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Church Building in a Six Generation World
Membership Changes, USA 2000-2010
1,000,000
532,126
500,000

4,294

(500,000)
(1,000,000)
(1,500,000)
(2,000,000)

(2,500,000)
(3,000,000)
(3,071,207)
(3,500,000)

(3,411,095)

(4,000,000)
Catholic

Source: The Association of Religious Database Archives, 2013

Evangelical Protestant

Mainline Protestant

Orthodox
Whistling Past the
Graveyard
•Catholic Church – 2202
•United Methodist Church – 2211
•The Episcopal Church – 2064
•Presbyterian Church of the USA – 2046
•Evangelical Lutheran Church of America –
2055
•United Church of Christ -- 2041
4,400,000

4,200,000

Peak 23 year olds
4,000,000

3,800,000

3,600,000

3,400,000

Age 23 is the Death Valley of religion – it’s the
lowest point in American religious lives.

3,200,000

Nadir 44 year olds

Age 23

Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Age 44

2034

2033

2032

2031

2030

2029

2028

2027

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

3,000,000
THE GENERATIONS
Boomer, 1943-1960

Gen X, 1961-198

GI, 1901-1924

Homelanders
, 2005-

Silent, 1925-1942
Millennials, 1982-2004
24,000

23,000

22,000

THE GAP
21,000

20,000

19,000

18,000

17,000

Homeland
41 million
16,000

Millennials
85 million

Generation X
61 million

Baby Boomers
81 million

Silent & GI
58 million

Under 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40 to 44 45 to 49 50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64 65 to 74 75 to 84 85
years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years
and
over
Series 1
• Pragmatic
• Cynical
• Value liberty, survival
• Children of Artist
• Children in Awakening

• Rational, Competent
• Unreflective, bold
• Value community
• Children of Prophet
• Elder in Awakening

Nomad

Prophet
• Principled, creative
• Ruthless, narcissistic
• Value vision, values
• Children of Hero
• Children in High

Hero

Artist
• Open-minded, expert
• Sentimental
• Value due process
• Children of Nomad
• Children in Crisis
Artist Generation
• Caring, open-minded, expert
• Sentimental, complicating, indecisive
• Pluralism, expertise, due process
• Children of Nomad Generation
• Children in crisis, midlife in Awakening
• Thomas More, Daniel Webster, Andrew
Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Clarence
Darrow, Martin Luther King
• Homeland (2005-present), Silent (1925-1942)
Prophet Generation
•Principled, resolute, creative
•Narcissistic, presumptious, ruthless
•Vision, Values, Religion
•Children of Hero Generation
•Children in post-crisis, young adult in
Awakening
•Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin
Roosevelt, Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton
•Baby Boom (1943-1960)
Nomad Generation
•Savvy, practical, perceptive
•Unfeeling, uncultured, amoral
•Liberty, survival, honor
•Children of Artist Generation
•Children in Awakening, midlife in Crisis
•Queen Elizabeth I, George
Washington, Ulysses Grant, George
Patton, Harry Truman
•Generation X (1961-1981)
Hero Generation
•Selfless, rational, competent
•Unreflective, mechanistic, overbold
•Community, affluence, technology
•Children of Prophet Generation
•Young adult in Crisis, Elders in Awakening
•Thomas Jefferson, John Kennedy, Walt
Disney, Ronald Reagan, Mark Zuckerburg
•Millennial (1982-2004), GI (1901-1924)
Nomad
Washington
Hero
Jefferson

Artist
T Roosevelt

Prophet
Lincoln
"I see no hope for the future of
our people if they are dependent
on the frivolous youth of
today, for they are reckless
beyond words. When I was
young, we were taught to be
discreet, respectful of elders, but
the present youth are exceedingly
disrespectful and impatient.“
– Socrates, c. 400 BC
I’m A “Strong” Member of My Religion
60%

55%

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

Early 70s

Late 70s

Early 80s
GI

Silent

Pew Research Center, Religion Among the Millennials 2010

Late 80s
Boomer

Early 90s
Gen X

Late 90s
Millennial

Early 00s

Late 00s
GENERATION X:
DON’T YOU FORGET
ABOUT ME
I’m still next, right?
Generation X: Nomad Generation
•Savvy, practical, perceptive
•Unfeeling, uncultured, amoral
•Liberty, survival, honor
•Children of Artist Generation
•Children in Awakening, midlife in Crisis
•Queen Elizabeth I, George
Washington, Ulysses Grant, George
Patton, Harry Truman
•Generation X (1961-1981)
Gen X: “I feel guilty about the time I
spend away from my children”

65%

59%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%
Women

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Men

Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Lauren Leader-Chivée, The X Factor: Tapping into the Strengths of the 33- to 46Year-old Generation, Center for Work Life Policy, 2011
WHAT DO MILLENNIALS
WANT?
Percentage of Millennials Who Want
Children

Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends, 2011
Be Prepared for a More Diverse
Congregation
3%
19%

Millions

9%

72%

1970

3%

18%

18%

14%

20%

65%

1980

58%

7%

7%

8%

9%

10%

17%

17%

17%

17%

17%

36%

39%

42%

44%

39%

36%

32%

30%

2010

2020

2030

2040

29%

48%

2000

White
Source: HGAC Demographic Model

1990

Hispanic

Black

Other
Millions

Projected US Population Growth If
Immigration and Fertility Do Not Change
450

400

350

Immigrants and
Descendants
since 1970

300

250

Growth from Descendants
Of 1970 Residents
200
1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

Source: US Bureau of the Census, SUSPS Overview, http://www.susps.org/overview/numbers.html

2020

2030

2040

2050
Mike Jeffries, CEO
Abercrombie & Fitch
Quoted in Salon, January 24, 2006

“In every school there are
the cool and popular
kids, and then there are
the not-so-cool kids,” he
says. “Candidly, we go
after the cool kids. We go
after the attractive allAmerican kid with a great
attitude and a lot of
friends. A lot of people
don’t belong [in our
clothes], and they can’t
belong. Are we
exclusionary? Absolutely.
WHAT IS MILLENNIAL
CULTURE?
Millennials Do Believe in Religious “Stuff”
at similar rates as total population
Believe in Absolute right & wrong

Angels & Demons

Hell

Heaven

Miracles

Life after death

Bible is God's word

Absolute certain belief in God
0%

10%

Pew Research Center, Religion Among the Millennials 2010

20%

30%

Total US Pop

40%
Ages 18-29

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%
Kim, Your 15 Minutes are Up!
Keeping Up with the Kardashians, E!

