Answering the Questions of Each Generation
Last Thursday, Transform Minnesota and New Hope Church welcomed Rev. Dr. James Choung, Vice President of Strategy and Innovation for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Dr. Choung spoke to more than 150 church leaders about how understanding generational theory can positively impact Gospel presentation.
Through his research, Dr. Choung has found that each generation asks a different “front door” question as they approach spirituality. “All of these questions are important, and just because you’re from a different generation doesn’t mean their question isn’t important,” said Dr. Choung. “It’s just that the generation will not listen to your answer to the other three questions…if you don’t answer their front door question first.” Understanding each of the questions is necessary to communicate in a way that will be received and understood by each generation.
After identifying each of the questions, Dr. Choung dove into the role of scripture in each generation. He also demonstrated how leaders can emphasize these roles in their preaching. This included a practical example using the same passage to effectively communicate the same concept in different ways. Participants were also shown how to craft one message that would reach each generation.
Many participants left with a greater understanding of some of the difficulties in framing a message for a multigenerational congregation. The content from the day also explained some of the tension that can exist when one group feels they aren’t being spoken to.
