Church: Get Ready for Net-Gen
I read an interesting article today in the Globe and Mail about Net-Gen. The article is by Don Tapscott, the author of the new book “Grown Up Digital”. I have not read the book, but the article is an interesting reflection on the Net-Generation as Tapscott calls them:
“the first generation to grow up with the Internet, mobile phones, video games, Facebook and other digital gadgets.”
The article talks about how businesses have to prepare for those in net-gen (ages 11-31) as they now begin to graduate and become a part of the corporate environment. I think these are things that churches need to begin to think through as well.
Tapscott says:
“They do not just observe; they participate. They inquire, discuss, argue, play, shop, critique, investigate, ridicule, fantasize, seek and inform. Their Web, the New Web, is not just for surfing or hunting for information. It’s not a passive medium. “
How should churches adapt to reach to this generation? If they are not passive observers but active participants, then will the best way to reach them and make church relevant be the traditional format of a passive church service? Should churches prepare to integrate more interactive technology into their presentation of the message?
I do not have the answers but I do think that we need to begin to ask the questions now before church becomes irrelevant to them. How a church communicates (or markets) to them needs to change as well. This is the generation that is the future of the church. They can not be ignored. Churches need to assess the integration of the tools this culture is currently using. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, texting, and interactive web sites. It is a little bit of an experiment I realize, but things do have to begin to change. Churches can not just continue to do things the way they have always been done and remain relevant. It is better to start the transition and integration now than to try to catch up later when it is too late!
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