Duck Dynasty, A&E

3 million viewers

9.6 million viewers
History Channel’s The Bible:
• Watched by 100 million people
• Made the History Channel most watched
network on Sunday nights
• Sold 1 million copies DVD/blu-ray
• Higher ratings than American Idol and
Celebrity Apprentice on broadcast TV
Top Grossing Movies Since 2000
• 2009: Avatar, $793,603,000
• 2012: Marvel's The Avengers $626,428,700
• 2008: The Dark Knight $607,555,700
• 2004: Shrek 2 $579,775,600
• 2002: Spider-Man
$566,995,500
• 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $527,367,500
• 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $502,979,900
• 2003: Finding Nemo $502,850,900
• 2004: Spider-Man 2
$490,895,400
• 2004: The Passion of the Christ
$487,191,500
• 2005: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith $484,088,600
• 2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
$471,038,300
BABY BOOMER PARENTING
• Protecting through involvement
• What’s best for the GROUP of children
• Giving children what they need to be
successful
• Aspirational – you can do anything!
• Everybody wins
Adapted from Frank N. Magid Associates, The Pluralist Generation, 2012
Mind the gap church building in a six generation world version 2
Mind the gap church building in a six generation world version 2
I like to continuously acquire new skills.
70%

59%

60%
50%
40%

33%

30%
20%
10%
0%

Baby Boomers and Gen X

Millennials

LifeCourse Associates, INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS AND BROKERS: THE GENERATION GAP, 2012
Younger Generations More Moderate
100%

10%

11%

22%

34%

23%

17%

36%

44%

19%

16%

Baby Boomer

75%

17%

Gen X

47%
50%

25%

38%

31%

12%

23%

0%

Silent
Progressive

Moderate

Source: Public Religion Research Institute and The Brookings Institution, 2013

Conservative

Millennial
No Affiliation
Instead of Watching the
News, Millennials:
61%

Facebook/Twitter/social networking

76%
54%
58%

Got Vigorous Exercise

86%
87%

Emailed or Texted a Friend

75%

Called a Friend or Relative to Talk

64%
72%
74%

Visited Family & Friends

0%

10%

20%

30%

25-29

Source: Pew Research Center, Insight into People and the Press, 2012

40%

18-24

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%
WHAT CAN WE DO?
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking
For: Gospel for Generation X
• Wants a creed for both church and the world
• Unwillingness to be overly idealistic
• Believes in possibility of lifelong growth in grace
• Deep hunger for authentic community
• Perpetual search for sense of family they lost
through neglect
• Emphasize joy and freedom in Christian life, not
meaning and purpose of “personal relationship
with Jesus”
• Ministries: personal care, serving, peer
counseling, disciple making, ministry to the ill
Mind the gap church building in a six generation world version 2
Mind the gap church building in a six generation world version 2
Revamp Your Contemporary Service
• Reduce overall number of song/service
• Sing biblically-inspired songs average people can
sing
• Incorporate traditional liturgical elements:
creeds, Lord’s Prayer, Communion, Old
Testament and New Testament Reading
• Have a sermon that meaningfully teaches the
Bible
• Connect worship to historical Christian tradition
Source: Rethinking the Contemporary Service, notforitchingears.com, May 24, 2011
Use Small Groups

Multigenerational groups can create
a sense of community, leverage pastoral
resources , and provide mentorship
opportunities for church members.

High Vitality Churches

Low Vitality Churches

14%

19%
33%

46%

20%
21%

20%

27%

3 or fewer

4 or 5 groups

3 or fewer

4 or 5 groups

6 to 10 groups

More than 10

6 to 10 groups

More than 10

UMC Call to Action: Vital Congregations Research Project, 2010
t
is
too
disgraceful
and
uinous, though, and greatly to be
voided, that he [the non-Christian]
hould hear a Christian speaking so
diotically on these matters, and as if in
ccord with Christian writings, that he
might say that he could scarcely keep
om laughing when he saw how totally in
rror they are.” St. Augustine, The Literal
nterpretation of Genesis, AD 408
Fathers Influence Children's Church Attendance
Mom regular, Dad doesn't go

2%

Mom regular, Dad irregular

3%

Neither go

4%

Dad irregular, Mom doesn't go

25%

Both parents go

33%

Dad regular, Mom irregular

38%

Dad regular, Mom doesn't go

44%
0%

Source: Touchstone Magazine, June 2003

5%

10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
• Onward Christian Soldiers
• And Can It Be
• Guide Me O Thy Great Redeemer
• All People That On Earth Do Dwell
• Be Thou My Vision
• How Great Thou Art
• Amazing Grace
• Eternal Father, Strong To Save (For
Those On Peril On The Sea)
• Our God Reigns
• Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind
Forgive Our Foolish Ways
What Attracts Men to Orthodoxy?
• It’s Challenging
• It Tells Them What to Do
• It Has a Clear Purpose: Union with God
• It’s About Jesus Christ
• Continuity with Tradition
• Worship Weirdness
OFFER A MODERN
• It’s Not Sentimental
INTERPRETATION
• It Shows Men in Balance
OF A “HIGH CHURCH”
• It Shows Men in Leadership

EXPERIENCE!
Source: Frederica Mathewes-Green, “Men and Women in Church,” 2007
Move Away From the Gospel of Sin Management
Guile/deceit

49

Blasphemy

37

Murder

36

Fornication

32

Slander

31

Idol worship

31

Lust

31

Envy

29

Adultery

28

Greed

18

Divorce

15

Hypocrisy

15

Covet

10

Prostitution

8

Drunkenness

Does the world wonder
why we appear to focus on
homosexuality and abortion
when the Bible doesn’t ?

