1 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:09,119 S1: Today on Chris Fabry Live. Who is Jan Alpha? What 2 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:11,520 S1: kind of world do they live in and what do 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,400 S1: they need from us? What are they struggling with? How 4 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:19,360 S1: are they responding to the gospel, to the truth of Scripture? 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,799 S1: We're going to answer those questions and a lot more 6 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,080 S1: today at the Radio Backyard Fence. Two guests for you 7 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,920 S1: who have a heart for Generation Alpha, you're going to 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,800 S1: meet them. And we want to hear your questions and 9 00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:33,639 S1: comments as well. You'll find all of our information at 10 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:40,800 S1: Chris Fabry live.org, FABRY, Chris fabry.org. Let me thank our team. 11 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:44,280 S1: Ryan McConaughey's doing all things technical. Trish is our producer. 12 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:47,280 S1: Lee says hanging out. Josh is going to be answering 13 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:49,800 S1: your calls, and we come to you today because we 14 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,000 S1: have friends and partners who get behind us and allow 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:57,319 S1: us to bring you information and conversation and a little 16 00:00:57,360 --> 00:01:01,030 S1: bit of encouragement like we're going to hear today These 17 00:01:01,030 --> 00:01:03,870 S1: friends and partners are having an impact on your life 18 00:01:03,870 --> 00:01:07,030 S1: if you benefit from this program. Would you come alongside 19 00:01:07,030 --> 00:01:10,230 S1: us here in June? It's our fiscal year end. Maria 20 00:01:10,270 --> 00:01:13,590 S1: did she said relevant topics brought to me from someone 21 00:01:13,590 --> 00:01:16,510 S1: who feels like a friend and brother. Maria. Thank you. 22 00:01:16,510 --> 00:01:19,670 S1: That warms my heart. And each month I choose a 23 00:01:19,670 --> 00:01:23,630 S1: token of appreciation to send you in. Thanks. And in June, 24 00:01:23,910 --> 00:01:26,309 S1: it's the heart cry of a hero. He passed away 25 00:01:26,310 --> 00:01:29,990 S1: in March, and this month we decided to honor him 26 00:01:30,230 --> 00:01:34,430 S1: by giving you his parting words to the church he loved. 27 00:01:34,430 --> 00:01:37,990 S1: Doctor John Perkins wrote a book titled One Blood. It 28 00:01:37,990 --> 00:01:42,229 S1: is filled with stories and hope and practical examples of 29 00:01:42,230 --> 00:01:45,949 S1: the power of reconciliation. Let me send you a copy 30 00:01:45,950 --> 00:01:48,029 S1: of that one. Blood. Give a gift of any size 31 00:01:48,030 --> 00:01:51,950 S1: today at Chris favorite.org. We'll send you a copy, or 32 00:01:51,950 --> 00:01:57,750 S1: you can call us at 86695 Fabry to give again, 33 00:01:57,750 --> 00:02:00,860 S1: get a copy of One Blood by Doctor John Perkins, 34 00:02:01,020 --> 00:02:10,299 S1: Chris Fabry live.org or (866) 953-2279. And thanks for your support 35 00:02:10,500 --> 00:02:13,860 S1: of the radio backyard Fence two guests for you today, 36 00:02:13,860 --> 00:02:16,620 S1: Shane and Shelley. Shane. And this gives me an opportunity 37 00:02:16,620 --> 00:02:19,540 S1: to tell you that our in just I think it's 38 00:02:19,540 --> 00:02:22,940 S1: two weeks from today. Our book club starts. Rosie's book 39 00:02:22,940 --> 00:02:27,860 S1: club is back and we're reading the novel Shane. Shane Pruitt, though, 40 00:02:27,860 --> 00:02:30,340 S1: doesn't have anything to do with that. Shane Pruitt serves 41 00:02:30,340 --> 00:02:33,820 S1: as the national next gen director for the North American 42 00:02:33,820 --> 00:02:36,260 S1: Mission Board. He and his wife, Casey, live in Texas 43 00:02:36,260 --> 00:02:39,060 S1: with their five children. He's been in ministry for more 44 00:02:39,060 --> 00:02:41,900 S1: than 20 years as a church planter, lead pastor, and 45 00:02:41,900 --> 00:02:44,460 S1: student pastor. I could say a lot more about him, 46 00:02:44,980 --> 00:02:47,060 S1: but one of the most important things is he is 47 00:02:47,060 --> 00:02:51,859 S1: co-author with Shelley Melia, who serves as associate dean and 48 00:02:51,860 --> 00:02:54,940 S1: program director for the Master of Arts in Children's Ministry 49 00:02:54,940 --> 00:02:57,040 S1: and the Master of Arts and Family Ministry in and 50 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,200 S1: the Graduate School of Ministry at Dallas Baptist University. I 51 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,880 S1: did it all in one sentence and they have written, 52 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:07,799 S1: Shane and Shelley have written Reaching Generation Alpha. It's our 53 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,280 S1: featured resource today. Subtitled A Ministry Guide for Discipling the 54 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:16,440 S1: Church Beyond the screen. Just go to Chris Fabry live.org. Shelley, 55 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:17,600 S1: are you doing okay today? 56 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,040 S2: I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having us 57 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:23,280 S2: on here. We're just excited to be able to talk 58 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:25,919 S2: about what we believe the Lord gave us to share. 59 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,880 S1: And so am I. And Shane, have you ever read 60 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:30,120 S1: the novel Shane? 61 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,280 S3: You know what? First of all, it's great to be 62 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,920 S3: back on. Thanks for having me on again, Chris. And 63 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,920 S3: I haven't, you know, but people my whole life have 64 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,120 S3: told me, come back, Shane, come back. And I've never 65 00:03:43,120 --> 00:03:45,480 S3: seen it or I've never seen the movie or read 66 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:46,320 S3: the novel before. 67 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:48,680 S1: Okay, we're going to change all that and you're going 68 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,160 S1: to be with us in two weeks on the book club. No, 69 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:53,760 S1: you don't have to be. Love it. But and people 70 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:55,560 S1: have asked, okay, so how do I be a part 71 00:03:55,670 --> 00:03:57,270 S1: of the book club? All you gotta do is get 72 00:03:57,270 --> 00:04:00,670 S1: the book library, buy it, read it, and then join 73 00:04:00,670 --> 00:04:02,630 S1: us on that Tuesday, because we're just going to have 74 00:04:02,630 --> 00:04:06,390 S1: a round table discussion about it. But but today's book 75 00:04:06,390 --> 00:04:11,070 S1: is reaching Generation Alpha. But first you, Shelly, why focus 76 00:04:11,070 --> 00:04:12,310 S1: on this generation? 77 00:04:13,910 --> 00:04:16,989 S2: Well, they're the emerging generation. They are two years old 78 00:04:16,990 --> 00:04:20,190 S2: to 16 years old in our churches. And Shane and 79 00:04:20,190 --> 00:04:24,950 S2: I partnered and collaborated on this really because, uh, we 80 00:04:24,990 --> 00:04:30,190 S2: have kids in both children's ministry and youth ministry, student 81 00:04:30,190 --> 00:04:32,870 S2: ministry that are part of Gen Alpha. And so my 82 00:04:32,870 --> 00:04:37,110 S2: background is children's ministry. And of course, he is the 83 00:04:37,110 --> 00:04:41,150 S2: student ministry guru. And so we partnered together to try 84 00:04:41,150 --> 00:04:46,510 S2: to really proactively paint a picture. Of course, generalizations happen 85 00:04:46,510 --> 00:04:51,150 S2: when you talk about generation. So not every child student 86 00:04:51,150 --> 00:04:54,190 S2: are going to be exactly like what we talk about. 87 00:04:54,540 --> 00:04:58,260 S2: but to help parents, to help grandparents. I think grandparents 88 00:04:58,260 --> 00:05:00,820 S2: are really going to be interested in this, to learn 89 00:05:00,820 --> 00:05:03,820 S2: more about the culture that our kids are growing up in. 90 00:05:04,140 --> 00:05:05,820 S1: Bingo. Shane, what do you say? 91 00:05:06,820 --> 00:05:10,419 S3: Yeah. And you know, really, now is the time. One 92 00:05:10,420 --> 00:05:12,860 S3: of the things that we talk about in the book, 93 00:05:12,860 --> 00:05:15,700 S3: there's a whole chapter on Generation Alpha in the gospel. 94 00:05:15,940 --> 00:05:17,500 S3: And one of the things we share in there is, 95 00:05:17,500 --> 00:05:21,540 S3: according to statistics, 77%. And I want to say that again. 