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To Touch or not to Touch?

When Jesus ministered in this world, touch played a prominent role in his ministry. Whether healing the blind, the mute, the deaf, the sick, the leper, or even bringing the dead back to life, Jesus used physical touch. Yes, Jesus brought much healing through his hands. What is interesting though is in doing a word search on the word “touch” in the gospel accounts, I find people are seeking to touch Jesus as much as he is seeking to touch them. Many times, someone touches Jesus and is healed!

Mark 6:56 says, “And wherever he went-into villages, towns or countryside-they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.” No wonder everyone wanted a piece of Jesus . . . Literally. But not everyone asked for Jesus’ permission to touch him. The sick woman who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years could not wait.

Mark 5:26-29 reads, “She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

Of course, Jesus goes on to tell everyone that it is was the woman’s faith that healed her. This type of healing ministry was non-stop for Jesus because v. 35 of the same account states, “While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus . . .” Here we go again, another request for the touch of Jesus. Can’t we let the man get some rest? No, because Jesus was bombarded with healing request after healing request. He touched and was touched. As it says in v. 30, “At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched me?”

We don’t go around healing people 24/7 because well, we aren’t the Son of God. Jesus was and is the only Son of God. But Jesus does use his church, his body, his bride as his hands and feet in this day and in this hour to bring a healing touch to needy people. As Jesus himself said, it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. The truth is even if you don’t have the coronavirus, you are sick. Let me explain!

As humans made in the image of God, we were made for touch. We were made to be touched and we were made to touch. From the moment you are born, you come out touched, whether by doctors, your father, your mother, or someone else. You remain in need of touch for many years just to survive. Even as we grow old, there is never a time where we don’t need touched through a loving hug, a pat on the back, or a handshake. Touch affirms our innate value as human beings. To not be touched is to be left for dead.

But we can’t touch now because of social distance guidelines. Or can we? True, you need to delay touching people as the guidelines suggest until the coronavirus passes. But you can always reach out and touch Jesus. He is your refuge, strength, and ever-present help in time of need (Psalm 46:1). But you can also touch people in a digital sort of way. Texting, emailing, FaceTiming, and participating in social media such as Facebook, Skype, and Zoom are all ways to stay in touch.

However, these touches don’t compare to physical touch because though these points of contact connect us, they also keep us at a distance to where we cannot physically touch the person we are communicating with. Even the lyrics of a popular song in culture today reads, “I said, ooh, I’m blinded by the lights, No I can’t sleep until I feel your touch, I said, ooh, I’m drowning in the night, Oh, when I’m like this you’re the one I trust.” We tend to touch those we trust and for those we are most intimate with, we crave that touch.

Thus we are all sick. We are feeling somewhat isolated because we are. I think this too shall pass, but for the time being, keep reaching out to touch Jesus and keep touching others digitally. We’re all fighting something we can’t see in the form of the coronavirus, but for those in Christ, we’re also receiving a power out of Someone we are touching but can’t see. As with the sick lady, it is our faith that heals us. V. 34 – He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

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Creatures of Habit

Experts say it takes 30 days of doing something over and over before it becomes a habit. For example, if you stop going to church for 30 days, you have made a habit of not going to church. If you work remotely for 30 straight days, you have made a habit of working remotely. The Coronavirus is forcing our hand and making us change many of our habits.

Habits are powerful forces of nature because they have the ability to affect our lives without us even thinking about them. We get in the habit of turning off our alarm clock in the morning, brushing our teeth, and pouring a cup of coffee. Before long, we don’t think about doing these things. We just do them while we think about doing other things. It’s kind of like perfecting an art such as playing a piano or dribbling a basketball. After hours and hours of practice, the drill becomes routine.

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes that relate to habits. A body builder by the name of Rocky Detwiler says,

“Your thoughts become your words.
Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits.
Your habits become your lifestyle.”
(original quote says “Your habits become your character. Your character becomes your destiny.”)