6

Gossip

3

Homosexuality

2

Theft

2

Abortion

1
0

10

20

30

40

50

60
Millennials are a Community Outreach Machines
• 88% want to engage in public service
• 69 percent are aware of their company's social/environmental
commitments
• 64 percent feel loyal to their companies as a result of their
companies' social/environmental activities
• 56 percent would refuse to work for an irresponsible corporation
• 79 percent want to work for a company that cares about how it
impacts or contributes to society.

Source: The 2020 Workplace
America’s Most Wanted Painting: the
whole can be less than the sum of its
parts. Set the right goals to meet your
objectives, and then measure the right
metrics.
18

And Jesus came and said to them, “All
authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all
that I have commanded you. And behold, I am
with you always, to the end of the age.”
Mind the gap church building in a six generation world version 2

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Mind the gap church building in a six generation world version 2

  • 1. Church Building in a Six Generation World
  • 2. Membership Changes, USA 2000-2010 1,000,000 532,126 500,000 4,294 (500,000) (1,000,000) (1,500,000) (2,000,000) (2,500,000) (3,000,000) (3,071,207) (3,500,000) (3,411,095) (4,000,000) Catholic Source: The Association of Religious Database Archives, 2013 Evangelical Protestant Mainline Protestant Orthodox
  • 3. Whistling Past the Graveyard •Catholic Church – 2202 •United Methodist Church – 2211 •The Episcopal Church – 2064 •Presbyterian Church of the USA – 2046 •Evangelical Lutheran Church of America – 2055 •United Church of Christ -- 2041
  • 4. 4,400,000 4,200,000 Peak 23 year olds 4,000,000 3,800,000 3,600,000 3,400,000 Age 23 is the Death Valley of religion – it’s the lowest point in American religious lives. 3,200,000 Nadir 44 year olds Age 23 Source: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Age 44 2034 2033 2032 2031 2030 2029 2028 2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 3,000,000
  • 6. Boomer, 1943-1960 Gen X, 1961-198 GI, 1901-1924 Homelanders , 2005- Silent, 1925-1942 Millennials, 1982-2004
  • 7. 24,000 23,000 22,000 THE GAP 21,000 20,000 19,000 18,000 17,000 Homeland 41 million 16,000 Millennials 85 million Generation X 61 million Baby Boomers 81 million Silent & GI 58 million Under 5 5 to 9 10 to 14 15 to 19 20 to 24 25 to 29 30 to 34 35 to 39 40 to 44 45 to 49 50 to 54 55 to 59 60 to 64 65 to 74 75 to 84 85 years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years years and over Series 1
  • 8. • Pragmatic • Cynical • Value liberty, survival • Children of Artist • Children in Awakening • Rational, Competent • Unreflective, bold • Value community • Children of Prophet • Elder in Awakening Nomad Prophet • Principled, creative • Ruthless, narcissistic • Value vision, values • Children of Hero • Children in High Hero Artist • Open-minded, expert • Sentimental • Value due process • Children of Nomad • Children in Crisis
  • 9. Artist Generation • Caring, open-minded, expert • Sentimental, complicating, indecisive • Pluralism, expertise, due process • Children of Nomad Generation • Children in crisis, midlife in Awakening • Thomas More, Daniel Webster, Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson, Clarence Darrow, Martin Luther King • Homeland (2005-present), Silent (1925-1942)
  • 10. Prophet Generation •Principled, resolute, creative •Narcissistic, presumptious, ruthless •Vision, Values, Religion •Children of Hero Generation •Children in post-crisis, young adult in Awakening •Ben Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Steve Jobs, Bill Clinton •Baby Boom (1943-1960)
  • 11. Nomad Generation •Savvy, practical, perceptive •Unfeeling, uncultured, amoral •Liberty, survival, honor •Children of Artist Generation •Children in Awakening, midlife in Crisis •Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Ulysses Grant, George Patton, Harry Truman •Generation X (1961-1981)
  • 12. Hero Generation •Selfless, rational, competent •Unreflective, mechanistic, overbold •Community, affluence, technology •Children of Prophet Generation •Young adult in Crisis, Elders in Awakening •Thomas Jefferson, John Kennedy, Walt Disney, Ronald Reagan, Mark Zuckerburg •Millennial (1982-2004), GI (1901-1924)
  • 14. "I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for they are reckless beyond words. When I was young, we were taught to be discreet, respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly disrespectful and impatient.“ – Socrates, c. 400 BC
  • 15. I’m A “Strong” Member of My Religion 60% 55% 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% Early 70s Late 70s Early 80s GI Silent Pew Research Center, Religion Among the Millennials 2010 Late 80s Boomer Early 90s Gen X Late 90s Millennial Early 00s Late 00s
  • 16. GENERATION X: DON’T YOU FORGET ABOUT ME
  • 18. Generation X: Nomad Generation •Savvy, practical, perceptive •Unfeeling, uncultured, amoral •Liberty, survival, honor •Children of Artist Generation •Children in Awakening, midlife in Crisis •Queen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Ulysses Grant, George Patton, Harry Truman •Generation X (1961-1981)
  • 19. Gen X: “I feel guilty about the time I spend away from my children” 65% 59% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% Women 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Men Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Lauren Leader-Chivée, The X Factor: Tapping into the Strengths of the 33- to 46Year-old Generation, Center for Work Life Policy, 2011
  • 21. Percentage of Millennials Who Want Children Pew Research Social and Demographic Trends, 2011
  • 22. Be Prepared for a More Diverse Congregation 3% 19% Millions 9% 72% 1970 3% 18% 18% 14% 20% 65% 1980 58% 7% 7% 8% 9% 10% 17% 17% 17% 17% 17% 36% 39% 42% 44% 39% 36% 32% 30% 2010 2020 2030 2040 29% 48% 2000 White Source: HGAC Demographic Model 1990 Hispanic Black Other
  • 23. Millions Projected US Population Growth If Immigration and Fertility Do Not Change 450 400 350 Immigrants and Descendants since 1970 300 250 Growth from Descendants Of 1970 Residents 200 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Source: US Bureau of the Census, SUSPS Overview, http://www.susps.org/overview/numbers.html 2020 2030 2040 2050
  • 24. Mike Jeffries, CEO Abercrombie & Fitch Quoted in Salon, January 24, 2006 “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he says. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive allAmerican kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely.