96 00:05:21,540 --> 00:05:26,539 S3: So everybody hears it. 77% of all Christians in the 97 00:05:26,540 --> 00:05:29,539 S3: United States surrender to Jesus as Lord and Savior before 98 00:05:29,540 --> 00:05:32,620 S3: the age of 18. Now, I believe in the sovereignty 99 00:05:32,660 --> 00:05:34,420 S3: of God that God can save whom he wants, when 100 00:05:34,420 --> 00:05:36,940 S3: he wants. But practically speaking, if we don't reach a 101 00:05:36,940 --> 00:05:40,060 S3: generation by the time they turn 18, we lose a 102 00:05:40,060 --> 00:05:44,420 S3: whole generation. So now is the time. And also, they're 103 00:05:44,420 --> 00:05:48,260 S3: diving into some things. Unfortunately, because of screens and social 104 00:05:48,260 --> 00:05:51,500 S3: media and phones and tablets in their hands at a 105 00:05:51,500 --> 00:05:55,010 S3: very early age. We also wrote a whole chapter called 106 00:05:55,010 --> 00:05:58,529 S3: Generation Alpha and Their Views on Sexuality and Gender. And 107 00:05:58,529 --> 00:06:03,010 S3: according to Common Sense Media, 52% of 13 year olds 108 00:06:03,010 --> 00:06:06,250 S3: have already come across online pornography in some way. So 109 00:06:06,250 --> 00:06:08,810 S3: that's the majority of them. So if we're waiting till 110 00:06:08,810 --> 00:06:12,890 S3: they're teenagers or even adults to talk about these things, 111 00:06:12,890 --> 00:06:15,370 S3: we're waiting too long. So now is the time. And 112 00:06:15,370 --> 00:06:18,529 S3: that's why there was such urgency to write something like this. 113 00:06:18,930 --> 00:06:22,330 S1: And it's a great resource and it's eye opening, I think, 114 00:06:22,330 --> 00:06:26,370 S1: for parents or grandparents. But one of the things I 115 00:06:26,370 --> 00:06:30,210 S1: saw online, Shelly, you speaking to a group of of 116 00:06:30,330 --> 00:06:35,490 S1: leaders in the church, you say that the world views 117 00:06:35,930 --> 00:06:42,650 S1: the purchasing of basically the life is shaped by algorithms 118 00:06:42,650 --> 00:06:45,890 S1: for generation Alpha. Is that true? 119 00:06:47,450 --> 00:06:51,870 S2: Yes. What I would say is that if we think 120 00:06:51,870 --> 00:06:54,630 S2: about really, we've been on a continuum of this for 121 00:06:54,630 --> 00:06:59,350 S2: a while. It started with Gen Z and continues with them, 122 00:06:59,350 --> 00:07:03,750 S2: where they began to listen to influencers more than institutions, 123 00:07:03,750 --> 00:07:09,710 S2: where we have researchers like Gene Twang and Jonathan Haidt, 124 00:07:09,750 --> 00:07:13,830 S2: who wrote Anxious Generation, who have really opened our eyes 125 00:07:14,270 --> 00:07:18,750 S2: to the fact that technology really changed our kids. Most 126 00:07:18,750 --> 00:07:21,950 S2: of us parents, myself included, if we could have a redo, 127 00:07:21,990 --> 00:07:26,550 S2: if we could have an opportunity to maybe approach technology differently, 128 00:07:26,550 --> 00:07:28,390 S2: most of us would probably say, yeah, we gave those 129 00:07:28,390 --> 00:07:33,070 S2: phones too early. And so we know that our kids 130 00:07:33,070 --> 00:07:38,110 S2: have been on this trajectory towards technology dependence. But now 131 00:07:38,110 --> 00:07:41,390 S2: what we see with Gen Alpha is really formation. It's 132 00:07:41,390 --> 00:07:44,790 S2: not just changing them. It's not just rewiring them. It's 133 00:07:44,790 --> 00:07:49,950 S2: literally forming them because they have their own like personal, uh, 134 00:07:50,020 --> 00:07:53,900 S2: personalized technology ecosystem that they live in. And so the 135 00:07:53,900 --> 00:07:57,380 S2: things that they look at as, you know, feeds those algorithms, 136 00:07:57,380 --> 00:07:59,660 S2: which then are going to feed them more and more 137 00:07:59,660 --> 00:08:01,820 S2: and more. And it's, it's why our country is so 138 00:08:01,820 --> 00:08:04,620 S2: divided right now is because we're all sort of listening 139 00:08:04,660 --> 00:08:09,660 S2: to echo chambers in some ways. And so helping parents see, look, 140 00:08:09,700 --> 00:08:14,500 S2: technology is actually forming your kid's worldview probably more than 141 00:08:14,540 --> 00:08:18,340 S2: you realize. Certainly there's, there's examples where that isn't happening. 142 00:08:18,340 --> 00:08:21,860 S2: There's some really great people and Christian parents who are 143 00:08:21,860 --> 00:08:24,780 S2: successfully navigating that. But I would say for the most part, 144 00:08:25,380 --> 00:08:30,260 S2: parents are really struggling to, to win the heart of 145 00:08:30,300 --> 00:08:32,979 S2: their child because of the influence of the world. 146 00:08:33,380 --> 00:08:35,300 S1: And this resource is going to help you. And the 147 00:08:35,300 --> 00:08:37,860 S1: conversation today, I hope, just kind of whets your appetite. 148 00:08:37,860 --> 00:08:40,300 S1: We're only going to scratch the surface of all of 149 00:08:40,300 --> 00:08:44,099 S1: the research, all the surveys that Shane and Shelly have done. 150 00:08:44,380 --> 00:08:46,380 S1: And one of the helpful things to me was they 151 00:08:46,380 --> 00:08:50,890 S1: listed out all the generations Builders were born before 46 152 00:08:50,890 --> 00:08:53,890 S1: baby boomers. I'm at the tail end of the baby boom, 153 00:08:53,890 --> 00:09:00,130 S1: 46 to 64. Generation X 65 to 79, millennials 80 154 00:09:00,130 --> 00:09:06,130 S1: to 94, generation Z 95 to 2009. And then Generation Alpha, 155 00:09:06,130 --> 00:09:10,250 S1: which we're talking about today, 2010 to 2024. And just 156 00:09:10,250 --> 00:09:14,650 S1: starting generation beta is coming up after them. Born in 157 00:09:14,690 --> 00:09:19,570 S1: 25 on 25 to 39. So so that's those are 158 00:09:19,570 --> 00:09:24,410 S1: the generations. And I agree, you know, the generalizations, it's like, 159 00:09:24,690 --> 00:09:28,290 S1: I don't think that way. But as a general rule, 160 00:09:28,330 --> 00:09:30,770 S1: here's what they're going through. And so I want you 161 00:09:30,770 --> 00:09:34,170 S1: to hear that today at the back fence reaching Generation 162 00:09:34,170 --> 00:09:40,970 S1: Alpha with a a real bold print. What is the gospel? 163 00:09:41,010 --> 00:09:45,010 S1: How are as Generation Alpha responding to the gospel and 164 00:09:45,250 --> 00:09:48,920 S1: scriptural truth? So our featured resource. Just go to Chris 165 00:09:48,960 --> 00:10:04,520 S1: Fabry live.org. Chris Fabry live dot Shelley, Amelia and Shane 166 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:09,240 S1: Pruitt have written a great book, Reaching Generation Alpha. It's 167 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,640 S1: going to be a help to parents and grandparents who 168 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:15,400 S1: are listening. A ministry guide for discipling the church beyond 169 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,520 S1: the screen. And what Shelley was just saying a minute ago. 170 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:24,000 S1: Formation that the internet has been forming and screens phones 171 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,720 S1: have been forming this generation. Really what she's saying is 172 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:32,480 S1: it's discipling this generation. And so we've got to be 173 00:10:32,480 --> 00:10:35,440 S1: on our toes with that next generation. And if you 174 00:10:35,440 --> 00:10:39,280 S1: have a child in Generation Alpha or a grandchild and 175 00:10:39,280 --> 00:10:41,400 S1: you have a question or comment, we're going to open 176 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:50,340 S1: the lines eight, seven, seven, five, four, 836, seven, 58775483675. 177 00:10:50,380 --> 00:10:52,260 S1: I've been seeing the last couple of days. You know, 178 00:10:52,300 --> 00:10:55,420 S1: June is pride month and the flag and all that. 179 00:10:55,420 --> 00:10:58,700 S1: And I wondered, Shane, let me ask you, what is 180 00:10:58,700 --> 00:11:03,020 S1: Generation Alpha since it's been discipled by the internet and 181 00:11:03,020 --> 00:11:09,500 S1: phones screens? What is Generation Alpha think about Pride Month 182 00:11:09,500 --> 00:11:11,340 S1: and that whole idea. 183 00:11:13,140 --> 00:11:16,020 S3: Oh, I love this question. I think it's so relevant. Um, 184 00:11:16,020 --> 00:11:19,979 S3: in fact, I'm with currently. Right now I'm in Oklahoma 185 00:11:20,020 --> 00:11:25,060 S3: speaking to about 1200 teenagers at a Christian youth camp. And, uh, 186 00:11:25,100 --> 00:11:27,819 S3: it didn't come up one time yesterday in any conversations, 187 00:11:27,820 --> 00:11:29,860 S3: which I wouldn't expect it to at a Christian youth camp. 188 00:11:29,860 --> 00:11:32,220 S3: But I will say I was preaching in Genesis one 189 00:11:32,220 --> 00:11:36,500 S3: last night and got to verses 26 and 27 where 190 00:11:36,500 --> 00:11:39,380 S3: it says, God made man in his own image and 191 00:11:39,380 --> 00:11:42,780 S3: the image of God. He made them male and female. And, uh, 192 00:11:42,780 --> 00:11:46,450 S3: with 1200 teenagers, uh, I said, you know, according to 193 00:11:46,490 --> 00:11:50,130 S3: the Bible, God is creator, he's designer, he's perfect. Um, 194 00:11:50,130 --> 00:11:53,050 S3: and he doesn't make mistakes or you are male because 195 00:11:53,090 --> 00:11:55,290 S3: a holy on purpose God said, so you are female 196 00:11:55,330 --> 00:11:58,090 S3: because a holy on purpose. God said so. He also 197 00:11:58,090 --> 00:12:01,850 S3: defined marriage between one man and one woman. And then 198 00:12:01,850 --> 00:12:04,650 S3: I said this to 1200 teenagers. Uh. It is not 199 00:12:04,690 --> 00:12:07,850 S3: hateful to say that. In fact, I would say it's 200 00:12:07,850 --> 00:12:11,770 S3: more a loving to affirm or celebrate a lie in 201 00:12:11,770 --> 00:12:15,210 S3: someone that somehow a perfect God made a mistake on them, 202 00:12:15,210 --> 00:12:19,290 S3: and 1200 teenagers erupted in applause and cheering. So I 203 00:12:19,290 --> 00:12:21,410 S3: would say two things that I think is