So, how can we preach to a generation that is constantly media connected? How can we share the good news with people who don't really care what's going on outside their group of friends? Here are a few of my ideas (I'd love to hear yours).
Lose control. Don't be so attached to the idea that you get to create the meaning and teaching in your sermons. Provide opportunities for the meaning to be found by each person listening through conversation. If you can get young people talking about your sermon, you've made a huge impact.
Become one of their friends. Connect with people on their terms on their turf. Become friends with people on facebook or other social media. Have conversations (do not judge, do not condemn, just converse). Invite conversation through questions. Demonstrate that it's ok to have questions about God and faith through your own questioning. Be vulnerable and relatively open, that's an invitation for them to do the same.
Use conversational preaching to bring the discussion in from facebook to the sermon. I often start a conversation on facebook that is inspired by my sermon topic in order to get connected with what people are really thinking about it. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but commentary writers don't usually have their finger on the pulse of society.
How do you connect with the internet generation?
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