  • 26. Millennials Do Believe in Religious “Stuff” at similar rates as total population Believe in Absolute right & wrong Angels & Demons Hell Heaven Miracles Life after death Bible is God's word Absolute certain belief in God 0% 10% Pew Research Center, Religion Among the Millennials 2010 20% 30% Total US Pop 40% Ages 18-29 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
  • 27. Kim, Your 15 Minutes are Up! Keeping Up with the Kardashians, E! Duck Dynasty, A&E 3 million viewers 9.6 million viewers
  • 28. History Channel’s The Bible: • Watched by 100 million people • Made the History Channel most watched network on Sunday nights • Sold 1 million copies DVD/blu-ray • Higher ratings than American Idol and Celebrity Apprentice on broadcast TV
  • 29. Top Grossing Movies Since 2000 • 2009: Avatar, $793,603,000 • 2012: Marvel's The Avengers $626,428,700 • 2008: The Dark Knight $607,555,700 • 2004: Shrek 2 $579,775,600 • 2002: Spider-Man $566,995,500 • 2006: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest $527,367,500 • 2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King $502,979,900 • 2003: Finding Nemo $502,850,900 • 2004: Spider-Man 2 $490,895,400 • 2004: The Passion of the Christ $487,191,500 • 2005: Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith $484,088,600 • 2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers $471,038,300
  • 30. BABY BOOMER PARENTING • Protecting through involvement • What’s best for the GROUP of children • Giving children what they need to be successful • Aspirational – you can do anything! • Everybody wins Adapted from Frank N. Magid Associates, The Pluralist Generation, 2012
  • 33. I like to continuously acquire new skills. 70% 59% 60% 50% 40% 33% 30% 20% 10% 0% Baby Boomers and Gen X Millennials LifeCourse Associates, INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS AND BROKERS: THE GENERATION GAP, 2012
  • 34. Younger Generations More Moderate 100% 10% 11% 22% 34% 23% 17% 36% 44% 19% 16% Baby Boomer 75% 17% Gen X 47% 50% 25% 38% 31% 12% 23% 0% Silent Progressive Moderate Source: Public Religion Research Institute and The Brookings Institution, 2013 Conservative Millennial No Affiliation
  • 35. Instead of Watching the News, Millennials: 61% Facebook/Twitter/social networking 76% 54% 58% Got Vigorous Exercise 86% 87% Emailed or Texted a Friend 75% Called a Friend or Relative to Talk 64% 72% 74% Visited Family & Friends 0% 10% 20% 30% 25-29 Source: Pew Research Center, Insight into People and the Press, 2012 40% 18-24 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
  • 36. WHAT CAN WE DO?
  • 37. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For: Gospel for Generation X • Wants a creed for both church and the world • Unwillingness to be overly idealistic • Believes in possibility of lifelong growth in grace • Deep hunger for authentic community • Perpetual search for sense of family they lost through neglect • Emphasize joy and freedom in Christian life, not meaning and purpose of “personal relationship with Jesus” • Ministries: personal care, serving, peer counseling, disciple making, ministry to the ill
  • 40. Revamp Your Contemporary Service • Reduce overall number of song/service • Sing biblically-inspired songs average people can sing • Incorporate traditional liturgical elements: creeds, Lord’s Prayer, Communion, Old Testament and New Testament Reading • Have a sermon that meaningfully teaches the Bible • Connect worship to historical Christian tradition Source: Rethinking the Contemporary Service, notforitchingears.com, May 24, 2011
  • 41. Use Small Groups Multigenerational groups can create a sense of community, leverage pastoral resources , and provide mentorship opportunities for church members. High Vitality Churches Low Vitality Churches 14% 19% 33% 46% 20% 21% 20% 27% 3 or fewer 4 or 5 groups 3 or fewer 4 or 5 groups 6 to 10 groups More than 10 6 to 10 groups More than 10 UMC Call to Action: Vital Congregations Research Project, 2010
  • 42. t is too disgraceful and uinous, though, and greatly to be voided, that he [the non-Christian] hould hear a Christian speaking so diotically on these matters, and as if in ccord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep om laughing when he saw how totally in rror they are.” St. Augustine, The Literal nterpretation of Genesis, AD 408
  • 43. Fathers Influence Children's Church Attendance Mom regular, Dad doesn't go 2% Mom regular, Dad irregular 3% Neither go 4% Dad irregular, Mom doesn't go 25% Both parents go 33% Dad regular, Mom irregular 38% Dad regular, Mom doesn't go 44% 0% Source: Touchstone Magazine, June 2003 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%
  • 44. • Onward Christian Soldiers • And Can It Be • Guide Me O Thy Great Redeemer • All People That On Earth Do Dwell • Be Thou My Vision • How Great Thou Art • Amazing Grace • Eternal Father, Strong To Save (For Those On Peril On The Sea) • Our God Reigns • Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind Forgive Our Foolish Ways
  • 45. What Attracts Men to Orthodoxy? • It’s Challenging • It Tells Them What to Do • It Has a Clear Purpose: Union with God • It’s About Jesus Christ • Continuity with Tradition • Worship Weirdness OFFER A MODERN • It’s Not Sentimental INTERPRETATION • It Shows Men in Balance OF A “HIGH CHURCH” • It Shows Men in Leadership EXPERIENCE! Source: Frederica Mathewes-Green, “Men and Women in Church,” 2007
  • 46. Move Away From the Gospel of Sin Management Guile/deceit 49 Blasphemy 37 Murder 36 Fornication 32 Slander 31 Idol worship 31 Lust 31 Envy 29 Adultery 28 Greed 18 Divorce 15 Hypocrisy 15 Covet 10 Prostitution 8 Drunkenness Does the world wonder why we appear to focus on homosexuality and abortion when the Bible doesn’t ? 6 Gossip 3 Homosexuality 2 Theft 2 Abortion 1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
  • 47. Millennials are a Community Outreach Machines • 88% want to engage in public service • 69 percent are aware of their company's social/environmental commitments • 64 percent feel loyal to their companies as a result of their companies' social/environmental activities • 56 percent would refuse to work for an irresponsible corporation • 79 percent want to work for a company that cares about how it impacts or contributes to society. Source: The 2020 Workplace
  • 48. America’s Most Wanted Painting: the whole can be less than the sum of its parts. Set the right goals to meet your objectives, and then measure the right metrics.
  • 49. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Hinweis der Redaktion