happening with 204 00:12:21,410 --> 00:12:24,890 S3: Generation Alpha is there's a group of Generation Alpha who 205 00:12:24,890 --> 00:12:27,130 S3: love Jesus, who are filled with the spirit, who believe 206 00:12:27,170 --> 00:12:29,929 S3: the Bible is the authoritative word of God, and they're 207 00:12:29,929 --> 00:12:34,329 S3: almost weary. I call it rainbow weary. Um, because unfortunately, 208 00:12:34,330 --> 00:12:39,690 S3: the rainbow has been hijacked by the LGBTQ community. Um, 209 00:12:39,730 --> 00:12:42,450 S3: we know in the Bible what the rainbow means, but 210 00:12:42,450 --> 00:12:45,640 S3: they've hijacked it, so they've become almost rainbow weary, like 211 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,959 S3: they're done with hearing about it. They're tired of hearing 212 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:50,880 S3: about it. They're sick of hearing about it. But then 213 00:12:50,880 --> 00:12:53,400 S3: there's also this other group of Gen Alpha that maybe 214 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,000 S3: aren't connected to the church or aren't believers, or know 215 00:12:57,000 --> 00:12:59,640 S3: what the Bible says. And there's a lot of confusion 216 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:03,200 S3: with Generation Alpha. Um, in fact, again, we wrote a 217 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,359 S3: whole chapter called Generation Alpha and their Views of Sexuality 218 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:10,360 S3: and Gender, and it still showed the majority of Generation 219 00:13:10,360 --> 00:13:14,720 S3: Alpha believed a person's preferred pronoun should be respected. Um, 220 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:16,360 S3: and I think a lot of that is because of 221 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:20,880 S3: the confusion primarily through social media. And for that generation, 222 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:25,400 S3: even social media is primarily TikTok and Snapchat. There's been a, 223 00:13:25,440 --> 00:13:27,880 S3: there's been an agenda. And I think we are all 224 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:30,760 S3: very aware of that. Young people are very aware of that. 225 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:33,800 S3: And so when culture is screaming about these things and 226 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,480 S3: the church remains silent, then a whole generation only hears 227 00:13:37,480 --> 00:13:40,319 S3: one worldview. And that's where as the church, we can't 228 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,030 S3: be silent anymore. We have to lean in. We have 229 00:13:43,030 --> 00:13:46,110 S3: to speak up. And we speak where the Bible speaks 230 00:13:46,110 --> 00:13:48,990 S3: and the Bible speaks. And one thing I know ultimately 231 00:13:48,990 --> 00:13:52,429 S3: about Generation Alpha is they are open to spiritual conversations. 232 00:13:52,429 --> 00:13:55,150 S3: So I've found even if there's a certain worldview they're 233 00:13:55,150 --> 00:14:00,710 S3: holding to, if you will confidently, lovingly, but boldly proclaim 234 00:14:00,710 --> 00:14:04,910 S3: God's truth, they're responding to that masses. It's truly incredible. 235 00:14:05,350 --> 00:14:08,190 S1: Shelly, you said the greatest gift we can give our 236 00:14:08,190 --> 00:14:13,910 S1: kids is the truth. So that goes along with this sex, sexuality, gender, 237 00:14:13,910 --> 00:14:17,070 S1: and all of that. But how is that? There's so 238 00:14:17,070 --> 00:14:20,470 S1: much pressure with the online thing and the young kids 239 00:14:20,470 --> 00:14:24,630 S1: have pressure, peer pressure, you know, they've had it since 240 00:14:24,830 --> 00:14:29,590 S1: of antiquity, but today the pressure is even greater because 241 00:14:29,590 --> 00:14:33,310 S1: of that interconnectivity that they have with online. Talk about 242 00:14:33,310 --> 00:14:36,470 S1: the truth and that pressure that they're under. 243 00:14:38,630 --> 00:14:41,780 S2: Sure. Um, you know, I think one of the ways 244 00:14:41,780 --> 00:14:44,420 S2: that we talk about it in the book is, is 245 00:14:44,420 --> 00:14:47,940 S2: like an iceberg. We only see and respond to that 246 00:14:47,940 --> 00:14:50,940 S2: very tip of the iceberg, which is about 15% of 247 00:14:50,940 --> 00:14:54,740 S2: an iceberg. And that's where we see these behaviors, this 248 00:14:54,740 --> 00:14:59,340 S2: gender fluidity, all these things. But that iceberg takes years 249 00:14:59,580 --> 00:15:05,500 S2: of formation. And there's a lot of things underneath the surface. Uh, 250 00:15:05,620 --> 00:15:09,180 S2: a biblical worldview is missing in many of their lives. 251 00:15:09,180 --> 00:15:12,700 S2: They don't have that anchor of truth. And part of 252 00:15:12,700 --> 00:15:15,340 S2: that is we've not done a good job speaking that 253 00:15:15,340 --> 00:15:17,940 S2: into them, but also they've just been pelted from the 254 00:15:17,940 --> 00:15:21,580 S2: world with it. We know that they are getting about 255 00:15:21,580 --> 00:15:26,260 S2: 17 hours of content streamed at them every day compared 256 00:15:26,260 --> 00:15:29,220 S2: to if we think about how much time do we 257 00:15:29,220 --> 00:15:32,060 S2: get with them, we might get an hour, uh, out 258 00:15:32,140 --> 00:15:36,260 S2: of that time. And so we are sort of running 259 00:15:36,260 --> 00:15:40,000 S2: at a deficit. We also know that pornography is really shaping. 260 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:44,000 S2: That's one of those sort of hidden forces underneath. Uh, 261 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:48,520 S2: kids are using pornography to experiment, um, to, to try 262 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:50,600 S2: to figure out what do I like, what do I 263 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,720 S2: not like? And they are able to get it at 264 00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:57,120 S2: alarming rates. Shane already quoted one thing, but another thing 265 00:15:57,120 --> 00:15:59,720 S2: that we see is that not only is it a 266 00:15:59,720 --> 00:16:01,880 S2: boy issue, you know, I think we've always sort of 267 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:04,000 S2: seen it as more of a boy issue than a 268 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,160 S2: girl issue. But what we're really seeing now is it's 269 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:11,040 S2: pretty equal that girls are also consuming pornography, and they're 270 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:16,320 S2: consuming pornography to learn and to experiment. And so generations 271 00:16:16,320 --> 00:16:19,320 S2: before didn't have that. So you throw that in there 272 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,560 S2: and that can create a lot of confusion. And then 273 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:26,200 S2: you've got the world telling them, hey, if you love somebody, 274 00:16:26,200 --> 00:16:30,280 S2: you're going to affirm them. And what we have to 275 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:33,040 S2: do and what we have to model and teach is 276 00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:36,160 S2: balancing that grace and truth. To say no, actually loving 277 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,750 S2: you sometimes means speaking the truth to you that for parents, 278 00:16:39,790 --> 00:16:44,590 S2: loving our kids means that we also guide them. That 279 00:16:44,590 --> 00:16:49,110 S2: we also lead them in these really hard topics. And 280 00:16:49,110 --> 00:16:53,310 S2: so there they are looking at each other. They have 281 00:16:53,310 --> 00:16:56,630 S2: a peer reference and they're learning from each other about 282 00:16:56,630 --> 00:17:01,190 S2: sexuality instead of from parents. Significant people in their life, 283 00:17:01,190 --> 00:17:02,550 S2: the church and the Bible. 284 00:17:03,310 --> 00:17:06,070 S1: But the what I saw you talking about, and I 285 00:17:06,070 --> 00:17:09,150 S1: see it in the book too, is the primacy of 286 00:17:09,150 --> 00:17:15,109 S1: relationships and how the relationships can be a game changer 287 00:17:15,109 --> 00:17:22,229 S1: for Gen Alpha and the. If their relationships are only online, 288 00:17:22,270 --> 00:17:27,389 S1: those tend to be more hollow. They especially. We'll talk 289 00:17:27,430 --> 00:17:32,550 S1: about AI here, but they aren't real, quote unquote real relationships. 290 00:17:32,550 --> 00:17:34,709 S1: And if you've got a parent, a mom or a 291 00:17:34,710 --> 00:17:37,980 S1: dad or a spouse, and especially a dad in the home, 292 00:17:37,980 --> 00:17:41,340 S1: who can be who can connect with that gen Alpha? 293 00:17:41,780 --> 00:17:44,780 S1: That can be a game changer. Do you agree, Shelly? 