What's After The Millennials?

What are we going to call the generation that follows the millennials?  That was the question that host of The Daily Show, Jon Stewart, asked Paul Taylor of Pew Research.  While it's too early to put a label children born since 2000, the two jokingly came up with a few suggestions: digital natives, the selfie generation and the rainbow generation, a reference to their tolerance.  I could think of a couple more: centurions and generation like. 

Sociologist and others have been labeling generations for decade: baby boomers and generation x preceded the millennials.  Along with the labels come characteristics.  In the case of millennials they are viewed as being self absorbed and morally adrift.  They are also seen as being spiritual, but usually outside mainline Christianity.  I realize that there is some value in describing a particular generation.  For instance, it helps those who are marketing products, or in the case of churches understand who they are trying to reach.  But there is a danger in that we tend to view all members of that generation that way. 

I am part of a worship community that is a great example.  Our son, Mark, who according to "the experts" is a millennial, serves as our pastor.  Most of the paid staff, including the worship leader and director of media also were born between 1980 - 2000.  One of our elders is a millennial and on a typical Sunday morning probably half of the congregation would fall into that category.  I don't view any of them as fitting the millennial mold.  I could add our daughter, Katie Seale, to list of those outside the millennial box. Katie is director of music at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Carrollton, Texas. 

I am not tooting the horn for our kids, rather I want to make a point.  The environment children grow up in does make a difference.  Barb and I tried to Pass the Torch of faith to our kids, including our generation X son, Peter.  We also realized we could not do it alone.  We tried to put them in communities where there were other adults who mentored them.  They also were surrounded by peers who shared their faith and values.  We were blessed in that they followed that pattern during their college years, when faith was shaped within all three of them." 

As parents we cannot allow "supposed social experts" to determine our children's identity.  Millennial is a label that is put on a generation, not individuals within that age group.  It will be the same for the generation that follows.  As parents we need to not only set the rules, but the standards.  Values are established at home, and parents need to be the primary role models.  Lastly, we need to make sure they are in a community that reinforces what they have been taught.