  1. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. According to Harvard University’s Institute of Politics, currently, Millennials are far less religious than their parents, but religiosity generally grows after age 24. He commented, “Age 23 is the Death Valley of religion – it’s the lowest point in American religious lives.”According to Newport, religiosity falls from age 18 to 24, but then reverses course and grows steadily until age 44 because 90 percent of Americans will either get married or have children during that period of their lives.http://www.iop.harvard.edu/what-are-millennials-thinking
  2. Why are we even talking about this? – because there are not enough 35-45 year olds to replace your currently retiring employees and leaders.
  3. According to a 2004 marketing study about generational differences, my age cohort "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history." Census data show that almost half of us come from split families; 40% were latch-key kids.A study produced in 2012 by The largest numerical gain was the nearly 2.2 million new Nones. In addition, 1.8 million did not supply a religious identification. This was a big rise over 1990 and is probably another indicator of alienation At the same time, there was evidence of movement into more conservative religious groups. The Christian Generic group (Christian, Protestant, Non-denominational Christian, Evangelical/Born Again) grew by over 1.8 million, and the Protestant Sects (e.g. Jehovah’s Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of Christ) and the Pentecostals each attracted 300,000 new identifiers.
  4. I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on the frivolous youth of today, for they are reckless beyond words. When I was young, we were taught to be discreet, respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly disrespectful and impatient.“ – Socrates, 400 BC
  5. Less than half of adults under age 30 say that religion is very important in their lives (45%), compared with roughly six-in-ten adults 30 and older (54% among those ages 30-49, 59% among those ages 50-64 and 69% among those ages 65 and older). By this measure, young people exhibit lower levels of religious intensity than their elders do today, and this holds true within a variety of religious groups.
  6. According to a 2004 marketing study about generational differences, my age cohort "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history." Census data show that almost half of us come from split families; 40% were latch-key kids.Savvy, practical, perceptiveUnfeeling, uncultured, amoralLiberty, survival, honorChildren of Artist GenerationChildren in Awakening, midlife in CrisisQueen Elizabeth I, George Washington, Ulysses Grant, George Patton, Harry TrumanGeneration X (1961-1981)Nomad GenerationBorn 1961 – 1982Politics: Nixon resignation, Energy crisis, Iranian hostage crisis, Iran-Contra, Challenger, Gulf WarSociety: end of 1960s, “Me” decade, divorce revolution, working Moms, “quality time”, latchkey kids, Catholic church/Boy Scouts abuseBusiness: downsizing, multinational corporationsCulture: focused on technology, non-traditional families, independent youth, alienation Identification with religion declined among Generation X as they aged, particularly among men, which suggests that the secularization of Americans is not just about young people from the Millennial Generation abandoning religion because it has become too politicized. It is an on-going and wider process that involves other generations in American society, particularly Generation X. Though higher education is usually associated in the conventional wisdom with higher levels of secularity, the subset of college graduates among Generation X is no more secular than is the generation as a whole. The findings of this report are also important for predicting future trends in American society as a whole. Generation X is the current parenting generation and according to many social commentators they should have become more religious as they began to marry, have children and settle down in their communities. They might also have been expected to become more conservative politically as they took on more responsibilities, became property owners and advanced in their careers. However, this prediction was not fulfilled among the majority. Religiously and politically, Generation X came to resemble the younger Millennial generation more than their own parents in the Boomer and earlier generations. These inter-generational and intra-generational trends have implications for the future since much of Generation X is raising its own children in less religious home environments than they experienced themselves when they were growing up.
  7. According to a 2004 marketing study about generational differences, my age cohort "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history." Census data show that almost half of us come from split families; 40% were latch-key kids.A study produced in 2012 by The largest numerical gain was the nearly 2.2 million new Nones. In addition, 1.8 million did not supply a religious identification. This was a big rise over 1990 and is probably another indicator of alienation At the same time, there was evidence of movement into more conservative religious groups. The Christian Generic group (Christian, Protestant, Non-denominational Christian, Evangelical/Born Again) grew by over 1.8 million, and the Protestant Sects (e.g. Jehovah’s Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of Christ) and the Pentecostals each attracted 300,000 new identifiers.
  8. While fewer Gen Xers are getting married, their divorce rates are significantly lower than Baby Boomers’ divorce rates at the same age48% of Gen X fathers spend 3 to 6 hours a week on childrearing, compared to only 29% of Baby Boomer fathersToday, twice as many Gen X moms as Baby Boomer moms elect to stay at home to raise their children, rather than pursue a careerGen Xers grew up in an era marked by uncertainty and many were the product of two-income households. Weighing the pros and cons of everything became a way of life.To counter this sense of uncertainty, having children and a stable family rank high on their list of priorities, and may include close friends in their definition of family. They are the generation most likely to say that they place greater importance on things like personal life and family rather than finances.
  9. But not all is lost. Having children has always been a major driver to return people to the church. And the millennials, at twice the size of Gen X, will end up having a lot of children if only by virtue of the size of their generation.
  10. The region’s population is also growing more diverse. Already in 2000, whites were no longer the majority. Hispanics make up an ever greater share of the region by 2040.