294 00:17:46,020 --> 00:17:48,899 S2: I sure do. I think relationships really are the hunger 295 00:17:48,900 --> 00:17:52,060 S2: of all of us, right? God created us to be 296 00:17:52,060 --> 00:17:55,180 S2: in relationship, and most of what we see in our 297 00:17:55,180 --> 00:17:59,740 S2: world right now is loneliness. We know that not only 298 00:17:59,740 --> 00:18:02,459 S2: is Gen Z called the anxious generation, they're also referred 299 00:18:02,460 --> 00:18:06,700 S2: to as the loneliest generation. We know that Springtide research 300 00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:10,379 S2: just wrote a whole book on belonging, and they really 301 00:18:10,380 --> 00:18:14,500 S2: emphasized that participation is not belonging. So we may have 302 00:18:14,700 --> 00:18:17,979 S2: kids in our churches or even our own children and 303 00:18:17,980 --> 00:18:22,020 S2: our family who are participating, but may not truly feel 304 00:18:22,060 --> 00:18:26,620 S2: like they belong. And so unfortunately, the world, I think, 305 00:18:26,660 --> 00:18:29,100 S2: does a better job of wrapping their arms around any 306 00:18:29,100 --> 00:18:32,220 S2: sort of behavior and pulls them in and gives them 307 00:18:32,220 --> 00:18:35,620 S2: that sense of belonging, sometimes at a better rate than 308 00:18:35,690 --> 00:18:37,730 S2: we do? And so for kids who who are at 309 00:18:37,730 --> 00:18:41,690 S2: church and who aren't feeling like they belong, they may 310 00:18:41,690 --> 00:18:45,490 S2: gravitate to wherever they do belong. And parents, we have 311 00:18:45,490 --> 00:18:48,730 S2: to keep that heart connection open to our kids. And look, 312 00:18:48,730 --> 00:18:51,890 S2: parents have been struggling since 2020. Well, since before that 313 00:18:52,090 --> 00:18:57,490 S2: way before that. But we had to parent, teach, you know, 314 00:18:57,530 --> 00:19:00,129 S2: do all these things. And we were so distracted. I 315 00:19:00,130 --> 00:19:03,209 S2: don't know that we've ever really recovered. And our kids 316 00:19:03,210 --> 00:19:10,490 S2: really need people who are physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually present 317 00:19:10,490 --> 00:19:12,410 S2: with them and not distracted. 318 00:19:12,770 --> 00:19:14,050 S1: Shane, what do you say to that? 319 00:19:14,369 --> 00:19:16,570 S3: Yeah, absolutely. I think one of the most important things 320 00:19:16,570 --> 00:19:19,330 S3: we can do as churches and ministries, and that's including 321 00:19:19,330 --> 00:19:23,770 S3: children's ministry and youth ministry is to equip parents. Um, 322 00:19:23,810 --> 00:19:26,850 S3: one thing you have to remember is that the parents 323 00:19:27,050 --> 00:19:31,410 S3: of Generation Alpha are largely millennials. Um, you know, some 324 00:19:31,450 --> 00:19:34,129 S3: may be younger Gen Xers or the older Gen Zers, 325 00:19:34,230 --> 00:19:36,550 S3: but the vast majority of them are millennials. And when 326 00:19:36,550 --> 00:19:39,750 S3: you look at generational studies, millennials are really one of 327 00:19:39,750 --> 00:19:43,149 S3: the first generations that at large left the church for 328 00:19:43,150 --> 00:19:45,750 S3: a season. Now, many of them have gotten married and 329 00:19:45,750 --> 00:19:47,390 S3: have kids of their own and have come back to 330 00:19:47,390 --> 00:19:48,869 S3: church and said, you know, I want to raise my 331 00:19:48,869 --> 00:19:51,469 S3: kids in church. But that means a large portion of 332 00:19:51,510 --> 00:19:55,550 S3: their life was separated from Christian community. So a lot 333 00:19:55,550 --> 00:19:58,950 S3: of them haven't been discipled themselves. Or I don't mean 334 00:19:58,950 --> 00:20:02,470 S3: this derogatory, it's just a fact. They're still spiritually immature. 335 00:20:02,630 --> 00:20:04,389 S3: So we're looking at parents going, hey, you need to 336 00:20:04,390 --> 00:20:07,030 S3: disciple your kids. And those parents are going, yeah, I 337 00:20:07,030 --> 00:20:09,630 S3: want to, but no one's discipled me. So I think 338 00:20:09,630 --> 00:20:11,950 S3: really one of the best ways to impact Generation Alpha 339 00:20:11,950 --> 00:20:14,389 S3: is we got to get better at discipling and equipping 340 00:20:14,390 --> 00:20:18,510 S3: and empowering their parents to be the primary disciplers of 341 00:20:18,510 --> 00:20:19,669 S3: their own kids as well. 342 00:20:20,070 --> 00:20:23,629 S1: What does that mean? Uh, how do you as a 343 00:20:23,630 --> 00:20:25,869 S1: parent and I want to talk about grandparents too, but 344 00:20:25,869 --> 00:20:29,470 S1: especially the parents, what, what do you do to get 345 00:20:29,470 --> 00:20:31,710 S1: discipled so you can disciple? 346 00:20:32,660 --> 00:20:34,899 S3: Yeah. You have. Well, first of all, be open to 347 00:20:34,940 --> 00:20:36,859 S3: it and seek it. You know, a lot of times 348 00:20:37,300 --> 00:20:40,100 S3: at conferences or on social media, it sounds good to go. 349 00:20:40,140 --> 00:20:43,859 S3: All right, parents, you're the primary discipler of your kids. Um, 350 00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:46,060 S3: and we just leave it there. And a lot of 351 00:20:46,060 --> 00:20:48,939 S3: those parents are going, well, yeah, I want to, but 352 00:20:48,940 --> 00:20:51,580 S3: I don't know what to do. And so what we 353 00:20:51,580 --> 00:20:53,740 S3: have to do is help parents, first of all, have 354 00:20:53,740 --> 00:20:56,740 S3: spiritual disciplines themselves. Um, you know, Shelly has said this 355 00:20:56,740 --> 00:21:00,140 S3: many times is true is that anxious parents tend to 356 00:21:00,180 --> 00:21:03,060 S3: raise up anxious kids or discipled parents tend to raise 357 00:21:03,060 --> 00:21:05,379 S3: up un discipled kids. And so what you have to 358 00:21:05,380 --> 00:21:06,940 S3: do is be willing to do as a parent to go, 359 00:21:06,940 --> 00:21:10,220 S3: all right, I need to be learning the Bible myself, 360 00:21:10,420 --> 00:21:14,460 S3: knowing how to pray myself, sharing the gospel myself. Because 361 00:21:14,460 --> 00:21:17,139 S3: the best way for me to be a parent is 362 00:21:17,140 --> 00:21:18,899 S3: that my kids aren't looking for me to be a 363 00:21:18,900 --> 00:21:21,660 S3: perfect parent. That's impossible. They're just looking for me to 364 00:21:21,700 --> 00:21:24,179 S3: follow the one who is perfect Jesus. And so I 365 00:21:24,180 --> 00:21:26,220 S3: know that in my own life that I'm always a 366 00:21:26,220 --> 00:21:29,740 S3: lot more effective as a parent. If I'm doing that 367 00:21:29,740 --> 00:21:32,930 S3: from the overflow of my own worship of Jesus. The 368 00:21:32,930 --> 00:21:36,169 S3: overflow of my own time with the Lord. The overflow 369 00:21:36,170 --> 00:21:39,930 S3: of my own. Just intimacy with Christ. And so I'd say, 370 00:21:39,970 --> 00:21:43,810 S3: first of all, as parents, we need to help each 371 00:21:43,850 --> 00:21:46,690 S3: other understand. Here's how you read the Bible. Here's how 372 00:21:46,690 --> 00:21:49,050 S3: you spend time with the Lord. Here's how you pray 373 00:21:49,290 --> 00:21:52,130 S3: so that you can parent and disciple your kids out 374 00:21:52,130 --> 00:21:53,330 S3: of the overflow of that. 375 00:21:54,010 --> 00:21:56,330 S1: So that they see you, so that they catch it 376 00:21:56,330 --> 00:21:59,290 S1: from you. And that maybe is one of the real 377 00:21:59,290 --> 00:22:03,970 S1: struggles with parents talking to their kid. They're alphas about 378 00:22:03,970 --> 00:22:07,930 S1: social media, because we can talk all day about how much, 379 00:22:07,970 --> 00:22:11,530 S1: you know, the kids consume and the algorithms are their own, 380 00:22:11,810 --> 00:22:14,850 S1: but how much are the parents facing the same thing? 381 00:22:14,850 --> 00:22:17,450 S1: If you're staring at your phone all day and you're 382 00:22:17,450 --> 00:22:20,090 S1: telling your alphas, no, you shouldn't do that, it's bad 383 00:22:20,090 --> 00:22:22,690 S1: for you. They see what you do. They see how 384 00:22:22,690 --> 00:22:25,649 S1: you live on your phone, how you're caught up in 385 00:22:25,650 --> 00:22:27,810 S1: your own algorithm. Right, Shelly? 386 00:22:28,930 --> 00:22:32,119 S2: Absolutely. And you know, I'm I am guilty of being 387 00:22:32,119 --> 00:22:34,840 S2: distracted as well. But I think you bring up such 388 00:22:34,840 --> 00:22:37,840 S2: an important point is that it's not just kids that 389 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:41,040 S2: need to get off their phones. It's also us as parents. 390 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:43,479 S2: It's at churches. We need to go back to the 391 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:47,680 S2: old fashioned, you know, open your Bible, turn to your neighbor, uh, 392 00:22:47,720 --> 00:22:52,440 S2: be in community, be present. Um, you know, I think in, 393 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:56,800 S2: in Height's book, he talks about we're forever elsewhere. So 394 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,840 S2: what does that mean? That means we're never really present. 395 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,399 S2: We're always thinking about what's going on over here, or 396 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:03,440 S2: what have I got to take care of over here. 397 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:05,560 S2: And for kids, they're always looking to see what all 398 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:08,560 S2: their friends are doing, but not actually enjoying where they 399 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:11,399 S2: are in the present. And so I think that we 400 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,840 S2: are just as guilty. We all sort of have, uh, 401 00:23:15,160 --> 00:23:20,520 S2: found ourself almost addicted to this technology, to a false connection. 