Business expert Jon Gordon says, “Culture drives expectations and beliefs. Expectations and beliefs drive behaviors. Behaviors drive habits. Habits drive the future.”

But the quote I love best about habits comes from the Bible. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

In other words, go to church! Make it a habit. But what if I told you these verses weren’t primarily about going to church. What if I told you these verses were about God’s people drawing near to Jesus by being the church (v. 22). Church isn’t a place to go. It’s a people to be. That’s why v. 24-25 talks about love, good works, and encouraging others. These are the things we have to work at, to make a habit of, not just getting out of bed on a Sunday morning and stumbling our way to church. Church isn’t something you do. It’s something you are.

Church isn’t a play, a practice, or a performance. It’s a people connecting with God and with each other through His Son Jesus Christ! And this can happen anywhere! This can certainly happen in a church building but it can just as certain happen online in digital community. Will it be different? Yes. Will it be better? That may depend on what age bracket you talk to. What’s important is that we make it a practice, a habit of meeting together, whether that’s in digital small groups or in Sunday School.

I remember an old Baptist preacher telling me we drive our cars to church and park in the same parking spot every week only to go in the church and sit on the same pew every week (at some churches, it may be listening to the same sermon every week, but I won’t go there, LOL). For some church folks, the Coronavirus could be a good thing in that it makes them think theologically about what the Bible says a church is (we call this ecclesiology). It’s good to park in a different spot. It’s good to sit in a different pew. Why? Because where you park and where you sit at church has nothing to do with cultivating the habits that Hebrews 10:24-25 speak of. As a good friend of mine says, “let’s stop doing church and start being the church.”

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Class of Hazmats and Facemasks

My heart breaks for the Class of 2020. Imagine going to school one day with your graduating class and without warning, learning the next day that you may never see your class again (not even on Graduation Day). Seniors in high school instantly went from feeling the high of Senioritus to experiencing the low of Coronavirus. Outgoing seniors have had to postpone or cancel senior trips and those involved in extracurricular activities, such as athletics, have lost entire seasons.

But my heart doesn’t just break for the Class of 2020 because of what has happened to them during their senior year. My heart breaks for this class because since the day they were born, they have been fighting an uphill battle. Born after the tragedy that was 9/11, the class went on to experiencing the 2008 financial crisis and impending Great Recession. From beginning to middle to end, all the class of 2020 has known is heartache.

The class of 2020 can’t much recall a world before social media and smartphones and I think that is sad in and of itself. But it is at this point in time that perhaps the sun will shine a little brighter on this class of hazmats and facemasks. After 9/11, the world had to learn how to travel differently. After 2008, homes weren’t purchased in the same fashion. Airport security, 24/7 surveillance, and bank loans were some of the things that took on new meaning.

POLITICO’s article on how the “Coronavirus Will Change the World Permanently” is a fascinating article. Some of the highlights include:

“Will nations stay closed? Will touch become taboo? What will become of restaurants?”

“But crisis moments also present opportunity: more sophisticated and flexible use of technology, less polarization, a revived appreciation for the outdoors and life’s other simple pleasures.”

“It could become second nature to recoil from shaking hands or touching our faces-and we may all fall heir to society-wide OCD, as none of us can stop washing our hands. The comfort of being in the presence of others might be replaced by a greater comfort with absence, especially with those we know intimately. Instead of asking, ‘Is there a reason to do this online?’ we’ll be asking, ‘s there any good reason to do this in person?’-and might need to be reminded and convinced that there is.”

“America has long equated patriotism with the armed forces. But you can’t shoot a virus. Those on the frontlines against coronavirus aren’t conscripts, mercenaries, or enlisted men; they are our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, teachers, caregivers, store clerks, utility workers, small business owners and employees . . . When all is said and done, perhaps we will recognize their sacrifice as true patriotism, saluting our doctors and nurses, genuflecting and saying, ‘Thank you for your service.’ as we do for our military veterans.

