Children’s Ministry and Culture

That might be hyperbole, but it is close to accurate! This past weekend I did a Children’s Ministry Magazine “Live” where we open with a getting-to-know-you activity using four of the “generations” that most people fall into:

Silents, Boomers, Generation X and Millennials (or Generation Y). Well, an article in Sunday’s Houston Chronicle mirrored almost exactly this distribution and had some interesting insights in how these groups should WORK TOGETHER. This is important for our Children’s Minstries as, according to the author, this is the first time ever that four generations are in the workplace at the same time!

Listen to this, “Your generation is usually referred to as the silent or traditional generation, and you have a strong respect for authority. As a boss, you are used to giving commands and having your employees follow them.

“The baby boomers come next, and they are known for challenging authority. Their style is to provide direction rather than give orders.

“Generation X workers are more autonomous and don’t want to be micromanaged.

“Although the millennials, or Generation Y, have just begun to enter the work force and their style isn’t fully known, they are usually quite self-confident and tend to disregard authority.

“Chances are that as a traditional, you operate under the old “command and control” style, which just doesn’t work with your younger workers. You may get better results if you allow them to be more self-directed.”

Check out the whole article on “Adjust Your Communication Style” here (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/small/qa/5118460.html) and enjoy!