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'Hipster' Christianity vs. authenticity
Becky Yeh - OneNewsNow California correspondent - 8/28/2010 4:00:00 AMBookmark and Share
Book cover - Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide - by Brett McCrackenHoping to bridge the gap between the "irrelevant" church and young people who seek a counter-culture, a conservative journalist believes a wave of modern Christianity has gone "hipster" in its approach to reach the next generation.
There is no stained glass -- in fact, the only colors that illuminate this church glimmer from lights that hang from the local nightclub in which it meets. The pastor looks as if he was ripped out of the latest fashion magazine, and his sermon proves trendy as he injects a joke or two about the latest musician. Topics like pleasure and sex are used in the message to lure the audience.
Brett McCracken, a student at Talbot School of Theology and a journalist who authored Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide, believes the church's attempt to be "cool" is not the answer to drawing the next generation towards Christ.
"I think it's the biggest problem because the nature of 'cool' is always changing," McCracken suggests. "Anytime you are a church and you are trying to be relevant, you will end up looking a little desperate."
In a Wall Street Journal article, McCracken dissects the "Perils of 'Wannabe Cool' Christianity," stating that cultural relevance and Christianity have come head-to-head.
Brett McCracken"I think [hipster Christianity] does have some appeal to younger people, especially people who have been burned by the church," the Talbot student regards. "They are looking for something new. Younger Christians want to engage with the culture instead of having a sub-culture."
In a technically-savvy age, some congregations are encouraged to communicate with the pastor via texting and social media outlets such as Twitter. Churches employ shock tactics in order to reach mass audiences. By using "sex-themed marketing gimmicks," churches hope to draw a crowd by tackling topics like "biblical oral sex" and "pleasuring your spouse."
In his article, McCracken refers to the online video journal, MyNakedPastor.com. The site was created by Flamingo Road Church in Florida, where a camera followed Pastor Tony Gramling for five weeks. The church also created IveScrewedUp.com, an online confessional site where flocks of young people can anonymously confess their sins -- admitting their failures, mistakes, and addictions to drugs and pornography.
Although the conservative journalist recognizes that these topics need to be addressed biblically, he believes that the church should be careful not to use "sex-themed marketing gimmicks" as a tool to portray Christianity and churches as "rebellious," "controversial," and "not your grandma's church" in their attempts to be relevant.
The modern church is seeing a decline in attendance from the younger crowd as statistics show that teenagers and young adults are leaving the church in large numbers, especially when they move out on their own. They see the church as ancient and outdated, having no real relevance to today's culture. Despite the church's efforts to reach them, many have left congregations with a bad taste in their mouths, often feeling judged and spiritually unfulfilled.
In his book titled unChristian, David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, points out that those from ages 16 to 29 are more skeptical and frustrated with Christianity than the generation before -- and rightfully so, he adds. The results of these findings were shocking because Kinnaman believed that people's perceptions of the church were usually "based on misinformation."
David Kinnaman (Barna)"As we probed why young people had come to such conclusions, I was surprised how much their perceptions were rooted in specific stories and personal interactions with Christians and in churches," the Barna Group president notes. "When they labeled Christians as judgmental, this was not merely spiritual defensiveness. It was frequently the result of truly 'unChristian' experiences. We discovered that the descriptions that young people offered of Christianity were more thoughtful, nuanced and experiential than expected."
Although some churches choose to conform to the identity with which hipsters relate, McCracken suggests that the next generation is ready for authentic Christianity -- not a "superficial" religion. "Young people are so bombarded with technology, I feel like they might want the church to be a break way from that," he explains. "I think young people respond to authenticity."
The journalist believes the church should respond by focusing on the gospel rather than the pursuit of "cool."
"If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that 'cool' Christianity is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken," McCracken contends. "As a twenty-something, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real. If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular -- it's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true."