“The extraordinary shock(s) to our system that the coronavirus pandemic is bringing has the potential to break America out of the 50-plus year pattern of escalating political and cultural polarization we have been trapped in, and help us to change course toward greater national solidarity and functionality.”

“America for several years has become a fundamentally unserious country. This is the luxury afforded us by peace, affluence and high levels of consumer technology. We didn’t have to think about the things that once focused our minds-nuclear war, oil shortages, high unemployment, skyrocketing interest rates. Terrorism has receded back to being a kind of notional threat for which we dispatch volunteers in our military to the far corners of the desert as the advance guard of the homeland.”

“All faiths have dealt with the challenge of keeping faith alive under the adverse conditions of war or diaspora or persecution-but never all faiths at the same time. Religion in the time of quarantine will challenge conceptions of what it means to minister and to fellowship. But it will also expand the opportunities for those who have no local congregation to sample sermons from afar. Contemplative practices may gain popularity.”

The Bible is clear that when one part of Christ’s body suffers, all parts of Christ’s body suffer (1 Cor 12:12-31). Yes, the class of 2020 has suffered greatly, but so have we all. After all, a virus doesn’t just affect one part of the body. No, it weakens the entire immune system and all parts of the body suffer.

But out of all the suffering, some good will come forth (Rom 8:28). The quotes I wrote above will affect different people in different ways. But from my point of view, increasing family time, sabbath rest, and a gratitude for the working man/woman are good things. We need times where we can socialize with family members, pause and hit reset, and tell others thank you for the job you do. We need times where we can put the screen down and recreate outdoors. If anything, for those who are healthy, the coronavirus is helping to bring about a balance in our lives that has been out of whack for far too long.

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Brave New World

In my last post, I wrote about the contagious coronavirus and how it compares to the outbreak of the gospel. The coronavirus outbreak has changed the world and maybe for good. This not only affects how we do life but also how we do church.

First, there is no need to fear. The coronavirus didn’t catch God off guard. The world has been changing for a while. If anything, the coronavirus may just speed things up. What do I mean? Well, I mean that the world has slowly but surely been going from physical to digital.

A few days ago, I felt as if time stood still and the world came to a standstill (Joshua 10:1-15). The coronavirus is a game changer. I haven’t seen anything like it since well, the advent of the smartphone in 2007.

I do think our lives will at some point return to normal, but it will be a new normal. At some point, I think common sense will set in and “flattening the curve” will be balanced out with “we’ve got to get on with living our lives.” However, social distancing could could last well into the distant future. Maybe the new life looks something more like “phygital” where we get the best of both the physical and the digital world (I have wrote about this before).

How does this new life play out in the church? Once the new normal sets in, maybe now we go to the physical church building once a week and we go to the virtual online church once a week. Perhaps next generation leaders offer students a bible study at church and a bible study online every week (Zoom, Facebook Live, Skype, etc.).

Our lives have been radically altered. However, there are some good things about the irreversible changes the coronavirus outbreak might bring about. For one, the Bible is clear that parents are to be the primary disciple makers of their children (Deut. 6:4-9). The coronavirus in some ways is forcing parents to do what they should have been doing all along.

The church can help the home by providing parents with family resources that they can begin teaching and discipling their children with. One resource I would recommend is Tim Keller’s New City Catechism. This catechism and curriculum is targeted toward children ages 4-11, but can be tailored to use with students of all ages. I plan to begin emailing the parents of my students family resources/devotions that they can begin implementing in their homes. The home is to be a little church where parents and guardians can display the love of Christ. The father is the pastor of his home.

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Coronavirus or something worse?

The coronavirus has taken the world and the United States by storm. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),

On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC). On January 31, 2020, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex M. Azar II declared a public health emergency (PHE) for the United States to aid the nation’s healthcare community in responding to COVID-19.