402 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,480 S2: But really and truly, we know when we experience real connection, 403 00:23:24,760 --> 00:23:28,359 S2: we know when we've found our people and we want 404 00:23:28,359 --> 00:23:30,870 S2: that for our kids, and we've got to model that 405 00:23:30,869 --> 00:23:31,510 S2: as well. 406 00:23:31,910 --> 00:23:37,270 S1: And I think that Generation Alpha really does crave that. 407 00:23:37,270 --> 00:23:41,150 S1: They may not on the surface, but deep down, they 408 00:23:41,190 --> 00:23:45,310 S1: want that kind of connection that you can only get from, say, 409 00:23:45,310 --> 00:23:48,270 S1: a small group where you've you're talking together and you're 410 00:23:48,270 --> 00:23:52,149 S1: studying together rather than the online thing. Shane do you 411 00:23:52,150 --> 00:23:52,990 S1: agree with that? 412 00:23:53,790 --> 00:23:56,629 S3: Yeah, 100%. I see it in my own kids. Uh, 413 00:23:56,630 --> 00:23:58,710 S3: I've been saying this more and more recently is that 414 00:23:58,710 --> 00:24:03,750 S3: I believe there's an awe and wonder with Generation Alpha 415 00:24:03,750 --> 00:24:07,350 S3: for the physical things again. Um, my 14 year old 416 00:24:07,350 --> 00:24:11,990 S3: just recently discovered cassette tapes, and she thinks they're fantastic, 417 00:24:12,109 --> 00:24:15,350 S3: you know, and so she found an old Sony Walkman 418 00:24:15,350 --> 00:24:18,270 S3: cassette tape player that will like literally, you know, clip 419 00:24:18,270 --> 00:24:21,190 S3: to your belt, if you remember that physical headphones. And 420 00:24:21,190 --> 00:24:23,550 S3: one of our favorite hobbies here recently is to visit 421 00:24:23,590 --> 00:24:27,030 S3: half price books and buy cassette tapes for $1.99. And 422 00:24:27,030 --> 00:24:30,890 S3: all of her friends think they're amazing. Uh, my 20 423 00:24:30,890 --> 00:24:34,050 S3: year old daughter is in college ministry, and she's a 424 00:24:34,050 --> 00:24:36,890 S3: small group leader for her college ministry. And their ministry 425 00:24:36,890 --> 00:24:41,449 S3: just exploded this year. And their college pastor Stanton said, 426 00:24:41,490 --> 00:24:42,969 S3: you know, at the beginning of the year, I made 427 00:24:42,970 --> 00:24:45,490 S3: this commitment that I'm not going to put Bible verses 428 00:24:45,490 --> 00:24:47,890 S3: on the screens anymore for college students. I'll put my 429 00:24:47,890 --> 00:24:50,129 S3: main points up there, but I want you to bring 430 00:24:50,130 --> 00:24:53,690 S3: a physical Bible with you, a physical journal, a pen, 431 00:24:53,690 --> 00:24:56,170 S3: and a highlighter. Open your Bible. You need to know 432 00:24:56,170 --> 00:24:58,050 S3: where to find these books in the Bible, in these 433 00:24:58,050 --> 00:25:01,369 S3: chapters and verses, and college students are responding to it. 434 00:25:01,369 --> 00:25:03,570 S3: So I think there's just this all in wonder of 435 00:25:03,570 --> 00:25:06,770 S3: the physical again. Um, you know, one of the, the 436 00:25:06,810 --> 00:25:09,610 S3: slang kind of terms that's been given to generation Alpha 437 00:25:09,609 --> 00:25:14,609 S3: is screenagers. So not teenagers screenagers, meaning they've become very 438 00:25:14,609 --> 00:25:18,850 S3: confident on a screen, but almost awkward in person where 439 00:25:18,850 --> 00:25:20,969 S3: they don't know, you know, can't look you in the eye, 440 00:25:21,250 --> 00:25:24,650 S3: carry on a conversation, shake your hand. And so when 441 00:25:24,690 --> 00:25:27,440 S3: you think about the function of the church to go. Okay. 442 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:30,320 S3: Colossians three. Bear one another's burdens. They're like, are you 443 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:32,800 S3: kidding me? I can't even talk to people or share 444 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:34,960 S3: the gospel. Uh, are you kidding me? I can't even 445 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:36,680 S3: look people in the eye. So I think we got 446 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:39,480 S3: to help them get better at doing real relationships in 447 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:41,120 S3: the real world with real people. 448 00:25:41,800 --> 00:25:46,120 S1: Shane. Pruitt, Shelly. Amelia. Reaching generation Alpha. You can find 449 00:25:46,119 --> 00:26:04,240 S1: it at the website. Here's the number (877) 548-3675. This might 450 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,520 S1: be right where you are living today. Shelly, Amelia and 451 00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:12,000 S1: Shane Pruitt have put together reaching Generation Alpha, a ministry 452 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:16,240 S1: guide for discipling the church beyond the screen. I've heard 453 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,560 S1: two things here in just the last couple of minutes. 454 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:24,080 S1: Screenagers and then forever elsewhere. I think that really sums 455 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,350 S1: up how we can be, you know, in our own 456 00:26:27,390 --> 00:26:31,669 S1: lives as well as those who are were born between 457 00:26:31,670 --> 00:26:35,230 S1: 2010 and 2024. Now, ladies and gentlemen, we take you 458 00:26:35,270 --> 00:26:39,430 S1: live to a person who has not one, not two, 459 00:26:39,470 --> 00:26:44,590 S1: but three alphas in her household, our producer, Tricia McMillan. Tricia, 460 00:26:45,070 --> 00:26:46,629 S1: jump in here. What do you think? 461 00:26:46,670 --> 00:26:52,870 S4: Oh, I am loving the conversation and feeling hopeful. Um, 462 00:26:52,950 --> 00:26:54,989 S4: and so I thank you for joining us on the 463 00:26:54,990 --> 00:26:58,870 S4: program today. Um, I, my thoughts are so scattered and 464 00:26:58,869 --> 00:27:02,590 S4: listening because I'm like, I'm thinking there are these big 465 00:27:02,630 --> 00:27:05,149 S4: ideas like you all have been talking about, like, how 466 00:27:05,150 --> 00:27:08,790 S4: do you like some of the sexuality ideas and, and this, 467 00:27:08,830 --> 00:27:14,790 S4: my kids are 13, 11 and nine. And so I'm right. 468 00:27:14,830 --> 00:27:18,030 S4: Kind of on the cusp. Like literally yesterday my daughter 469 00:27:18,070 --> 00:27:21,310 S4: got a SIM card and I'm kind of panicking, like, 470 00:27:21,310 --> 00:27:23,980 S4: wait a minute. My 13 year old, I should say 471 00:27:24,020 --> 00:27:28,459 S4: got a SIM card and I, I, I'm okay with it, 472 00:27:28,460 --> 00:27:31,620 S4: but like also not sure what to do with that. Like, 473 00:27:31,660 --> 00:27:34,420 S4: oh no, what did I just open up? Um, and 474 00:27:34,420 --> 00:27:37,380 S4: so like, I see the news articles about screen time 475 00:27:37,380 --> 00:27:42,380 S4: at school and the detriment to that and like, I'll anyway, 476 00:27:42,420 --> 00:27:44,820 S4: and also knowing how hard I struggle with my own 477 00:27:44,820 --> 00:27:48,980 S4: screen time and trying to model that well. And so any. 478 00:27:49,020 --> 00:27:49,740 S1: Fear that comes. 479 00:27:49,780 --> 00:27:50,780 S4: With the fear, oh. 480 00:27:50,780 --> 00:27:51,179 S1: That's what I. 481 00:27:51,220 --> 00:27:54,300 S4: Hear. Yes, there's lots of fear. So like those big ideas, 482 00:27:54,300 --> 00:27:56,659 S4: I'm not even there. And yet I know they're encroaching 483 00:27:56,660 --> 00:27:59,460 S4: on my kids lives and also wondering like, did I 484 00:27:59,500 --> 00:28:02,660 S4: screw them up forever? Like, yeah, I let him have, 485 00:28:02,700 --> 00:28:04,660 S4: I don't know, I gave her a phone yesterday. Oh no. 486 00:28:04,700 --> 00:28:07,660 S4: Have I wrecked her life? Like, I don't know. Anyway, 487 00:28:07,900 --> 00:28:08,700 S4: all the things. 488 00:28:08,940 --> 00:28:13,260 S1: Okay, so Shelly to SIM or not to SIM, what 489 00:28:13,260 --> 00:28:13,780 S1: do you say? 490 00:28:15,300 --> 00:28:17,820 S2: Well, first of all, good job. I mean, to to 491 00:28:17,859 --> 00:28:21,900 S2: withhold that, you know, sort of privilege for as long 492 00:28:21,900 --> 00:28:25,080 S2: as you have. I think you've done a remarkable job. 493 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:27,720 S2: And let's just not forget that like I'm Gen X 494 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:29,359 S2: and I rode in the back of a pickup truck. 495 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:32,000 S2: I didn't have a seatbelt on half my life. So, 496 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:36,800 S2: I mean, kids have been through tough things before, but 497 00:28:36,800 --> 00:28:40,600 S2: it is a little different. The amount of influence that's 498 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:45,160 S2: given to them through those screens is vastly, vastly different. So, 499 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:47,800 S2: you know, I think one of the ways that you're 500 00:28:47,800 --> 00:28:49,959 S2: already doing it is to sort of do those graduated 501 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:53,400 S2: privileges where, you know, you get this privilege. And then 502 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:55,360 S2: we talk about it, we see how you do, and 503 00:28:55,360 --> 00:28:57,560 S2: then we add that SIM card, and then we have 504 00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:00,640 S2: sort of some things in place. And so there does 505 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:03,680 S2: come a point where you have to sort of begin 506 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,640 S2: introducing that, because I think one of the worst things 507 00:29:06,640 --> 00:29:08,280 S2: you could do would be to send them off to 508 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:12,360 S2: college or off to the work world with no practice 509 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:16,480 S2: knowing how to self discipline themselves. Because at the end 510 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,320 S2: of the day, that's our job as parents is to 511 00:29:18,320 --> 00:29:23,710 S2: help our kids learn To say no to that, even 512 00:29:23,710 --> 00:29:26,630 S2: though we could say yes to it when our parents 513 00:29:26,630 --> 00:29:29,150 S2: aren't looking. And so, you know, I think it can 514 00:29:29,150 --> 00:29:32,390 S2: feel very overwhelming to parents, but I'm just so encouraged 515 00:29:32,390 --> 00:29:34,950 S2: that parents are thinking about it. I wish that I 516 00:29:34,990 --> 00:29:38,790 S2: knew all of the things that we know now about technology, 517 00:29:38,790 --> 00:29:41,830 S2: because I think we would have made different decisions. And 518 00:29:41,830 --> 00:29:44,630 S2: it sounds like you're already making different decisions. 