers, born between 1984 and 2002. For this
example they are a called Bridgers because they are the Bridge between the 20th
century and the 21st century. Like the others they are divided into two groups: The
Gen Y’s and the Millennials.

If you haven’t already figured out where you fit in the scheme, let me help. You
are GI Generation if you are over 83, and Silent Generation if you are between 69
and 83. You are in the “contented generation” if you are 63-68. You’re a Boomer if
you are between 44 and 62; A Buster if you are between 25 and 43, and a Bridger
if you are between 6 and 24.

It is always a little dangerous to group people together with broad generalizations
because there are individuals in every generation who do not fit the mold, but there
are events and characteristics that hold each generation together.

For the older Builders, they remember things like WWI, the Roaring 20’s, the
Great Depression, a very rural lifestyle and the advent of the automobile. For the
younger Builders: radio, Roosevelt’s New Deal, Big Bands, Pearl Harbor and
WWII, and the Korean War come to mind. This generation has fought more wars
than any other American Generation. Family, school, and church were the center of
life, and in many cases ALL of life. Churches were built in the center of town
because that is where most activities took place, both worship and social. People of
this generation go to church as much to worship as they do to “see and be seen.”
Church is a social event as well as a worship event.

Some characteristics of the Builders are: They are hard workers, because growing
up in a rural setting they had to be. They are savers. Most of them came through
the Depression, or heard enough about the depression to not ever throw anything
away, which also makes them frugal. Those Boomers who have had to clean out a
parent or grandparents home know that they saved everything! They fought a lot of
wars and had to pull together to live through rationing, which made them very
patriotic. They tend to be private. They don’t show a lot of emotion, they don’t talk
about family problems and they certainly do not talk about their religious beliefs.
Yet, they are dependable, and stable and respectful.

Because the church was the center of life for many of them, they are committed to
church. Almost exclusively, Builders believe in God! There are not many agnostics
or atheists in this group. It is why most of the people in churches today are of this
generation. After the wars, the soldiers came home and talked about what they had
seen, so, foreign missions became the right thing to do. Missionaries were sent to
every corner of the earth and money was provided to support them. Bible studies

and Sunday School were expected behaviors and these folks attended in great
numbers. They typically have tremendous loyalty to denominations. They often
attend churches of the same denomination as their parents and their grandparents,
and only changed if they married into another. The rule of thumb was that a bride
married in her own church and attended her husband’s church. Even today these
folks are reluctant to leave a fighting or dying church, because it would be disloyal
to do so, and they are loyal folks.

The Boomers grew up with the “cold war.” They had economic affluence. The 50’s
and 60’s were years of great prosperity. Parents wanted their children to have all
the things they didn’t have because of the Depression. As a whole, the Boomers
have been called the Challengers, there are so many of us, we have challenged
everything. In the 1950’s it was the school systems. In the 60’s it was the morals,
rules, and authority. In the 1980’s it was jobs and healthcare. And as we reach
retirement it is the Social Security system. By sheer numbers we challenge the
system. The LEADING EDGE Boomers had the best education and the best
opportunity for education than any generation before or since. They’ve also had the
best opportunity for good jobs. They were in the middle of the civil rights
movement. They’ve grown up with the space race. The TRAILING EDGE
Boomers, born after 1954, are really the first TV generation. That was the first year
that a majority of homes had a TV. These folks have had a deteriorating education,
less opportunity to go to college, not as many job choices. They remember, not the
Great Depression, but the energy crisis of 1973, with gas prices rising 4-5 times.
They watched their heroes, the Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King Jr. be
assassinated. Many of them did not live through the Viet Nam Conflict and those
that did saw “their” President resign office in disgrace over Watergate.

Some generational characteristics are that Boomers are well educated. Because of
TV they are media oriented. Because of Civil Rights they are cause-oriented. Due
to health issues, this group is the most fitness conscious. They enjoy rock and roll.

They are much more likely to be hands-on action oriented than to send money
someplace else, like foreign missions. They desire quality. They are less quick to
“make-do” if it is not the best that can be done. And they question authority.

In general we find less Boomers than Builders in churches. Interestingly, 1/3, over
25 million, never left the church. Another 25% returned to the church after their
first child was born. However, they are not denominationally loyal when they
return. For one thing they probably did not marry within their denomination, so
rather than go to his church, or her church, they seek common and compromising
ground. They have often picked the church with the best program for their kids.
Approximately 42% of the Boomers do not attend any church. Some claim to be
agnostic, or more often they say, “I just don’t need the church to be Christian.”

Boomers are sometimes characterized as uncommitted to church. Their
interpersonal relationships tend to be weak, resulting in high divorce rates and
broken families. They resist joining organizations. What they want is a personal
relationship with God, not a set of church rules. They want relationships with each
other that are open and honest. A Builder might go to church just because the door
is open and there is something happening there. A Boomer might stay home with
his or her family for family time, and both might see that as a commitment to
Christ. The early Boomers are looking for a return to traditional values. As they
age through their 50’s they often ask the question, what is important in life? And
some return to the church for an answer.

Much of the Boomers time in the 1960’s was spent experimenting: with drugs,
with causes, with communes, with music. They have experimented with religion-
EST, self-help, new age and they are very tolerant of other religions. They see
nothing wrong with experimenting with worship: clapping, drama, dance, power-
point, and different instruments.