How do I know information about the coronavirus is spreading like wildfire? Because the global media won’t stop talking about it. Have you been to your local grocery store lately and looked for cleaning supplies? You will probably find a barren shelf. Why? Because people everywhere are freaking out about the possible implications the coronavirus could have on their own life.

Is there cause for concern? The CDC says,

More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States. It’s also likely that person-to-person spread will continue to occur, including in communities in the United States. It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur.

Widespread transmission of COVID-19 would translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, workplaces, and other places for mass gatherings may experience more absenteeism. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and transportation industry may also be affected. Health care providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it. Nonpharmaceutical interventions would be the most important response strategy.

It is up to you to decide if you believe what the CDC is saying is true or not. I have no intention to persuade you one or way or the other on this matter. What I do hope to persuade you to believe in, however, is in the contagious spread of the gospel. Before Jesus ascends into heaven, he tells his disciples, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

 The epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak is Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. One month has passed since the World Health Organization made a public declaration about the virus outbreak. Since then, not only has the virus spread from person to person, but news of the virus can be heard from huts in Africa to villages in the Middle East to cities in the mainland. Thankfully, for those of us who live in the United States, the CDC reports: This virus is NOT currently spreading widely in the United States.

The news may not be so bright for the rest of the world. The CDC reports: However, it is important to note that current global circumstances suggest it is likely that this virus will cause a pandemic.

That is both bad news for the United States and for the world.

But, if bad news can spread this rapidly around the world, can’t good news? Jesus not only said it could, he said it would! If you know Jesus, you are a witness. You are able to share with everyone everywhere everyday the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ:

  1. This world is beautiful (Creation)
  2. But the world is not what it is supposed to be (Fall)
  3. There is savior who can save you from your sin (Rescue)
  4. And one day, this world will be what is supposed to be (Restoration)

If bad news can spread around the world in less than a month, shouldn’t good news spread even faster? It must because the eternal consequences of not repenting of one’s sin and trusting in Jesus is far worse than any temporal effects that could come from suffering attached with the coronavirus.

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Tribute to Kobe

I have grown up as lifetime Lakers fan. My favorite player to this day remains Magic Johnson. I always admired Magic’s charisma, ability to pass the ball, and willingness to put the team above himself. Kobe was a different player. Kobe modeled his game after “the greatness” we call Michael Jordan. Kobe was as close as anyone will ever come to being “like Mike.” The only advantage Kobe had over Mike was his 3-point shot making ability. Kobe shot a basketball much the same way Ken Griffey Jr. swung a baseball bat. To this day, Kobe has the best looking shot I have ever seen.

I received the news that Kobe had passed away in a helicopter crash this past Sunday at 3 pm. I felt the impact immediately. After all, I knew Kobe was a universal figure and that his death would be felt across the globe. It was. The unusual circumstances reminded me of John Denver’s plane crash and others who have gone on before it was their time.

The truth is we never know what day will be our last. Kobe’s death should serve as a reminder to all of us that we are not promised tomorrow. Kobe was 41 and had a lot of life left to live.

Are you ready? If your bell is rung, can you say that you are in Christ? Kobe was a charitable man, a philanthropist. Kobe also loved his country. But on the Day of Judgment, good deeds (even in the form of patriotism) will get you nowhere (Isaiah 64:6). Was Kobe in Christ? I’ll let Jesus answer that. But as for you and I, the Bible is clear that we can know if we are in Christ or not:

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 The one who has the Son has life. The one who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life (1 John 5:11-13).

What we do now determines our forever then. Today, are you living for yourself or are you living for Christ?

I spent countless hours watching Kobe win championships and the play the same game I love. Never in a million years would I have guessed that in the morning on my way to church I would hear radio sports talk show hosts discuss a living Kobe and then receive news that same afternoon that Kobe had passed.

We just never know. Without Jesus, none of us have life (John 1:1-4). But if you don’t believe in Jesus, you stand dead already (John 3:17-18).