519 00:29:44,630 --> 00:29:46,070 S1: Shane, what do you say to that? 520 00:29:47,270 --> 00:29:50,310 S3: Yeah, I just want to say I'm so thankful for 521 00:29:50,310 --> 00:29:54,350 S3: this conversation because I feel that as a parent as well, 522 00:29:54,390 --> 00:29:57,230 S3: you know, we have a 20 year old that's a 523 00:29:57,950 --> 00:30:00,270 S3: junior in college that's off in college, but home for 524 00:30:00,270 --> 00:30:03,030 S3: the summer. And then we have a 14 year old, 525 00:30:03,070 --> 00:30:05,510 S3: a 12 year old, a ten year old, eight year old. 526 00:30:05,510 --> 00:30:08,350 S3: So I kind of joke. We have a children's youth 527 00:30:08,350 --> 00:30:11,070 S3: and college ministry all in our house. And so I 528 00:30:11,110 --> 00:30:15,510 S3: get the different pressures that they all experience at different ages. 529 00:30:15,550 --> 00:30:18,790 S3: You know, our youngest is eight and she's always asking 530 00:30:18,790 --> 00:30:20,620 S3: when she can have a cell phone, because she says 531 00:30:20,620 --> 00:30:22,660 S3: she's one of the only ones in her class that 532 00:30:22,660 --> 00:30:25,740 S3: doesn't have a cell phone. And she's eight, you know? Um, 533 00:30:25,780 --> 00:30:29,340 S3: our fifth grade son is, uh, on a club soccer team, 534 00:30:29,500 --> 00:30:31,900 S3: and all the boys have a phone except for him. 535 00:30:31,940 --> 00:30:34,420 S3: And even the coach sent out a message last night saying, hey, 536 00:30:34,420 --> 00:30:37,580 S3: we want to create a group text with the boys 537 00:30:37,580 --> 00:30:39,940 S3: so they can interact with each other. And we're like, 538 00:30:39,980 --> 00:30:41,860 S3: our son doesn't have a phone, you know, and he 539 00:30:41,860 --> 00:30:44,900 S3: almost feels left out because of that. Um, and so 540 00:30:44,940 --> 00:30:47,620 S3: I understand all those pressures. So one thing we've just 541 00:30:47,620 --> 00:30:50,420 S3: done really with our kids is once they do get 542 00:30:50,460 --> 00:30:52,580 S3: on that phone, I think our 20 year old got 543 00:30:52,580 --> 00:30:55,620 S3: a phone when she was about 13 or 14. Our 544 00:30:55,620 --> 00:30:58,300 S3: 14 year old has a as a phone, especially when 545 00:30:58,300 --> 00:31:00,340 S3: they get on that phone. We just got to remember 546 00:31:00,340 --> 00:31:04,700 S3: that 100% of our kids are being discipled. Um, and 547 00:31:04,700 --> 00:31:07,900 S3: the question is not if they're being discipled. Uh, they are. 548 00:31:08,060 --> 00:31:10,620 S3: The question is who or what is discipling them. And 549 00:31:10,620 --> 00:31:13,020 S3: we just want to make sure it's us discipling them 550 00:31:13,020 --> 00:31:17,100 S3: and not those phones or TikTok or, uh, basically what 551 00:31:17,100 --> 00:31:19,770 S3: I'm saying, I'd rather our kids be more discipled by 552 00:31:19,770 --> 00:31:23,250 S3: the Gospels than the Grammys. Um, be more discipled by 553 00:31:23,250 --> 00:31:26,570 S3: truth than TikTok. And so what we've done is we've 554 00:31:26,610 --> 00:31:30,410 S3: embraced the awkward conversations and we want our kids, like 555 00:31:30,450 --> 00:31:32,890 S3: if they come across something or they're exposed to something 556 00:31:32,890 --> 00:31:35,490 S3: or they hear something at school, we want, we say, 557 00:31:35,490 --> 00:31:38,650 S3: bring your questions to us. Bring your conversations to us, 558 00:31:38,650 --> 00:31:41,410 S3: even if they're awkward. Nothing's off the table and we 559 00:31:41,410 --> 00:31:44,490 S3: want to respond to them. Of course, age appropriately, but 560 00:31:44,490 --> 00:31:47,370 S3: we just said we want to embrace the awkward conversations 561 00:31:47,370 --> 00:31:50,370 S3: with our kids because we found if they're curious, but 562 00:31:50,370 --> 00:31:52,530 S3: they feel like they can't talk to their parents about it, 563 00:31:52,530 --> 00:31:55,610 S3: they're going to go get their answers somewhere else. Um, 564 00:31:55,610 --> 00:31:58,290 S3: and I'd much rather them come to us for those things. 565 00:31:58,730 --> 00:32:00,890 S4: Yeah, I think that's great. I think the other thing 566 00:32:00,890 --> 00:32:05,410 S4: I'm discovering is I have a lot that I'm thinking 567 00:32:05,610 --> 00:32:09,930 S4: about and knowing like I can see where the track 568 00:32:09,930 --> 00:32:15,730 S4: goes if they continue, um, like if they continue down 569 00:32:15,730 --> 00:32:20,070 S4: a certain path that they don't have that knowledge of, um, 570 00:32:20,230 --> 00:32:24,630 S4: that I can sometimes overreact to the end of the path. 571 00:32:24,630 --> 00:32:26,310 S4: And that's not where they are. Like you're saying, with 572 00:32:26,310 --> 00:32:30,390 S4: the age appropriate conversations that the question they're asking is 573 00:32:30,390 --> 00:32:33,950 S4: not the one that I'm afraid of answering that's way down. 574 00:32:33,990 --> 00:32:36,670 S4: Like that's not where they are. And so that keeping 575 00:32:36,670 --> 00:32:40,070 S4: it where they are and making it safe for them 576 00:32:40,070 --> 00:32:43,310 S4: to ask, I think is a great reminder for me. 577 00:32:43,310 --> 00:32:44,110 S4: So thank you. 578 00:32:44,350 --> 00:32:47,470 S1: That takes a lot of confidence though. Absolutely takes confidence 579 00:32:47,470 --> 00:32:51,990 S1: in yourself. And that was my question is, can kids 580 00:32:52,390 --> 00:32:56,310 S1: who are 13 and younger, do they pick up on 581 00:32:56,350 --> 00:32:59,910 S1: that fear that mom's really scared of, you know, and 582 00:32:59,910 --> 00:33:02,390 S1: it's like, then you've got then you're trying to pretend 583 00:33:02,390 --> 00:33:04,950 S1: that you're not, you don't have fear and you can't 584 00:33:04,950 --> 00:33:08,390 S1: live that way. You just got to be who you are. Shelly, 585 00:33:08,390 --> 00:33:09,150 S1: what do you think? 586 00:33:10,870 --> 00:33:12,750 S2: You know, I, I've got kids who are a little 587 00:33:12,790 --> 00:33:15,630 S2: bit older, 27, 25 and 23, and I had to 588 00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:19,420 S2: fight against parenting from fear. When I would parent from 589 00:33:19,420 --> 00:33:22,980 S2: a fear based mindset, I would forecast too far into 590 00:33:22,980 --> 00:33:26,580 S2: the future, just like you just said, Trisha, where I'm thinking, okay, 591 00:33:26,620 --> 00:33:29,180 S2: they did this, they did this. This means this is 592 00:33:29,180 --> 00:33:31,980 S2: going to happen, you know, ten years from now or whatever. 593 00:33:32,020 --> 00:33:35,660 S2: And so, uh, we have to be really careful that 594 00:33:35,660 --> 00:33:40,020 S2: we have faith in God and His plan for them. 595 00:33:40,020 --> 00:33:43,380 S2: We have to be faithful to teach them, but we 596 00:33:43,380 --> 00:33:47,219 S2: can't ultimately, we can't even control their choices. But we 597 00:33:47,220 --> 00:33:49,980 S2: certainly can set up the environments where hopefully, you know, 598 00:33:50,020 --> 00:33:53,460 S2: that they will. Um, but it is a challenge for 599 00:33:53,460 --> 00:33:57,540 S2: parents to know exactly how to navigate this. And we 600 00:33:57,540 --> 00:33:59,820 S2: are all, I think, sort of doing the best that 601 00:33:59,820 --> 00:34:02,380 S2: we can as we go along. 602 00:34:03,780 --> 00:34:07,260 S1: I like the confidence that you're talking about, and I 603 00:34:07,260 --> 00:34:10,140 S1: like the hope. I also like there was something that 604 00:34:10,140 --> 00:34:13,700 S1: you talked about in, in the, um, in the book 605 00:34:13,739 --> 00:34:18,130 S1: as well as the online message that I heard from you, Shelley, 606 00:34:18,130 --> 00:34:23,089 S1: that we've gone from this play based childhood to a 607 00:34:23,090 --> 00:34:30,170 S1: technology phone based childhood, and that's a parent. But that 608 00:34:30,370 --> 00:34:34,010 S1: you just said, Shane, that these, you know, the cassette 609 00:34:34,010 --> 00:34:36,370 S1: player and you got to tell your daughter when she 610 00:34:36,370 --> 00:34:40,050 S1: gets old enough to drive. I still drive a car 611 00:34:40,050 --> 00:34:43,489 S1: that has a cassette player in it, so I'll hang 612 00:34:43,489 --> 00:34:45,330 S1: on to it for her and sell it to her 613 00:34:45,370 --> 00:34:50,650 S1: if she wants. But this play based childhood means that 614 00:34:50,690 --> 00:34:53,330 S1: instead of the games that are on on the phone, 615 00:34:53,330 --> 00:34:57,250 S1: on online, you might do better with a board game. 616 00:34:57,250 --> 00:34:59,770 S1: You might do better with, you know, just sitting down 617 00:34:59,770 --> 00:35:04,170 S1: and having a conversation that they might be hungering for that. 618 00:35:04,210 --> 00:35:05,250 S1: Is that right, Shane? 