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3/9/13
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21st Century Faith Formation for All Ages & Generations
John Roberto, LifelongFaith Associates
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We are living in an historical moment of transformations in religion, technology,
generations, culture & society.
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1. Diversity
Ø Generational Ø Developmental Ø Ethnic & Cultural Ø Family Structures Ø Faith Practice &
Community Engagement
Ø Religious & Spiritual Needs
Increasing Diversity
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Generational Diversity
iGeneration (2000 -‐ )
Millennials (1980-‐99)
Generation X (1961-‐79)
Baby Boomers (1946-‐60)
Builders (pre 1946)
The 1950s Family The 2010s Family
Family Diversity
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A Family
Not a Family
Married Coupled with Children 99 1
Married Couple without Children 88 10
Single Parent with Children 86 12
Unmarried Couple with Children 80 18
Same-‐Sex Couple with Children 63 34
Same-‐Sex Couple without Children 45 52
Unmarried Coupled without Children 43 54
Pew Research, 2011
Family Diversity
Changing Views of Family
Ø Fully eight-‐in-‐ten adults younger than 30 say a same-‐sex couple with children is a family, more than double the proportion of those 65 and older who share this view (80% vs. 37%).
Ø Among those ages 30 to 49, two-‐thirds (67%) see a same-‐sex couple with children as a family, compared with 58% of all 50-‐ to 64-‐year-‐olds.
(Pew Research, 2011)
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Ø 20% of Americans claim no religious affiliation
Ø 32% of 18-‐29 year olds
Ø 18% of 18-‐39 year olds say that are “spiritual, but not religious”
Religious Diversity
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Religious Diversity
Ø According to Pew Research, Americans do not generally become more affiliated as they move through the life cycle from young adulthood through marriage, parenting, middle age and retirement.
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Religious Diversity
Ø With few exceptions the unaffiliated say they are not looking for a religion that would be right for them. Overwhelmingly, they think that religious organizations are too concerned with money and power, too focused on rules and too involved in politics.
Religious Diversity
The number of religiously unaffiliated is growing . . . .
Ø because of Americans who rarely go to services are more willing than in the past to drop their religious attachments altogether.
Ø because of generational replacement, the gradual supplanting of older generations by newer ones.
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Changing Participation Patterns
Fewer Marriages & Later in Life
Fewer Baptisms
Fewer Young Families
Lower Sunday Worship
Fewer First Communions
Fewer Confirmations
Vibrant Faith & Active
Engagement in the
Community
Minimal Engagement with Faith and
the Community
Spiritual but Not Religious
Not Religiously Affiliated
Religious Diversity
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Religious Diversity
Youth (teens) Abiders Adapters Assenters Avoiders Atheists 20% 20% 31% 24% 5%
Emerging Adults (20s)
Commi�ed Selected Spiritually Religiously Religiously Irreligious Tradi�onalists Adherents Open Indifferent Disconnected
15% 30% 15% 25% 5% 10%
2. Connected & Networked
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Once there was. . . .
New Mobile Technologies
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Connected, Networked Technologies
A Connected, Networked World
EMBEDDED
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A Connected, Networked World
EMBEDDED SOCIAL NETWORKS
The Triple Revolution
1. Social Network Revolution
2. Internet Revolution 3. Mobile Revolution
It is a network of both relationships and
information & knowledge.
Connected & Networked World
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Increase in Social Networking – 52% of Adults
9%
49%
67%
76%
86% 83%
85%
7% 8%
25%
48%
61% 70% 71%
6% 4% 11%
25%
47% 51% 52%
1% 7%
13%
26% 33% 35%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
18-‐29 30-‐49 50-‐64 65+
% of internet users
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The Social Network, Internet, and Mobile Revolutions are coming together to shift people’s social lives away from densely knit family, neighborhood, and group relationships toward more far-‐flung, less tight, more diverse personal networks.
Connected, Networked World
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The three revolutions have made possible the new social operating system – Networked Individualism.
The hallmark of networked individualism is that people function more as connected individuals and
less as embedded group members.
Networked Individualism
Networked Individualism
Individual
Family & Friends
Educa�on
Life Stage
Work Sports & Ac�vi�es
Interests
Shared Experiences
Networked Individuals
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Information is Woven Into Our Lives
Mobile is the needle, Social Networks are the thread
Mobile… Moves informa�on with us
Makes informa�on accessible ANYTIME and ANYWHERE
Puts informa�on at our finger�ps
Magnifies the demand for �mely informa�on
Makes informa�on loca�on-‐sensi�ve
Information is Woven Into Our Lives
Mobile is the needle, Social Networks are the thread
Social Networks… Surround us with informa�on through our many connec�ons
Bring us informa�on from mul�ple, varied sources
Provide instant feedback, meaning and context
Allow us to shape and create informa�on ourselves and amplify othersʼ’ messages
Mobile… Moves informa�on with us
Makes informa�on accessible ANYTIME and ANYWHERE
Puts informa�on at our finger�ps
Magnifies the demand for �mely informa�on
Makes informa�on loca�on-‐sensi�ve
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Connected, Networked Learning
¨ We have the world at our fingertips in ways that were unimaginable just a generation ago. World renowned lectures, rich content, a symphony of voices and opinions, and peer-‐to-‐peer learning opportunities are all a click away.
¨ You can not only access a wealth of knowledge online, you can also become makers, creators, participants and doers engaged in active and self-‐directed inquiry.