Parents and leaders, take this time to talk to your students about the brevity of life and how they should not put off following Christ. It isn’t just Kobe who is no longer with us. Sad to say, it is also his 13-year-old daughter.

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What do you have to give?

With ten days left before Christmas Day, shopping has really amped up. People are either hustling and bustling to the nearest brick and mortar store or are busy buying online. But when we think of Christmas, we usually think of Santa. Santa is even busier than us! He has to load up the sled, shout commands to his elves, and make sure his reindeer are ready for the long journey ahead.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Just think of all of the malls Santa has to visit before Christmas and all of the gift requests he has to take up from children. You remember the days, don’t you? The days of waiting in line just so you could climb up in Santa’s lap and tell him what you wanted for Christmas.

Think about this: Ever since you have been a small boy or girl, your society has conditioned you to believe that life revolves around you. The world tells you to seek pleasure and to be fulfilled. What does Santa Clause ask you when you climb up his chair and sit on his lap? Santa asks you, “What would you like to have?”

We live in a country that is becoming more secular by the minute. However, the statistics that show a significant rise in secularism do not show a significant rise in atheism. The group that is growing in the United States is not atheists, but rather the “nones” (those who are religiously unaffiliated). This group may believe in God, but the shape of their belief can vary significantly, even with one another.

Over the course of time, however, a rise in the nones may equate with a rise in atheism. Many countries in Eastern Europe would just as well equate Jesus Christ with Santa Clause, an Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy. They would claim Jesus is nothing less than a fictional character and certainly no one we should bank our lives on.

If it wasn’t for the resurrection, I would agree with my Eastern European counterparts. Scripture itself says if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is our faith…And if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile…If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men (I Cor 15:14, 17, 19). I couldn’t have said it better myself. I mean, why live for Christ if he was not real and did not die on a cross and rise from the dead thus doing what he said he was going to do (John 2:19).

Jesus is not a genie in a bottle that grants you every wish. He is not a divine butler or a cosmic therapist. Being a God that is all-knowing, Jesus knows what you would like to have before you do. Jesus told his disciples to let the children come to him (Matt 19:14). Being from a good Father, Jesus knew all about the love a daddy has for his children. Jesus would have understood why a child climbs up in a father’s lap and why a father grants his children good gifts (Matt 7:11).

But encountering Jesus is nothing like encountering Santa Clause. That’s because Jesus isn’t sitting on a chair. He is sitting on a throne (Heb 8:2). Though Jesus gave up his life for us on earth, his ultimate aim was to please His Father and bring him glory. Because of this sacrificial type of obedience, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11).

Jesus is creator, sustainer, and redeemer! He sits on his throne as the King of kings and Lord of lords. When you approach an earthly king, you come in humility and reverence. A king doesn’t ask you, “what would you like to have?” A king asks, “what do you have to give?”

What will you give King Jesus this Christmas season? He is due nothing less than anything and everything you have.

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Goldfish in an Ocean

I just finished reading A Practical Guide to Culture: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Today’s World by John Stonestreet and Brett Knuckle. This material should be required reading for anyone working in next generation ministry.  

Stonestreet and Knuckle equate culture to the ocean. They say in the book’s introduction: “Like the ocean, culture is all around us. Just as fish swim in the ocean, culture is the water in which we swim. Also, like the ocean, culture has both seen and unseen elements. Though cultural undercurrents are invisible, they powerfully pressure us to conform to their collective assumptions about the world. Cultural issues, however, are more like waves: seen, heard, and felt. Understanding both is critically important if we’re to keep our heads above water.”

All too often, the next generation gives sway to the prevalent culture they live in and the next generation does this in almost subconscious fashion. A fish can’t tell you what water is because water is all the fish has ever known. Stonestreet and Knuckle say, “Culture is for humans what water is for fish: the environment we live in and think is normal. The main difference is, unlike the fish, we make our own environments . . . Culture is, in fact, one of the things that makes us different than animals.”

