Several years ago I was intrigued by a book titled “Death of the Church” by Mike Regele and Mark Schulz. In it they applied the generational cycle theory of Strauss and Howe to the church. According to this theory, each generational cycle lasts about eighty years and contains four generations with distinct characteristics. Each generation within the cycle has its own set of ideals and beliefs which, in turn, influences the church and how the church impacts society as a whole.

The theory certainly has its critics. There are many exceptions to the broad generalizations of the theory, but I’ve been impressed by how the general trends predicted by it seem to be coming to pass. For example, the theory predicted that in the early 2000s the church would flip from an “Experiencing Faith” period to “Doing Faith.” Sure enough, during those years church culture and vocabulary changed from an “Attractional” model (for example, being “seeker sensitive”) to being “Missional.” Our church leaders used to urge us to bring others to church, now they admonish us to think about how we can serve those on the outside. Other church leaders seem baffled why the Millennial generation thinks the church is irrelevant and is seeking fulfillment in other spheres such as community service.

Churches in our spiritual heritage have traditionally been quite good about imparting information. However, we have not always been as good at translating that information into lifestyle. In this turn of the generational cycle it is increasingly important to show that the Bible is not merely words in a book but a living message which has the power to transform people – not just superficially but from within. The Millennials are right. If the Gospel does not change the way we think, the way we live, the way we interact with others and does not impel us to serve those on the outside, then it is devoid of power.

What does this have to do with what we do here at KeyCom? For one thing, it has a direct bearing on how we write the programs we broadcast. Most of our programming is expository – that is, explaining a Bible text. However, in addition to explaining what the text means, in each program we always include at least one application or thought question. The intent is to help the listener understand how the text affects his own life. How should he change his behavior or his thinking as a result? For example, I wrote a couple of programs on Acts chapter 20 in which the Apostle Paul warns the Elders from Ephesus about the apostasy about to enter the church. In the programs I stressed the importance of leaders to not only teach the right things but to demonstrate them by means of personal example.

There is another way in which the turn in the generational cycle applies to what we’re doing. During an interview I watched the other day, an expert on church staffing noted that the recent pandemic accelerated a trend which was already becoming apparent. Older church leaders are retiring and there aren’t enough people in the new generation to take their place. He pointed out that with staffing shortages across the economy, the church often cannot attract the people it needs because it can’t compete with retail stores and the fast-food joints in terms of pay and benefits. He went on to make the observation that, going forward, churches will have to develop their leadership from within.

Developing leaders from within is exactly what I’ve been trying to encourage the churches I work with in Pakistan to do. Something I have repeatedly stressed to the students I teach each week is the need for them to train others. It’s gratifying to see the concept gradually start to take hold!