Jeremy L. Berg

I’m reading a great book by David T. Olson, a church planting guru for the Evangelical Covenant Church, called “The American Church In Crisis.”

Here’s an excerpt providing some perspective the older generation needs to wrestle with as we explore how the church can effectively engage 21st century America and reach the emerging generation with the message and mission of Christ.

Younger Christians look at contemporary Christianity and make these observations about the shortcomings of our current religious practices:

• Your Christianity is too “plastic.” Christians pretend to live faultless lives; we need more authenticity.
• Your Christianity is too focused on the practical; we need a deeper spirituality.
• Your Christianity is too individualistic; we need to learn to live in community.
• Your Christianity is too self-serving, focusing all your time and money on fulfilling your own needs. We need Christians who will live, love and give for the last, the least, and the lost.

These critiques reflect the younger generation’s intuition that we need a holistic return to the fullness of the gospel. The recovery of the spiritual power of the Christian church will come when we take their critique seriously (219).

As a younger church leader I resonated with these words, and think they accurately reflect the mindset of many of my friends in their 20s and 30s.  What do you think of these critiques?  Are they valid?