As the younger generation ages, they will not recognize the homogeneous unit principal that was championed in the early years of the church growth movement. This principal states that people desire to worship in church with other similar people, and the best way to reach people, is with other people who are similar.
The younger generation as an ethnically diverse group, will not know homogeneity the same way as previous generations. Some of the younger generation are third culture worlders. Third culture is a sociological term used to describe a person who has spent significant time in another culture, thus incorporating their birth culture with a second culture and creating a third culture. This is typically attached to children spending portions of their developmental years outside of their parent’s home culture. Churches should be the forefront of breaking barriers associated with differing races and ethnicities. It is these churches that the new more diverse generation will see as normative and culturally relevant. A new US demography is on its way. In many ways, these changes are upon us. There’s much to take with us from previous decades and generations, and there is also much we can do in order to reach a changing culture for Christ.
Shift in attitude from homogeneous to heterogeneous.
As the younger generation ages, they will not recognize the homogeneous unit principal that was championed in the early years of the church growth movement. This principal states that people desire to worship in church with other similar people, and the best way to reach people, is with other people who are similar.
The younger generation as an ethnically diverse group, will not know homogeneity the same way as previous generations. Some of the younger generation are third culture worlders. Third culture is a sociological term used to describe a person who has spent significant time in another culture, thus incorporating their birth culture with a second culture and creating a third culture. This is typically attached to children spending portions of their developmental years outside of their parent’s home culture. Churches should be the forefront of breaking barriers associated with differing races and ethnicities. It is these churches that the new more diverse generation will see as normative and culturally relevant. A new US demography is on its way. In many ways, these changes are upon us. There’s much to take with us from previous decades and generations, and there is also much we can do in order to reach a changing culture for Christ.