10 Things That Demonstrate The World You Grew Up In No Longer Exists

You know things are changing, but the real questions is how quickly and how deeply.

Well, the change is pretty fast and pretty deep.

In fact, unless you’re under 25, the world into which you’re born doesn’t really exist anymore.

You may have heard of the the Beloit College Mindset list. It comes out every year and often makes the news.

The list is designed to get college faculty (and others) into the headspace of the entry class of mostly 18 year olds. Essentially, it’s a tutorial on how much the world has changed since the people who will be teaching that class were in college.

Here are a few random snippets from the Class of 2019 mindset list (the entering students are on average 18 years old):

1. The Lion King has always been on Broadway.
2. They have never licked a postage stamp.
3. Princess Diana, Notorious B.I.G., Jacques Cousteau, and Mother Teresa have never been alive.
4. Hong Kong has always been under Chinese rule.
5. Hybrid automobiles have always been mass produced.

Clearly, the world has changed.

It’s changed for church leaders too—radically.

So what happens when church leaders move on unaware of what’s going on around them?

It’s simple. Church leaders who are out of touch never touch the culture.

Missing the change around you means you will:

Increasingly speak a language people younger than you won’t understand.

Make assumptions that aren’t widely shared or are just erroneous.

End up answering questions no one is asking.

So what changes do church leaders need to know?

I can think of at least 10. Read More