#3. Becoming Lifelong
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10 Decades of Lifelong Faith Formation
0-‐10 11-‐19 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s
Decades of Life
• Socialization & faith practices
• Whole family & intergenerational faith formation
• Parent formation
Children
• Exploring & discerning
• High quality, diverse faith formation experiences
• Guides & mentors
Teens
• Fresh expressions & explorations of faith & spirituality
• New forms of communal life
• Mission & service • Christian practice • Making a life • Developing
intimacy
Millennials
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Decades of Life
• Embodied, expressive & experiential faith & spirituality
• Communities of belonging and mission
• Artistic expression
• Parenting & family life
• Living solo
Gen Xers
• Giving their lives purpose, meaning, & fulfillment
• Spiritual growth in the 2nd half of life
• Making a difference • Life transitions • Grandparenting • Staying connected
intergenerationally
Baby Boomers
• Accepting one’s life journey and faith story
• Confronting losses & accepting gains
• Experiencing a new (renewed) relationship with God
• Health issues & life transitions
• Family relationships
Older Adults
Religious socialization through the congregation & family. . . .
¤ Internalization of faith practices ¤ Whole family learning ¤ Immersion into the faith life of the
church community with robust intergenerational experiences of worship, learning, & service
¤ Parent faith formation: growing in faith, modeling the Christian faith, and teaching their children
First Decade: Children & Family
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First Third Faith Formation
Second Decade: Adolescents
Exploration experiences & discernment ¤ An adventure of local and global
explorations into the Bible, Christian tradition, worship, justice, service, ministry, leadership. . . .
¤ Informed and trustworthy adults who serve as tour guides and companions on the journey of exploration
¤ Youth as the creators of religious content and experiences
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Second Decade: Exploration Experiences
Local Chur
ch Life
& Ministries:
-‐ Worship
-‐ Service
-‐ Leadersh
ip
-‐ Pastoral
Care
Inquiry Learning: Bible, Christian beliefs, history and
tradition
Global Church
Ministry &
Leadership
Apprenticeships
Online Learning Resources: -‐ People -‐ Audio & Video
-‐ Conferencing -‐ Virtual Tours
World Religions
20s-‐30s: Millennials ¤ A living & learning laboratory to
create fresh expressions of the Christian faith that both honor the tradition and reflect the millennial generation’s perspectives.
¤ Fresh expressions of the Biblical message, Christian teachings & practices, spiritual disciplines, worship, art and music, mission to the world, church community. . . .
¤ A generational faith community that embodies these expressions & is still connected to the intergenerational church community
¤ Engaging in mission & service ¤ Developing a Christian life –
practices ¤ Making a life; developing
intimate relationships
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30s-‐50s: Gen Xers ¤ An embodiment of the religious
experience, both physically (rituals and gestures) and socially through a welcoming and caring religious community
¤ An ability and willingness to place the particular congregation within the larger history of Christianity
¤ A recognition of the importance of artistic expression— whether musical, visual, or through some other medium— to the spiritual journey
¤ Faith communities that provide encouragement and direction to pursue spiritually-‐driven passions, whether through service to others or via creative expression.
¤ Focus on parenting and family life; values, building strong families, activities
¤ Going solo: making a life as a single person
¤ Managing career ¤ Balancing multiple
involvements
50s-‐70s: Baby Boomers ¤ Service: Boomers want service
opportunities that have a mission – doing things that give their lives purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.
¤ Spiritual Growth: Boomers are in a season of significant life transitions – seeking meaning and purpose in the second half of life.
¤ Intergenerational Relationships: Boomers want to stay connected with the other generations – sharing their lives and faith across generations.
¤ Life issues & transitions – careers, housing, retirement, relationships, finances
¤ Family life & grandparenting ¤ Caring for aging parents
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Older Adults
¤ Finding worth in one’s being, not through having or doing
¤ Accepting one’s life journey and faith story
¤ Confronting losses and accepting gains
¤ Experiencing a new (or renewed) relationship with God
¤ Serving the needs of others ¤ Health Issues & life transitions ¤ Family relationships
Transformations in Learning
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edX Online education
Khan Academy
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We need new models of faith formation & learning suited to this historic moment, and not simply enhancements or makeovers of existing models that were developed in the 19th and 20th century.
21st Century Faith Formation
We are living in the midst of a convergence of forces moving us toward new models.
21st Century Faith
Formation
Diversity of Religious Belief & Practice
Generational Change
Millennials & iGeneration
New Digital Technologies
Abundance of Resources
New Models of Learning
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The changing world is putting tremendous pressure on the effectiveness of current models of
faith formation.
The changing world is putting tremendous pressure on the effectiveness of the current models of
adult faith formation.
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Vision of Faith Formation
Churches want faith formation that helps people. . . Ø grow in their relationship with God throughout
their lives Ø live as disciples of Jesus Christ at home, in the
workplace, in the community and the world Ø develop an understanding of the Bible and their
faith tradition Ø deepen their spiritual life and practices Ø engage in service and mission Ø relate the Christian faith to life today Ø participate in the life and ministries of the faith
community
21st Century Faith Formation
1. It is now possible to provide faith formation for everyone, anytime, anywhere, 24 x 7 x 365.
2. It is now possible to deliver religious content and experiences to people wherever they are, 24 x 7 x 365.
3. It is now possible to customize and personalize faith formation around the life tasks and issues, interests, religious and spiritual needs, and busy lives of people.
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21st Century Faith Formation
4. It is now possible to engage people in a wide diversity of programs, activities, and resources that incorporate a variety of ways to learn—on your own, with a mentor, at home, in small groups, in large groups, in the congregation, and in the community and world—delivered in physical gathered settings and virtual online settings.
5. It is now possible to connect people to each other—in physical places and virtual spaces.
A Connected Model
Diversity of Religious & Spiritual Needs
Personalized & Customized Pathways for
Growth
A Variety of Faith Formation
Content & Experiences, People & Resources
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THE BIG IDEA Faith Formation for
All Ages & Generations
Lifelong & Lifewide