  11.  The green lower portion of the graph represents growth from 1970 Americans and their descendants. There were 203 million people living in the U.S. in 1970. The projection of growth in 1970-stock Americans and their descendants from 1994 to 2050 is based on recent native-born fertility and mortality rates. This growth would occur despite below replacement-level fertility rates because of population momentum, where today's children will grow up to have their own children. This segment of Americans is on track to peak at 247 million in 2030 and then gradually decline.11  The red upper portion of the graph represents the difference between the number of 1970-stock Americans and the total population. The tens of millions of people represented by this block are the immigrants who have arrived, or are projected to arrive, since 1970, plus their descendents, minus deaths. They are projected to comprise 70% of all U.S. population growth between 1993 and 205033.
  12. Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie and Fitch, gave a little-noticed interview in Salon in 2006. One of his comments read: As far as Jeffries is concerned, America’s unattractive, overweight or otherwise undesirable teens can shop elsewhere. “In every school there are the cool and popular kids, and then there are the not-so-cool kids,” he says. “Candidly, we go after the cool kids. We go after the attractive all-American kid with a great attitude and a lot of friends. A lot of people don’t belong [in our clothes], and they can’t belong. Are we exclusionary? Absolutely. Those companies that are in trouble are trying to target everybody: young, old, fat, skinny. But then you become totally vanilla. You don’t alienate anybody, but you don’t excite anybody, either.”The interview wasn’t really noticed at that time, but re-emerged in a May 2013 Business Insider article about H&M – a competitor – using a “plus-sized” model in a new marketing campaign, when they were referenced by a retail analyst.
  13. Kim Kardashian may be more well known than the Robertsons of Duck Dynasty, but her show only drew 3 million viewers in its season finale this year. The highest rated episodes of Keeping up with the Kardashians averaged about 4 million views. By contrast, Duck Dynasty’s season finale drew 9.6 million viewers.Duck Dynasty was the number one watched show that evening. Second, It was nine times most popular than the next ranked reality show that evening. It even pulled a ratings share double than that of the Lakers NBA Playoff game.“Duck Dynasty’s” 4.3 national adults 18-49 rating (total US) was also 34% stronger than last night’s top broadcast show, “American Idol” (3.2 adults 18-49 rating).”“ Duck Dynasty was also the most social show on television Wednesday night. According to Bluefin Labs and Trendrr.tv, the telecast had more total activity across all major social media platforms than any other series on television for the night – beating American Idol and Survivor.”What’s unique about Duck Dynasty? The show emphasizes faith and family values and ends every episode with a prayer before the family eats a meal together.I guess someone needs to tell Kim Kardashian her 15 minutes are up.
  14. Finally, the third explanation is that Millennials have also radically redefined expectations of their value and ability to contribute to success. And what's more, their parents encouraged them to think that. Parents demanded explanations from teachers for bad test scores and grades. Parents complained to the principal when Billy got in the honor society and Johnny did not. Parents borrowed the money for questionable degrees instead of more vocationally oriented courses of study. Parents sent them to summer camps every year instead of asking them to get a job. As the old 1980s PSA about drugs used to say “I learned it by watching you.”
  15. Studies show that 80% of Millennials talk with their parents every day. There’s a women in my neighborhood who rented her house to two single male medical students. At first she was worried about having two single men living in the house about what kind of condition they would leave the house in – would there be parties, etc. Then she was relieved when she found out that one of their mothers was coming to live with them for three months to cook and clean, you know take care of them. The other mother was going to alternate quarterly living there with her.As a Gen Xer, I was flabbergasted. I couldn’t even get my head around the concept to respond. But it’s not an unusual concept. If you manage millennials at some point you will deal with parents. I had an employee who shared a room with her mother at the company’s annual conference in Las Vegas. I negotiated an employment contract with a young man’s father. My wife was a professor at the UT Medical School and everyone there had stories about interacting with the parents of medical students or residents – people who had received their MDs – concerning their grades or employment reviews.
  16. The second thing we did was to try and develop a path to success for these young workers. Most real estate companies have “training” programs for new agents that consist of making lots of phone calls and spending some time “apprenticing” under an experienced real estate broker. I think many of us went through those programs – I know I picked up enough coffee and dry cleaning to achieve expert proficiency in those skills. We looked at our hiring, and determined about 1 in 5 of our new hires made it, and we terminated or lost another 50% within the first year. This was after reviewing hundreds of resumes, multiple interviews with dozens of candidates, and testing each potential hire. Basically, we would throw these young workers to the wolves, hope their senior brokers would tell them something, occasionally plan meetings where we told them something we thought was important, and then were shocked when in three months, they had only set a few meetings.Dr. Lipkin talks about the challenges that Millennials face in lower-level positions: “This generation recognizes early on in the work experience that great work gets noticed. Since getting noticed is important and motivating to this generation, everything that they do must be great, and subsequently they have difficulty with the job duties of entry level positions.” I also came to understand that they were genuinely frustrated by what they perceived as their failures, and that they really wanted to show them the path to success, to invest the time in them to give them the “keys to the mint.” . A 27-year old attorney in Washington, D.C. said it best: “It's probably pretty parental in its roots, but knowing that someone cares about how you're doing makes you want to do better to impress them and make them proud.” 
  17. The region’s population is also growing more diverse. Already in 2000, whites were no longer the majority. Hispanics make up an ever greater share of the region by 2040.