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=1135930
Becky Yeh - OneNewsNow California correspondent - 8/28/2010 4:00:00 AMBookmark and Share
Book cover - Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide - by Brett McCrackenHoping to bridge the gap between the "irrelevant" church and young people who seek a counter-culture, a conservative journalist believes a wave of modern Christianity has gone "hipster" in its approach to reach the next generation.
There is no stained glass -- in fact, the only colors that illuminate this church glimmer from lights that hang from the local nightclub in which it meets. The pastor looks as if he was ripped out of the latest fashion magazine, and his sermon proves trendy as he injects a joke or two about the latest musician. Topics like pleasure and sex are used in the message to lure the audience.
Brett McCracken, a student at Talbot School of Theology and a journalist who authored Hipster Christianity: When Church and Cool Collide, believes the church's attempt to be "cool" is not the answer to drawing the next generation towards Christ.
"I think it's the biggest problem because the nature of 'cool' is always changing," McCracken suggests. "Anytime you are a church and you are trying to be relevant, you will end up looking a little desperate."
In a Wall Street Journal article, McCracken dissects the "Perils of 'Wannabe Cool' Christianity," stating that cultural relevance and Christianity have come head-to-head.
Brett McCracken"I think [hipster Christianity] does have some appeal to younger people, especially people who have been burned by the church," the Talbot student regards. "They are looking for something new. Younger Christians want to engage with the culture instead of having a sub-culture."
In a technically-savvy age, some congregations are encouraged to communicate with the pastor via texting and social media outlets such as Twitter. Churches employ shock tactics in order to reach mass audiences. By using "sex-themed marketing gimmicks," churches hope to draw a crowd by tackling topics like "biblical oral sex" and "pleasuring your spouse."
In his article, McCracken refers to the online video journal, MyNakedPastor.com. The site was created by Flamingo Road Church in Florida, where a camera followed Pastor Tony Gramling for five weeks. The church also created IveScrewedUp.com, an online confessional site where flocks of young people can anonymously confess their sins -- admitting their failures, mistakes, and addictions to drugs and pornography.
Although the conservative journalist recognizes that these topics need to be addressed biblically, he believes that the church should be careful not to use "sex-themed marketing gimmicks" as a tool to portray Christianity and churches as "rebellious," "controversial," and "not your grandma's church" in their attempts to be relevant.
The modern church is seeing a decline in attendance from the younger crowd as statistics show that teenagers and young adults are leaving the church in large numbers, especially when they move out on their own. They see the church as ancient and outdated, having no real relevance to today's culture. Despite the church's efforts to reach them, many have left congregations with a bad taste in their mouths, often feeling judged and spiritually unfulfilled.
In his book titled unChristian, David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, points out that those from ages 16 to 29 are more skeptical and frustrated with Christianity than the generation before -- and rightfully so, he adds. The results of these findings were shocking because Kinnaman believed that people's perceptions of the church were usually "based on misinformation."
David Kinnaman (Barna)"As we probed why young people had come to such conclusions, I was surprised how much their perceptions were rooted in specific stories and personal interactions with Christians and in churches," the Barna Group president notes. "When they labeled Christians as judgmental, this was not merely spiritual defensiveness. It was frequently the result of truly 'unChristian' experiences. We discovered that the descriptions that young people offered of Christianity were more thoughtful, nuanced and experiential than expected."
Although some churches choose to conform to the identity with which hipsters relate, McCracken suggests that the next generation is ready for authentic Christianity -- not a "superficial" religion. "Young people are so bombarded with technology, I feel like they might want the church to be a break way from that," he explains. "I think young people respond to authenticity."
The journalist believes the church should respond by focusing on the gospel rather than the pursuit of "cool."
"If the evangelical Christian leadership thinks that 'cool' Christianity is a sustainable path forward, they are severely mistaken," McCracken contends. "As a twenty-something, I can say with confidence that when it comes to church, we don't want cool as much as we want real. If we are interested in Christianity in any sort of serious way, it is not because it's easy or trendy or popular -- it's because Jesus himself is appealing, and what he says rings true."
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Church/Default.aspx?id=1135930
