This is a sample article featured in the July 2001 issue of Quadrant

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Generation X is the term popularly used to describe the generation born between 1964 and 1983. They are sometimes called Baby Busters because, with the advent of the Pill in the '60s, they heralded a drop in the birth rate after the prolific post-war Baby Boomer years. Canadian writer Douglas Coupland's seminal novel, Generation X, accurately captured the zeitgeist of this generation and was popularly adopted as the name of the Buster generation, though they are also called the Friends generation after the hit TV sitcom. The English Church Attendance Survey and Evangelical Alliance Commission on Strategic Evangelism both showed that the 20s age group, who make up a large portion of Gen X, are the least represented demographic group in the church.

The survey into the 18-35s cohort has thrown up some great encouragements and also some great challenges to church leaders across the UK.

Encouragements

Christian Gen Xers are nearly three times (46%) as likely to be engaged in community involvement than their non-Christian counterparts (17%). This is extremely encouraging and helps to explain why the main political parties are seeking to affirm the role of faith-based organisations and churches in society.

However, all Gen Xers have very similar leisure interests, with going to pubs and restaurants at the top of the league scoring 81% (Christian) and 91% (non-Christian). Both groups also spend time with family and friends (83% and 87%) and go to the cinema and theatre (82% and 85%). This is good news because it shows that the lives of Christian and non-Christian Gen Xers are in close proximity to one another in their leisure activities and not just in their working lives. This close proximity means that the life, love and liberation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, is close to those who need it.

Marriage is perhaps the area where the research revealed the most shocking results. When Gen Xers were asked whether marriage should be for life, the vast majority of Christians agreed (97%), as you would expect. However a huge majority of non-Christians (84%) also agreed. Why should non-Christian Gen Xers, whom you would assume carry a variety of liberal ideas about marriage, believe that marriage should be for life? The research did not ask this question so my response is speculation. Many Gen Xers come from dysfunctional and broken homes. Knowing the pain and damage that this inflicted has given them high aspirations and hopes for their own marriages.

However, Gen Xers also agreed that marriage should be for as long as you love each other (Christian 32% and non-Christian 68%), that separation is alright (22% and 57%) and divorce is alright (19% and 55%). What on earth is going on? How can Gen Xers believe marriage is for life and yet be so soft on how long love lasts, shown through their acceptance of separation and divorce? Have Christian Research made a mistake with their numbers? Most certainly not! This demonstrates the difference between Gen X's ideology of marriage and the reality of living marriage out. It is one thing to say you believe marriage is for life and quite another to actually make your own marriage work for life in reality.

Consumerism is not only an economic force. It is also a sociological one. It influences marriage more than we realise. At its worst consumerism encourages us to take our pick of products from a multitude of choices. Then, when we grow bored of that option, or it breaks, or doesn't look so good anymore, or we see a better alternative, we throw the original away and pick up the new option. It seems to me that this has become the subconscious view of marriage, that it is great until the hard work sets in or we see a more attractive alternative with another partner. Hollywood's prenuptial agreements make it easier and less messy to take the goods back when they don't give us what we want anymore.

I believe this is a moment of opportunity for the church community. Can we model life-long marriage relationships to our society? Can we seize the opportunity of helping Gen Xers achieve their aspiration that marriage might be for life? Can the church provide the very best marriage preparation, so much so that local registrars refer people to our courses? Can we develop top-class marriage enrichment weekends so that the local community raves about them and we have to have a waiting list?

Spirituality was another interesting area of the survey. When Gen Xers were asked where they encounter God, just over half (52%) responded in church meetings whereas just under a half (48%) said they did in other contexts. A Christian spirituality thataffirms and encourages people solely to encounter God in the congregation, house group and traditional 'quiet time' has very little value to Gen X. They need a faith that is about the whole of life and informs what they spend most of their lives doing e.g. work, home and friendships.

Recently I decided to undertake some DIY market research into the lifestyle issues that Gen X wrestle with. So I e-mailed a range of friends across Europe and asked them as Christians what were the lifestyle issues they struggle with. The response was so strong and clear - my generation is struggling, and we need all the help we can get!

Matt Bird,

Consultant to Evangelical Alliance,

Director of Joshua Generation who commissioned the research

mattbird@joshgen.org

http://www.joshgen.org

Joshua Generation the charity Matt Bird leads and which commissioned the Gen X survey. It is committed to investing in emerging generations of leaders and influencers to realise the kingdom of God in every sphere of society. JoshGen is a team of associates who work with the church to mentor, train and resource youth leaders, student leaders and young adults leaders.

Manifesto for Life, Matt Bird. Deals with issues of identity and image, work and career, friends and family, relationships and sexuality, money and shopping, culture and stuff, justice and society, time and self-management, and church and community. Available from the Joshua Generation.

God and the Generations, Matt Bird and Rev Dr David Hilborn. An Evangelical Alliance theological report to be published in Autumn 2001. It offers serious biblical thought and reflection on intergenerational issues including mentoring and discipleship, leadership and generational transition, faith succession in the family, the validity of homogenous churches and mission. Available from Evangelical Alliance when published.

From Separation to Synergy - receiving the richness of Generation X, Kath Donovan. A Zadok Paper which takes insights from missiology to look at how to bridge the cultural gap between modernism and Generation X. Available from Christian Research, £1.50 including p&p.

For a full index of all articles published January 2000 - November 2003 Click Here

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