619 00:35:06,330 --> 00:35:08,489 S3: Absolutely. One of the things that we've done with our 620 00:35:08,489 --> 00:35:11,850 S3: kids in the last couple of months that they've really 621 00:35:11,850 --> 00:35:16,560 S3: embraced is just technology free meals. You know, whether we're 622 00:35:16,560 --> 00:35:18,880 S3: eating a meal at home, if we're going to a restaurant, 623 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:23,600 S3: it's like, okay, no tablets, no phones, everybody phone down. 624 00:35:23,800 --> 00:35:26,520 S3: And we just almost, it almost feels like we're just 625 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:29,400 S3: getting to know each other again, just interview like we 626 00:35:29,400 --> 00:35:31,719 S3: did it with my, my parents this weekend. So it 627 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:34,920 S3: was lunch with Nina and Jean-Paul and no phones. And 628 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:36,640 S3: I told all of our kids, you can ask Nina 629 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:39,239 S3: and Jean-Paul any questions you want. And so it was 630 00:35:39,239 --> 00:35:42,520 S3: just fun watching my ten year old ask Nina and 631 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:45,600 S3: Jean-Paul how they met and all those things that we've 632 00:35:45,600 --> 00:35:48,080 S3: missed out on, because we were just so distracted by 633 00:35:48,080 --> 00:35:50,919 S3: devices for multiple years. And what's been amazing is now 634 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:54,080 S3: our kids, uh, they'll call that out. They become almost 635 00:35:54,080 --> 00:35:57,360 S3: the police of the technology during meals. They'll be like, mom, 636 00:35:57,360 --> 00:35:59,520 S3: get off your phone or dad, what are you doing? 637 00:35:59,560 --> 00:36:01,879 S3: Or Nina and I'll put your phone down and it's 638 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:05,240 S3: the kids calling us out, which I think is amazing. 639 00:36:05,239 --> 00:36:09,640 S3: Just that interaction again, that conversation again. And then, uh, we've, 640 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:12,150 S3: we've taken this summer and Casey and I, that's my 641 00:36:12,150 --> 00:36:13,669 S3: wife just said, you know what? We're going to raise 642 00:36:13,670 --> 00:36:15,630 S3: our kids like we were raised, you know, like in 643 00:36:15,630 --> 00:36:18,069 S3: the 90s again. So we're like, get off your, you know, 644 00:36:18,110 --> 00:36:20,750 S3: get off the stuff, go outside, touch grass, get in 645 00:36:20,750 --> 00:36:24,270 S3: the sunlight. We're going to the playground. Uh, it's okay 646 00:36:24,270 --> 00:36:26,310 S3: if you're riding off on your bikes. And of course, 647 00:36:26,310 --> 00:36:28,790 S3: we don't want to be, you know, too loose with it, 648 00:36:28,790 --> 00:36:30,790 S3: but it's okay if you're off on your bikes and 649 00:36:30,790 --> 00:36:33,150 S3: we don't know where you are for an hour because 650 00:36:33,150 --> 00:36:35,310 S3: my parents didn't, you know, my rule was be in, 651 00:36:35,310 --> 00:36:37,710 S3: but before the street lights came on, if you remember that, 652 00:36:37,710 --> 00:36:41,510 S3: and just giving our kids more freedom to explore and 653 00:36:41,510 --> 00:36:46,669 S3: imagine and be creative outside, and our kids have just 654 00:36:46,670 --> 00:36:47,910 S3: really embraced it. 655 00:36:47,910 --> 00:36:49,790 S1: Okay, so I want to ask you about the power 656 00:36:49,790 --> 00:36:54,470 S1: of grandparents for Generation Alpha, but a real unpopular question. 657 00:36:54,469 --> 00:36:56,589 S1: And Shane, I want you to be honest with me. 658 00:36:56,590 --> 00:37:00,230 S1: Now you're speaking at a young people's, what did you 659 00:37:00,270 --> 00:37:02,630 S1: call it as a conference or summer camp? Is that 660 00:37:02,670 --> 00:37:03,390 S1: where you are right now? 661 00:37:03,390 --> 00:37:05,870 S3: Yeah, yeah. We're at a Christian youth camp this week. 662 00:37:05,910 --> 00:37:09,509 S1: Okay. Christian youth camp, when you stand up and you 663 00:37:09,550 --> 00:37:13,009 S1: get there in front of them? Are you holding a 664 00:37:13,050 --> 00:37:16,650 S1: real Bible or are you holding your tablet that can 665 00:37:16,890 --> 00:37:18,529 S1: control the overhead? 666 00:37:19,250 --> 00:37:22,730 S3: Yeah, that's a great question. I never control my own 667 00:37:22,730 --> 00:37:25,489 S3: slides because when I start preaching, I just take off 668 00:37:25,489 --> 00:37:28,930 S3: and I'll forget about them. Now here's what I have. Uh, 669 00:37:28,930 --> 00:37:32,609 S3: just full transparency. Chris. I have a physical Bible. I 670 00:37:32,610 --> 00:37:35,650 S3: still love a physical Bible, but I have my notes 671 00:37:35,650 --> 00:37:38,089 S3: on my iPad up there because, you know, as I'm 672 00:37:38,130 --> 00:37:40,250 S3: getting older, I woke up one day and I can't 673 00:37:40,250 --> 00:37:44,530 S3: see anymore, you know? So I need my notes illuminated 674 00:37:44,530 --> 00:37:46,850 S3: by that iPad. And that way I can make my 675 00:37:46,850 --> 00:37:49,730 S3: font a little bigger. So I do have a physical Bible, 676 00:37:49,730 --> 00:37:51,330 S3: but I have my notes on my iPad so I 677 00:37:51,330 --> 00:37:52,810 S3: can actually see it. Yeah. 678 00:37:53,370 --> 00:37:55,730 S1: And the reason I ask this is because if we're 679 00:37:55,730 --> 00:38:00,130 S1: telling this next generation to go back to cassettes and, 680 00:38:00,170 --> 00:38:03,330 S1: you know, to actually reading a physical Bible, they go 681 00:38:03,330 --> 00:38:07,090 S1: to church and they see all of the hymns, not hymns. 682 00:38:07,090 --> 00:38:09,359 S1: They see all of the songs that they sing up 683 00:38:09,360 --> 00:38:12,920 S1: on the screen and they see the pastor with the 684 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:16,160 S1: device and and the pastor will say, get out your 685 00:38:16,160 --> 00:38:19,320 S1: phone or get out your device or your Bible and 686 00:38:19,320 --> 00:38:23,279 S1: turn to. And so if they I wonder what that 687 00:38:23,280 --> 00:38:25,919 S1: is doing to that next generation. Again, that's not a 688 00:38:25,920 --> 00:38:28,239 S1: popular question, but I really want to hear what you 689 00:38:28,239 --> 00:38:31,120 S1: have to say. Shane and Shelly are with us. Reaching 690 00:38:31,120 --> 00:38:34,800 S1: Generation Alpha is our featured resource at the website. Chris 691 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:42,120 S1: Fabry live.org. Chris Fabry, Livorno reaching Generation Alpha. I think 692 00:38:42,120 --> 00:38:44,960 S1: it's a really important book, important topic, and we'll continue 693 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:57,719 S1: straight ahead on Moody Radio. Our remaining moments with Shane 694 00:38:57,719 --> 00:39:02,000 S1: Pruitt and Shelley Millea, they have written Reaching Generation Alpha, 695 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:06,080 S1: their featured resource at Chris Fabry live.org. At the risk 696 00:39:06,080 --> 00:39:08,990 S1: of sounding like an old fuddy duddy, which maybe I am, 697 00:39:09,270 --> 00:39:13,430 S1: and talking about hymnals and not using devices, you know, 698 00:39:13,550 --> 00:39:16,870 S1: using an actual Bible. I think there's something here that's 699 00:39:16,870 --> 00:39:20,470 S1: not just the old fuddy duddy. I think there's something 700 00:39:20,469 --> 00:39:24,470 S1: that we're communicating to the younger people who are born 701 00:39:24,469 --> 00:39:29,990 S1: between 2010 and 2024 that we have to be consistent with. So, Shelly, 702 00:39:30,030 --> 00:39:31,390 S1: jump in there. What do you think? 703 00:39:32,790 --> 00:39:35,390 S2: I love the the fuddy duddy ness, because I think 704 00:39:35,390 --> 00:39:38,870 S2: it really speaks to what we need to be doing. 705 00:39:38,870 --> 00:39:41,910 S2: If we think about Jonathan High anxious generation and all 706 00:39:41,910 --> 00:39:45,670 S2: the work that he's done to get phones out of schools, 707 00:39:45,989 --> 00:39:49,150 S2: most public schools are now phone free, and they're even 708 00:39:49,150 --> 00:39:53,150 S2: looking at taking Chromebooks out and saying, you know, handwriting 709 00:39:53,150 --> 00:39:56,230 S2: is important in terms of learning things. And so we 710 00:39:56,230 --> 00:40:00,830 S2: see schools and secular world recognizing this. So if it's 711 00:40:00,830 --> 00:40:04,589 S2: something that they recognize, why would we not also think 712 00:40:04,590 --> 00:40:08,580 S2: it was important as well at church to have, you know, 713 00:40:08,620 --> 00:40:10,700 S2: and this is really sounds fuddy duddy to have phone 714 00:40:10,700 --> 00:40:15,060 S2: free churches where we use real Bibles. I teach kindergarten 715 00:40:15,060 --> 00:40:17,700 S2: Sunday school every week, and you can bet that I 716 00:40:17,700 --> 00:40:20,100 S2: have a real Bible because I'm trying to teach them 717 00:40:20,100 --> 00:40:22,780 S2: this is God's Word, and this is where our stories 718 00:40:22,780 --> 00:40:25,740 S2: come from, and they're true. And so it's really important. 719 00:40:25,739 --> 00:40:28,420 S2: This past week we learned about Paul and Silas singing 720 00:40:28,420 --> 00:40:30,660 S2: in jail, and we opened it up and showed every 721 00:40:30,660 --> 00:40:33,419 S2: single one of our kids where to find that in 722 00:40:33,420 --> 00:40:38,580 S2: the Bible. And so I think we do need to consider, uh, 723 00:40:38,700 --> 00:40:41,859 S2: how we model it, what's important at church. You know, 724 00:40:41,900 --> 00:40:45,020 S2: I think about just this generation, the generation of parents, 725 00:40:45,020 --> 00:40:48,380 S2: even the ones coming behind. And I think about Thomas Jefferson. 