  18. According to a 2004 marketing study about generational differences, my age cohort "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history." Census data show that almost half of us come from split families; 40% were latch-key kids.A study produced in 2012 by The largest numerical gain was the nearly 2.2 million new Nones. In addition, 1.8 million did not supply a religious identification. This was a big rise over 1990 and is probably another indicator of alienation At the same time, there was evidence of movement into more conservative religious groups. The Christian Generic group (Christian, Protestant, Non-denominational Christian, Evangelical/Born Again) grew by over 1.8 million, and the Protestant Sects (e.g. Jehovah’s Witness, Seventh Day Adventist, Church of Christ) and the Pentecostals each attracted 300,000 new identifiers.
  19. DavidKinnaman reveals in You Lost Me that 41% of millennials desire “a more traditional faith, rather than a hip verison of Christianity.”Winston is part of a growing cadre of shaving aficionados turning to the Internet to learn what the convenience-driven, throwaway era of their fathers never taught them. Rather than standing at bathroom sinks next to their dads, the men are sitting in front of computers watching YouTube videos and shaving blogs that demonstrate the intricacies of traditional shaves: how to properly hold a safety razor, techniques for building a good lather and even a 22-step breakdown of the anatomy of a straight razor. Gillette purchased the “Art of Shaving” in 2009, has doubled the number of stores in the last four years to 63 and plans 7 new stores this year.There were 1,759 new breweries opened last year according to the Brewers Association, putting every American within 10 miles of a brewery. Craft brewery earnings are up 12% by revenue while the profits of both Anheuser-Busch and MolsonCoors are falling, and overall consumption is down 1% for all beer. 46% of craft brew/microbrew consumers are Millennials.Millenials have also brought back the bowtie; Andy Steger is a Presbyterian minister in South Carolina – his wife hand makes a series of bowties available on the internet under the name Cordial Churchman. And it’s not just a small niche – last year mannequins at Levi’s flagship store in Times Square boasted Cordial Churchman bowties.Sales of home canning supplies have risen 35 percent in the past three years, and sales of the “Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving” (the bible of home canning) have doubled over just the past year, according to the company. There’s the knitting resurgence, the homemade cleaning supplies made using white vinegar, the homemaker blogs. Then there’s all the “Little House on the Prairie” stuff, with its shades of ’70s hippie back-to-the-landism — the beekeeping, the cheesemaking, the urban chickens. When the magazine Backyard Poultry came out with its first issue almost six years ago, it printed 15,000 copies. Today, it prints 113,000.Just last week I saw an article about seven ways to know that you were at a millennial wedding: one of which was There's DIY everywhere, because the bride decided to make a few of her favorite projects from her "Wedding Inspiration" Pinterest board. Which, by the way, she's been adding Pins to since college
  20. This group, that’s brought back the straight razor and the bowtie, home canning and the microbrew and is hand making projects for their wedding ceremonies will only come to church if it sounds like a Phil Collins concert?I don’t believe it.Michelle Van Loon confirms this assumption: “As Boomers supplemented or replaced evangelism with marketing, we grew organizations that were marked by responsiveness to the felt needs of our target market. This worked as long as the target market was us.Ed Brett, a Gen X worshipper notes continues that “if there’s a good reason that more mature Christians aren’t ‘worshipping’ with a rock band, maybe there’s a good reason why us younger ones shouldn’t be ‘worshipping’ with a rock band either.”The idea that the contemporary service is popular with younger worshippers persists despite research that contradicts this. Think they like contemporary Gospel music? Think again. Fewer than one-fifth of those in their twenties say they like Christian and Gospel Music. This type of music “is actually preferred much more widely among people in their forties and older.”Ten or fifteen years ago, it was American evangelical congregations that seemed cutting edge. They had the bands, the coolest youth pastor, professional babysitting for every women’s Bible study, and a church library full of Christian novels. But now, to kids who grew up in that context, it seems a bit dated or disconnected—the same kind of feeling that a 90′s movie gives them. Not that it’s not a church; it’s just feels to them the way that 50′s worship felt to their parents. So they leave. If they don’t walk away from Christianity completely, they head to Rome or something similar.
  21. Reduce overall number of song/serviceSing biblically-inspired songs average people can singIncorporate traditional liturgical elements: creeds, Lord’s Prayer, Communion, Old Testament and New Testament ReadingHave a sermon that meaningfully teaches the BibleConnect worship to historical Christian tradition
  22. One technique that should be very effective in reaching out to Millennials is the “class meeting” developed by John Wesley and used by the early Methodists. The class meeting was a small group of 6-8 believers, both men and women, of varying degrees of discipleship. The class meeting met weekly for encouragement, discipleship and accountability.D. Michael Henderson described the program and its success:The heart of this revolutionary system was a cell group of six to eight people which Wesley names ‘the class meeting.’ They met weekly to give an account of their personal spiritual growth … The class meeting proved to be such an effective tool for radical personal change that it can be acknowledged as the pivotal element of the Methodist movement, the vehicle change, the medium which enabled the message to be internalized.Can small groups work in churches today? In 2010, the United Methodist Church released its Vital Congregations report. The project found that 60% of high-vitality congregations had 6 or more small groups, while 66% of low vitality congregations had six or fewer groups. Both Wesley and George Whitfield, preached, but Whitfield assumed believers would join over their own accord. Wesley designed a system of accountability and personal connection that caused rapid growth in membership. I’ll repeat the quote from the attorney in the Millennial chapter in Washington, D.C. said it best: “It's probably pretty parental in its roots, but knowing that someone cares about how you're doing makes you want to do better to impress them and make them proud.”D. Michael Henderson, A Model for Making Disciples: John Wesley’s Class Meeting, 1997United Methodist Church, UMC Call to Action: Vital Congregations Research Project, 2010
  23. St. Augustine wrote in 408 AD: “It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he [the non-Christian] should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are.” St. Augustine, The Literal Interpretation of Genesis 1:19–20, Chapt. 19 [AD 408