The Buster generation, born between 1965 and 1983, know that there was a court
case called ROE v WADE that legalized abortions. That is one of the reasons there
are not as many of them as there are Boomers. (Birth control was another reason)
They grew up with technology, video games, and big screen TV’s. They remember
the Challenger Explosion like the Builders remember Pearl Harbor and the
Boomers remember Kennedy being shot. Their war is the Persian Gulf War. They
are the generation dealing directly with AIDS, and their lives tend to focus around
three things: Music, music, and music. They have lived through more divorces than
any generation should have to. They often feel neglected and lonely. They have
less chance for a good education, good jobs or owning a home, than either
generation before them. They are willing to work, and work hard in their chosen
field, but refuse to stay committed to what they call the MCJOB- that is low pay,
no advancement and no challenge. They reject their parent’s values of challenging
all the rules, but only because they have discovered that there are very few
absolutes. They often postpone marriage into their 30’s.

Because so many of them are children of divorced or dysfunctional families they
value a family atmosphere. When this group does have children, often mom will
stay home with the kids, unlike their Boomer parents. Two authors have confirmed
that this group “will establish marriages that are far more stable and enduring than
that of their oft-divorced parents” and they will become extremely protective
parents. Like their parents they are cause-oriented, but not in causes that will
change the world like Boomers hoped would happen, like Civil Rights. The
Busters are more concerned with local causes, smaller events that show results
quickly. Busters are the sound-Byte generation. They grew up with fast-paced TV,
and video games. Most church services are boring to them, just because they don’t
move fast enough.

For Busters, video games, faxes, cell phones, ATM cards, compact disks and
computers have always been around. If a church does not have those items it is

considered old-fashioned and not very inviting. Because this generation has
experienced more divorces, more broken families, parents on drugs or alcohol, and
as a group, they tend to have a poor self-image, they are looking for answers, and
hope. Their parents are looking for a value system- these young people did not
grow up with a solid set of values. They tend to NOT have support networks or an
ethical foundation. If they look for a church at all, they look for one that will
nurture them and provide for their needs.

For this group, Time is more important than money. They want relationships, so
they want to spend time with people. The best way to touch their hearts for Christ
is to simply spend time doing things with them. For many of them, college has
been too expensive, and with less education, there are fewer jobs available. Drugs,
AIDS, gangs, violence, and crime threaten their daily well-being. They are looking
for a faith that will uplift them and give them hope.

The Bridgers were first described as such by Tom Ranier in his book, The Bridger
Generation. Those in their late teens and early 20’s are very comfortable with
diversity and they wonder if absolute truth exists. They are significantly influenced
by the younger Busters: Brittany Spears, JLo, NSYNC and others. The younger
Bridgers, called the Millenials are the most supervised and protected generation
ever. They take for granted living in a ‘point, click, view interactive world.’

We read and hear a lot about Modern vs Post-Modern culture today. In a ‘modern’
world, through observation, and experimentation, one could discover knowledge.
Logical, linear thinking is the rule. By thesis analysis and research one could find
and know the truth. With truth, one could cure disease, or explain the supernatural
or solve human problems. Being modern means hope and progress.

Post-Modern, on the other hand, does not accept truth at face-value. All acts and
knowledge are called into question. Globalization has led to the notion that there

are multiple correct truths to any question. This is called ‘divergent thinking.’ For
the Bridger, value is placed on diversity, justice and multiple points of view. Truth
is found, not through a relationship with God, but by giving serious consideration
to inclusive, interactive, complex systems of thought.

Some of the characteristics of this group include never knowing a time without a
computer. Life without a computer is unimaginable. They grew up watching MTV.
They are the most diverse generation to ever live. 1/3 of the Bridgers in America
today are non-caucasian, as compared to less than 18% of the Builders. There are
two unifying events for this group- the Columbine school shooting in 1999 and 9-
11. They can expect the longest life-span in history. Because of the internet
everything happens right now. Speed is king. (Not Elvis Presley). There is not time
for an idea to evolve. The “American Dream” no longer exists- each individual
customizes a personal dream.

The Bridgers are entrepreneurial. They have to be willing and able to create their
own jobs because of globalization and outsourcing; they tend to give back to the
community and have more power and authority than previous generations. Email,
text-messaging, and cell phones make them the most communicative generation
ever. There is evidence that this group is returning to tradition and ritual, but
tradition will look different than in previous generations. Look at any magazine
stand in any bookstore and you can see that this group is more fragmented than
ever- there is a magazine for every activity you thought you wanted to do or be.
They interact with everything around them at once- multitasking to the extreme.
This makes them seem unfocused. Where technology is concerned they are very
demanding and expect the latest and the greatest. This attitude is spilling over into
other areas of their lives. Because they are more diverse, they are more tolerant of
other’s points of view. But it is not necessarily acceptance- it is simply, you
believe what you want, and I’ll believe what I want.

All of this information and more, which we will hear in the coming weeks, affects
the way the church responds to each of these groups. How does the church share
the good news of Jesus Christ so that all may know the glory of God? Jesus said,
“if one out of a hundred sheep is lost, go and look for that one!” It is up to us, as
followers of Christ, to introduce each generation to Jesus. We do not want to lose
even one. Or as Paul wrote in Romans, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If the
church is good enough for you, if the church is meeting your needs, if this is where
you connect to God, don’t we have some responsibility to help others do the same?
Aren’t we supposed to love our neighbors right into the kingdom? Let us be about
the business of the church- sharing Jesus Christ with all Generations. Amen.