The next generation has also been compared to goldfish in the sense that they have an attention span that is smaller than a goldfish. So, we have goldfish swimming around in this ocean called culture and we have been called not only to catch these fish for Jesus, but also to help re-direct them to swim against the pounding waves. Remember, culture isn’t bad. We all help to create the culture we live and breathe in. But the pounding waves, the cultural issues of our day, are knocking the life and breath out of the next generation in a way that many of our goldfish are drowning and in need of rescue.

It is our calling to gather the attention of these goldfish long enough to teach them how to be counter-cultural in a way that both honors Christ and glorifies God. Stonestreet and Knuckle identify half of the cultural issues of our day as pornography, the hookup culture, sexual orientation, and gender identity. All four of these topics center around the issues of sex and sexuality. Chapter five, entitled “Identity after Christianity” is profound and includes content such as the paragraph below:

“We used to talk of sex in terms of behavior, but now, we’re told, it’s who we are. The overwhelming message to kids today is that Christian faith isn’t nearly as important as sexual inclinations and attractions. Religious belief is mere personal opinion, but sexuality is definitive, absolute, and unquestionable. In today’s culture, sexuality is identity.”

It is difficult to find books that give Christ-followers practical advice on how to engage topics such as these. For instance, when tackling the LGBT movement, the authors state, “Prior to the last thirty years, where was all the Christian activism and outrage on the subject? many wonder. The answer is that no one really talked about it prior to thirty years ago. Historically, Christians haven’t been obsessed with this topic because the culture hasn’t been. LGBT rights have become the issue of our times, and some are looking for Christians to fully and unconditionally surrender.” 

The other half of the cultural issues addressed by the authors include affluence and consumerism, addiction, entertainment, and racial tension. The book was also a good read for me because it taught me definitions for new words such as heterosexism and cisgender. If you are looking for a book to help you or your staff guide the next generation through the tsunami called culture, look no further than this Practical Guide.

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Ten “In Charge” Rules

This post is designated for parents and guardians of the next generation. If you read my last post, you know I raved about having attended Dr. White’s latest Church and Culture conference. Dr. White shared Ten “In Charge” Rules with conference attendees.

Below are the new Ten Commandments (Ok, I’m joking). But seriously, in light of changing technology and the digital revolution, parents would do well to heed these rules:

Ten “In Charge” Rules

  1. Limit their phone minutes, texts, and online hours. Don’t let it take over their life.
  2. Don’t ever let them see a movie you haven’t reviewed thoroughly on the front-end, regardless of its rating.
  3. Don’t let them sleep with their cell phone under their pillow or by their bed. The phone should be turned off at bedtime.
  4. Have times of the day when they have to turn their phone off, and times when texting isn’t allowed – such as family vacations or family outings.
  5. Don’t allow cell phones at the dinner table.
  6. Tell your kids not to share their passwords with their friends, not even their best friends.
  7. Keep all computers in a public area.
  8.  Don’t allow TV’s in their room.
  9.  Don’t let them be on something like Facebook or Instagram unless they friend you as a parent.
  10. Don’t let them join any social media prior to the stated age.

Besides these rules, many parents also have their kids sign a smart phone or internet/social media contract. Parents, be the parent and lay down the law. Just don’t forget about showing some grace if and when your kids blow it!

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Let’s Get Phygital!

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending a phyigital (this new word is a combination of the words “physical” and “digital”) conference led by Dr. James Emery White. This church and culture conference was hosted in a physical place (Dr. White’s church in Charlotte, NC), but also in a digital space (my laptop).

