Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Offsetting guilt


Our world is moving. I wonder if I am moving with it to position myself for the advancement of the Gospel and the broadcasting for seeds for new churches.


TrendCentral offers this insight into today's people. In the January 28, 2008 email newsletter they highlight:
Karma Offsetting--Consumers are increasingly looking for ways to alleviate guilt caused by environmentally harmful actions without necessarily changing their behavior. As a result, carbon offsetting is gaining momentum, with everyone from bands (Rolling Stones, Coldplay) planting trees to counteract the waste created by rock concerts and album production, to airlines (Virgin Atlantic, Air France) offering passengers the option to offset their travel with donations to environmental non-profits. Going forward, consumers will want convenient ways to offset all kinds of guilt-inducing activities with an equivalent good deed in areas such as parenting, diet and work.

If our culture is seeking ways to offset their guilt with good deeds, then how are we as a church offering opportunities to do good deeds with us so that we can interface together and get to know them better. In the long-term, we could build relationships based on their need to offset their guilt by doing good things in the community. I wonder if that would work.

I want it now

"I want it now." That sums up today's generation. I ponder how to communicate God's eternal truth of making disciples of all nations over generations versus instant success expectations from this younger generation.

In my recent perusal of articles, I see students as consumer's first. I wonder how I can devise ways to convince "want-it-now" people that waiting for disciples is worth the wait. I ponder how I can communicate "wait-to-see" investments to individuals who "want-to-see-it-now." May God give us the wisdom to engage this morphing culture and to make disciples of all nations.