ROCKY MOUNTAIN

reENVISION Change Creates New Culture for Young Adults

Iam a Millennial. I am young enough to use Google as a verb, but old enough to have owned mix tapes. I refuse to shop at Walmart because of the labor conditions in their Asian factories, yet I admit I have no idea who my state representatives are.

The Millennial generation is a passionate sea of contradiction and controversy. Our parents told us we could follow our dreams and our hearts. As a result, we travel on a dime and fight for the acceptance of all people. At the same time we are the most narcissistic generation in history. It’s as if Millennials are pinned between technology and a deep need for fulfillment, so we grab onto the new while feeling nostalgia for the old.

One more characteristic of Millennials is we want change in our churches. We don’t do things just because that’s how they’ve always been done. We question tradition, are skeptical of titles, and believe each individual should be seen, known and heard. Research from the Barna Group says that only 4 percent of Millennials (currently ages 22-35) are Bible-based believers. In fact, the Barna Group says that: • Only two in 10 Americans under 30 believe attending a church is important or worthwhile (an alltime low). • 59 percent of Millennials raised in a church have dropped out. • 35 percent of Millennials have an anti-church stance, believing the church does more harm than good. • Millennials are the least likely age group to attend church (by far). Millennials are the most educated generation to date. Roughly 34 percent of us have a college degree. We are a generation of people who were taught to ask questions, so we do. We ask questions of our government, our bosses and our churches. Marcus Lemonis, best known from CNBC’s hit show The Profit, said the key to keeping Millennials fulfilled and happy is to give them the opportunity to make a difference in the workplace.

As a church, I believe we can learn a lot from the research being done on Millennials in the workplace. Understanding how Millennials function in their careers can help churches understand how Millennials perceive their place of worship. A stage of participation We started reENVISION Change at Lifesource Adventist Fellowship because we wanted to stand in the gap of our church and our generation. We wanted to provide a space for people to get what Marcus Lemonis called “the opportunity to make a difference.” We live in an age where everyone gets to be seen and heard, yet we tell people they have to sit down and be quiet in our pews.

We wanted to try something different, something we hoped would attract young adults. We asked the people who attend our Saturday night services to participate. If you attend, could you sing a song, share a welcome, write a poem, or offer the prayer? The goal of reENVISION Change is to create a church environment based on participatory experience. Each month, a different young adult is asked to participate in the service in some way, and our hope is that every year, each person attending will have stood on our stage at least once.

We have 50-80 people who attend worship each month at LifeSource Adventist Fellowship. Eighty percent of these people don’t attend our church, and about 40 percent are not Adventist. We want them to participate anyway. We believe the best way to feel ownership of something is to participate in it.

After each service, we have an event focused on building community. That way people who come alone can leave feeling a part of something bigger.

We have basketball tournaments, volleyball games, spoken word poetry slams and open mic nights. We have board games and free food. Young adults don’t want a church service; they want a relationship. We want to reENVISION a change that makes them feel included. Eighteen to 35-year-olds keep telling us they don’t need church, so we want to provide a culture where the church needs them. Each month, a different young adult is asked to participate in the service in some way. reENVISION strives to provide a culture where Millennials don’t need the church, the church needs Millennials.

Grand Junction Church Shares Poetry—and Pizza

Photos: Rajmund Dabrowski

The Pizza and Poetry event included 14 participants who read personal or favorite poems.

It all started with pies, followed by popcorn. In February, 30 Grand Junction Church members added another “p” to poetry: pizza. The Pizza and Poetry event delighted those who attended this popular Connect Ministry event.

Fourteen participants who mustered courage and defied vulnerability read their own poems, their favorite poems, or poems from classical poetry books.

A brainchild of Karla Klemm, she believes this cultural event binds people together. A similar comment was offered by Bernie Hartnell, referring to the popular event as “providing the glue for our community.” Bernie, who is known for his creative engineering and related hobbies, read his poem entitled “Don’t Let the Old Men In.”

Among those who read their personal or favorite poems was a retired pastor, a veteran of the Korean war, a daughter of a railroad man of 49 years, a farmer’s wife, and a local building contractor. The poems included such themes as environmental concerns, patriotism, the meaning of colors, nature, and the difference between hymns and praise music. While others read their poems nicely typed or from a well-worn book, Taylor, one of the youngest in the group, read his poem from two Post-it notes. His poem had colors, and ultimately described how the color of Jesus’ shed blood was meaningful for our salvation. Marti Hartnell, Bernie’s wife, commented that an event like Pizza and Poetry is “a great opportunity to come together as a church family, socializing and getting to know each other better.” Bernie added that, “Fellowship really does not happen unless you have some intimacy on a human level. You don’t get it sitting in church. You get it in a more social realm, and that’s what bonds people.”

Klemm says these events are important to her because “Different ages and generations come together, talk together and share. In this world of electronics, we just need to talk to each other.”

Rajmund Dabrowski is communication director for the Rocky Mountain Conference.

HMS Students Participate in Bridge-building Project

Fifth and sixth graders at HMS Richards Elementary School have been diligently working on a bridge-building project that teacher Paul Bragaw assigns his class to complete every other year. The class divides into groups, which they call “companies.” The goal of the project is to build a bridge out of toothpicks that is the correct dimensions and able to bear weight.

The companies must come up with a name and assign each person a job. The names the companies chose include Purified Builders, American Bridge Building Company, WASBE (first letter of the names of each member of the group), and National Bridge Building Company.

The jobs include project director, architect, accountant, carpenter and transportation chief. Bragaw is in charge of the warehouse which provides the materials.

Each job is important and can only be done by the person to whom it is assigned. This challenges the teams to use teamwork. The accountant is in charge of the imaginary $1.55 million budget and must maintain the balance. The teams may also be fined for talking to other companies, distracting companies or having messy and dangerous conditions. The first step is drawing up the plans, which must be approved by Bragaw. The next step is buying the correct amount of supplies, which include toothpicks and glue, and making sure there is enough money in the budget. The building process then begins. This involves a lot of trial and error, and sometimes groups need to revise their plans. After the bridge is standing, there is a test to see how much weight the bridge can bear. The company whose bridge can hold the most weight wins. Evie Lange, one of the participating students, remarked, “It’s fun, but also frustrating and stressful. We didn’t have a lot of money left, and sometimes we would fight. We may not win, but we still try our hardest.”

Megan Michalenko with RMCNews

Jill Harlow