The idea in the conference that struck the deepest chord in my spirit as it relates to Gen Z and Generation Alpha (the generation after Gen Z) is that churches are going to have to get phygital whether they like it or not. In fact, in order to attract the next generation into a physical building called church, the church will first have to greet the next generation online through their website and social media presence. The church website is the new front door. Before the next generation attends your church’s physical service, they will have to first attend your church’s digital service (on FB live, YouTube, church website, etc.). In fact, the next generation today is most likely to first invite their friends to church by saying, “check out our website.”

This is because the world that the next generation understands the most is the digital world, not the physical world. The next generation often struggles with face-to-face communication because their primary way of connecting with others is online. {The stats and information to follow come from Dr. White’s conference} This is why the next generation is often lonely (3 out of 10) and say they have no friends (1 out of 5). Besides being highly isolated, the next generation is highly individualistic with 2 out of 3 saying they don’t need or want anyone to help them grow in their faith. It doesn’t help that slightly less than half of Christians will reach out to help others in their church grow in their faith.

Digital discipleship is becoming a real thing. Churches are being forced to help stair-step the next generation into physical community through the avenue of digital community (i.e., digital small groups and forums). This is because the next generation’s favorite way to communicate (in the form of face to face communication) has dropped from 50% to 30% in the last six years. Churches will have to hire online pastors to help facilitate digital small groups and video chat rooms through apps such as House Party, Kick, Fam, Tribe, ooVoo, Airtime, and FB messenger. Digital natives call this online interaction “live chilling” and these apps have become the new 3rd place. Online pastors will be utilized to beef up their church’s online presence (websites, social media and marketing, etc.), offer online prayer rooms, and answer people’s spiritual questions through online conversations, etc..

People engaging the world through their phone is the new norm. The church begins by engaging the next generation digitally. Once physical engagement finally does occur (the person attends your church campus), the engagement must be digitally served and enhanced by the phone. Get used to hearing “Bring out your Bible and your Phone” before the start of the service.

Churches will be forced to offer in-service Apps that will allow all generations to have an interactive experience while at church: Imagine ordering coffee and checking your kids in before you get to church, recording sermon notes while digitally following the Scripture/message outline, downloading a praise song you just heard, and then receiving e-vites to send your online friends as soon as your car leaves the parking lot. The next generation is used to everything being an instant customized experience set up just for them (individualistic and tailored by analytics). This is why the next generation doesn’t go into grocery stores unless the store offers them an experience like a cooking class, live music, or taste samples (this in-store experience would be considered a date night for 20 year-olds). I mean, why would they when after all, they can go to the grocery store to have someone deliver the already-ordered groceries to their car (and never even have to get out). This is why 30-40 percent of grocery stores will close in the next decade. This is why you will see many brick and mortar banks close shop. This is why Best Buy just stopped selling CD’s (Gen Z only listens to music through its streaming services). This is why the education industry will have to radically altar the way they offer learning (for ex., take attendance with Twitter, post assignments on Slack, and hold office hours at 10 PM on Zoom). Because the digital revolution (especially with the advent of the Smartphone in 2007) itself has rewired the next generation’s brain and has changed not only when, where, and what the next generation learn (Google search, Ted Talks, Podcasts, You Tube services, Online do-it yourself tutorials, and online courses), but “how they learn.”

A huge shift and might I mention, generation difference has occurred in how the next generation communicates and relates to others. For instance, online dating now is fast- becoming the only dating. Robots have supplanted the role of matchmaker. Tinder, Ok Cupid, and Bumble have taken the place of community.

It is the church’s responsibility to step in and build generational bridges by offering authentic relationships and functional community through a family-like atmosphere. The digital to physical gap can be be bridged! Real people still matter! It’s just that now, physical people in the church will need to go to great lengths (the extra mile) to help its digital natives become comfortable in physical environments. At the same time, much grace must be given to help the next generation learn how to engage people in face-to-face conversations (both individually and in a group setting). The great irony is that many in the next generation who say they are lonely and want to have friends are bad at making friends. They are not socially gifted and can at times be socially awkward. If the church doesn’t help the next generation overcome these deficits by offering real community, who will?