  24. A mother’s role will always remain primary in terms of intimacy, care, and nurture. (The toughest man may well sport a tattoo dedicated to the love of his mother, without the slightest embarrassment or sentimentality). No father can replace that relationship. But it is equally true that when a child begins to move into that period of differentiation from home and engagement with the world “out there,” he (and she) looks increasingly to the father for his role model. Where the father is indifferent, inadequate, or just plain absent, that task of differentiation and engagement is much harder. When children see that church is a “women and children” thing, they will respond accordingly—by not going to church, or going much less.Curiously, both adult women as well as men will conclude subconsciously that Dad’s absence indicates that going to church is not really a “grown-up” activity. In terms of commitment, a mother’s role may be to encourage and confirm, but it is not primary to her adult offspring’s decision. Mothers’ choices have dramatically less effect upon children than their fathers’, and without him she has little effect on the primary lifestyle choices her offspring make in their religious observances.Read more:http://www.touchstonemag.com/archives/article.php?id=16-05-024-v#ixzz2a8HGz11s
  25. A survey in England in 2009 showed that almost 60% of men enjoyed singing but didn’t like the music: “ they preferred anthemic songs and 'proclamational' hymns as opposed to more emotional love songs.”
  26. DavidKinnaman reveals in You Lost Me that 41% of millennials desire “a more traditional faith, rather than a hip verison of Christianity.”http://www.frederica.com/writings/men-and-church.htmlA recent convert summed up, “Orthodoxy is serious. It is difficult. It is demanding. It is about mercy, but it’s also about overcoming oneself. I am challenged in a deep way, not to ‘feel good about myself’ but to become holy. It is rigorous, and in that rigor I find liberation.“Orthodoxy emphasizes DOING. Grace is not just a static concept, as in the old acronym, ‘God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense.’ Grace is God’s activity in the world and within us, and we’re supposed to share in it and participate in it. The emphasis on action really appeals to a man’s desire for significance. Guys are ACTIVITY oriented.”A priest writes: “Christ in Orthodoxy is a militant, butt-kicking Jesus who takes Hell captive. Orthodox Jesus came to cast fire on the earth. (Males can relate to butt-kicking and fire-casting.) In Holy Baptism we pray for the newly-enlisted warriors of Christ, male and female, that they may ‘be kept ever warriors invincible.’”Another word for continuity is “tradition.” A catechumen writes that he had tried to learn everything necessary to interpret Scripture correctly, including ancient languages. “I expected to dig my way down to the foundation and confirm everything I’d been taught. Instead, the further down I went, the weaker everything seemed. I realized I had only acquired the ability to manipulate the Bible to say pretty much anything I wanted it to. The only alternative to cynicism was tradition. If the Bible was meant to say anything, it was meant to say it within a community, with a tradition to guide the reading.Speaking as a girl, I initially disliked Orthodox worship, because I was used to an approach that aimed at inspiration and uplift—in short, aimed at me. The relentless focus on God alone seemed “hard.” A female visitor to a Vespers service that was only occasionally in English told me that she didn’t understand much that went on, “But I know one thing: this is so not about me.”The men who wrote me expressed hearty dislike for what they perceive as a soft Western Jesus. “American Christianity in the last two hundred years has been feminized. It presents Jesus as a friend, a lover, someone who ‘walks with me and talks with me.’ This is fine rapturous imagery for women who need a social life. Or it depicts Jesus whipped, dead on the cross. Neither is the type of Christ the typical male wants much to do with.”One man said that worship at his Pentecostal church had been “largely an emotional experience. Feelings. Tears. Repeated rededication of one’s life to Christ, in large emotional group settings. Singing emotional songs, swaying hands aloft. Even Scripture reading was supposed to produce an emotional experience. I am basically a do-er, I want to do things, and not talk about or emote my way through them!” A priest writes: “There are only two models for men: be ‘manly’ and strong, rude, crude, macho, and probably abusive; or be sensitive, kind, repressed and wimpy. But in Orthodoxy, masculine is held together with feminine; it’s real and down to earth, ‘neither male nor female,’ but Christ who ‘unites things in heaven and things on earth.’”Instead of negativity, they are constantly surrounded by positive role models in the saints, in icons and in the daily round of hymns and stories about saints’ lives. This is another concrete element that men appreciate-there are other real human beings to look to, rather than a blur of ethereal terms. “The glory of God is a man fully alive” said St. Irenaeus. One writer adds that “The best way to attract a man to the Orthodox Church is to show him an Orthodox man.”
  27. Kevin M. Watson says “No matter what our denominational background, it seems that most Christians in America are struggling to practice their faiths. At the same time we also appear to live in a culture where people are increasingly turned off by a church that does not practice what it preaches. If this is true, we who are in the church have a problem.
  28. I would suggest:Get out in the community with visible service projects – visible to the groups you are servingEngage city leaders to help the church define community mission needs and then work those projectsMission to non-believer communities, not proselytizing, but in love.
  29. Ten or fifteen years ago, it was American evangelical congregations that seemed cutting edge. They had the bands, the coolest youth pastor, professional babysitting for every women’s Bible study, and a church library full of Christian novels. But now, to kids who grew up in that context, it seems a bit dated or disconnected—the same kind of feeling that a 90′s movie gives them. Not that it’s not a church; it’s just feels to them the way that 50′s worship felt to their parents. So they leave. If they don’t walk away from Christianity completely, they head to Rome or something similar.Or, as millennial NW Smith puts itWe drink beer with hipsters while talking of music.We drink scotch with intellectuals while talking of ethics.We are not impressed by your in-church coffee-shop bible-studies.I do not want bastardized Calvinism via a concise visual aid.Jonathan Edwards is not my homeboy.I do not want a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Personal relationship Jesus wears a sport coat and drives a Suburban. Or worse, a graphic tee and a smartcar.I would take that bizarre religion of holy madmen, who tell me that I drink the blood and eat the flesh of my god.