726 00:40:48,380 --> 00:40:51,580 S2: He said, you know, every generation needs a revolution. And 727 00:40:51,580 --> 00:40:55,299 S2: so maybe Gen Alpha, Gen betas, parents revolution is to say, 728 00:40:55,300 --> 00:41:00,060 S2: we're going to go back to authenticity, to people talking 729 00:41:00,100 --> 00:41:04,100 S2: to life on life that we've realized this is a 730 00:41:04,100 --> 00:41:07,480 S2: dead end when we are not connected, where we may 731 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:09,560 S2: care about what's happening across the world, but we don't 732 00:41:09,560 --> 00:41:12,120 S2: even know that our neighbor has cancer, you know, because 733 00:41:12,120 --> 00:41:15,880 S2: we haven't developed a relationship with them. And so I'm 734 00:41:15,880 --> 00:41:19,560 S2: really hopeful that as, as height has sort of led 735 00:41:19,560 --> 00:41:24,080 S2: this collective response to a collective problem that maybe churches, 736 00:41:24,080 --> 00:41:26,680 S2: maybe we could figure out how to do this as well. 737 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:31,880 S1: Which takes us to artificial intelligence and that, that specter 738 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:35,359 S1: and here's what I've seen just with, uh, being able 739 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:40,080 S1: to ask your phone directions. We have become people that 740 00:41:40,080 --> 00:41:43,600 S1: are so dependent on somebody, some voice telling us which 741 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:45,759 S1: way to turn at the next stop sign that we 742 00:41:45,800 --> 00:41:48,759 S1: don't know where we are, that we can get to 743 00:41:48,800 --> 00:41:53,799 S1: a place where, um, we don't, we can't ourselves find 744 00:41:53,840 --> 00:41:57,920 S1: north anymore, East and west. And I'm talking to myself 745 00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:00,240 S1: as well. Shane, what do you say about that? 746 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:03,520 S3: Yeah, one of the statements we write in the book 747 00:42:03,670 --> 00:42:07,310 S3: and Shelley quotes a lot is just like social media 748 00:42:07,350 --> 00:42:10,910 S3: didn't make a generation more social. Artificial intelligence probably isn't 749 00:42:10,910 --> 00:42:14,150 S3: going to make a generation more intelligent, because part of 750 00:42:14,190 --> 00:42:19,630 S3: that process of developing intelligence and wisdom is life experience. 751 00:42:19,630 --> 00:42:23,230 S3: But it's also the journey of like research. So if 752 00:42:23,230 --> 00:42:26,150 S3: you take even a paper, you can easily now put 753 00:42:26,150 --> 00:42:29,270 S3: some prompts in the chat. GPT in ChatGPT, write you 754 00:42:29,270 --> 00:42:31,910 S3: a paper in a matter of seconds and you may 755 00:42:31,910 --> 00:42:35,350 S3: get that end product. But what you missed out on 756 00:42:35,350 --> 00:42:38,710 S3: was the journey of research. I remember going to a 757 00:42:38,710 --> 00:42:42,870 S3: physical librarian and Encyclopaedia Britannica and, you know, and just 758 00:42:42,870 --> 00:42:46,950 S3: really that journey of research is really where you learn. 759 00:42:46,950 --> 00:42:50,189 S3: That's where you really maturity began to take place and 760 00:42:50,190 --> 00:42:52,910 S3: that's begin to take place. And so what you already see, 761 00:42:52,950 --> 00:42:56,150 S3: and we already saw this in our generation Z as well, 762 00:42:56,150 --> 00:42:59,670 S3: is that you have young people who know a little 763 00:42:59,710 --> 00:43:03,900 S3: bit about everything, because they can just get the answers quickly, 764 00:43:03,900 --> 00:43:07,420 S3: but they don't actually know how to do anything. Um, 765 00:43:07,420 --> 00:43:09,339 S3: so they might can tell you about what's going on 766 00:43:09,340 --> 00:43:12,180 S3: in Uganda, but they couldn't change a tire to save 767 00:43:12,180 --> 00:43:14,620 S3: their life, you know? And so again, I think this 768 00:43:14,620 --> 00:43:18,340 S3: is where it goes back to probably the future of ministry. 769 00:43:18,340 --> 00:43:22,259 S3: And the future of the church is really discipling people 770 00:43:22,300 --> 00:43:25,860 S3: how to live real life in the real world around 771 00:43:25,860 --> 00:43:28,260 S3: real people, because what they're going to do is miss 772 00:43:28,260 --> 00:43:31,700 S3: out on the beauty of the real and authentic around 773 00:43:31,700 --> 00:43:35,219 S3: them because they're consumed with a fake one online. And 774 00:43:35,219 --> 00:43:37,100 S3: so I think that's one of the areas of Gen 775 00:43:37,100 --> 00:43:40,260 S3: Alpha and then another area of Gen Alpha that, uh, 776 00:43:40,340 --> 00:43:43,780 S3: or one of the areas of artificial intelligence that also 777 00:43:43,820 --> 00:43:46,339 S3: kind of goes back into that sexuality talk is I've 778 00:43:46,340 --> 00:43:49,500 S3: already got youth pastors saying, I have teenagers asking me, 779 00:43:49,780 --> 00:43:52,980 S3: is pornography still lust if it's not real people? Because 780 00:43:52,980 --> 00:43:55,779 S3: now it's AI generated. And this is creating a lot 781 00:43:55,780 --> 00:43:58,700 S3: of conversations. I don't think we even thought about a 782 00:43:58,700 --> 00:43:59,660 S3: couple of years ago. 783 00:44:00,100 --> 00:44:04,529 S1: Which takes us to birth rates. Marriage? What's marriage going 784 00:44:04,570 --> 00:44:07,649 S1: to look like for Gen Alpha? And then there's a 785 00:44:07,650 --> 00:44:11,570 S1: section where you talk about a theology of suffering and 786 00:44:11,770 --> 00:44:16,250 S1: what kids are, are seeing in this generation in order 787 00:44:16,250 --> 00:44:18,489 S1: to avoid any kind of suffering. And how do I 788 00:44:18,530 --> 00:44:20,489 S1: fit that in? If God is supposed to give me 789 00:44:20,489 --> 00:44:24,529 S1: everything that I want, then I suffer, then is he 790 00:44:24,530 --> 00:44:28,490 S1: really there? Which brings us to the grandparent question. Then, Shelley, 791 00:44:28,489 --> 00:44:30,890 S1: I want you to quickly touch on that. What what 792 00:44:30,890 --> 00:44:33,890 S1: can grandparents do? How can they plug in here and 793 00:44:33,890 --> 00:44:34,650 S1: Gen Alpha? 794 00:44:36,250 --> 00:44:39,170 S2: Well, I hope to be a grandparent someday. So I 795 00:44:39,210 --> 00:44:42,290 S2: love answering this question, but I think that grandparents have 796 00:44:42,290 --> 00:44:47,850 S2: so much opportunity to influence Gen Alpha and to model 797 00:44:47,850 --> 00:44:51,650 S2: to them, you know, what is it like to, uh, 798 00:44:51,650 --> 00:44:55,009 S2: to be in relationship with people other than their age? 799 00:44:55,290 --> 00:45:00,070 S2: You know, our kids need a lot of intergenerational Relationships. 800 00:45:00,070 --> 00:45:02,190 S2: And we have boomers that are aging, and there's a 801 00:45:02,190 --> 00:45:04,910 S2: lot of them. And I think even in our local churches, 802 00:45:05,270 --> 00:45:07,589 S2: we've sort of sent this mixed signal like, yeah, we 803 00:45:07,590 --> 00:45:10,870 S2: want intergenerational, but we're going to have an old people 804 00:45:10,870 --> 00:45:13,709 S2: service and a young people service, and we're never really 805 00:45:13,710 --> 00:45:18,270 S2: going to be together. And so helping churches see the 806 00:45:18,270 --> 00:45:22,430 S2: value of that, seeing older women, mentoring younger women, older men, 807 00:45:22,469 --> 00:45:27,430 S2: mentoring younger men. But grandparents have so much to offer. 808 00:45:27,430 --> 00:45:29,390 S2: But I think it's kind of like being a missionary. 809 00:45:29,390 --> 00:45:31,430 S2: If you're going to go somewhere and being a missionary, 810 00:45:31,469 --> 00:45:34,510 S2: you've got to learn the culture. You've got to learn, uh, 811 00:45:34,510 --> 00:45:38,230 S2: what their language is, what are the pain points? And 812 00:45:38,230 --> 00:45:40,350 S2: that's what we really are trying to do, I think, 813 00:45:40,350 --> 00:45:43,710 S2: in this book is help even grandparents learn the culture 814 00:45:43,710 --> 00:45:47,190 S2: of Gen Alpha, learn the language, learn those pain points. 815 00:45:47,350 --> 00:45:49,469 S2: And really, it's kind of going back to the basics, 816 00:45:49,469 --> 00:45:53,509 S2: back to things that probably they experienced as kids and 817 00:45:53,510 --> 00:45:57,670 S2: helping kids re-experience those and taking the time to speak 818 00:45:57,670 --> 00:46:01,020 S2: into their lives because kids are hungry for truth and 819 00:46:01,020 --> 00:46:02,900 S2: they're hungry for relationships. 820 00:46:02,940 --> 00:46:06,459 S1: Bingo. Oh, we covered so much today, but we only 821 00:46:06,460 --> 00:46:10,500 S1: scratched the surface of the book reaching Generation Alpha. A 822 00:46:10,500 --> 00:46:13,580 S1: Ministry Guide for Discipling the Church Beyond the Screens by 823 00:46:13,580 --> 00:46:17,620 S1: Shane Pruitt and Shelly Melia. Shane. Shelly, thank you for 824 00:46:17,620 --> 00:46:21,180 S1: doing this today. And we'll just put a pause right here. 825 00:46:21,180 --> 00:46:23,580 S1: You come back and we'll talk more about this because 826 00:46:23,580 --> 00:46:27,580 S1: it's such an important topic about such an important generation 827 00:46:27,620 --> 00:46:30,100 S1: and group of kids. And we're going to talk about 828 00:46:30,100 --> 00:46:33,540 S1: some of those kids tomorrow with a guest who wants 829 00:46:33,540 --> 00:46:38,020 S1: to speak into the lives of Generation Alpha, who have 830 00:46:38,020 --> 00:46:41,700 S1: had real loss and disappointment in their lives to come 831 00:46:41,700 --> 00:46:45,260 S1: back for that again, reaching Generation Alpha. Our featured resource 832 00:46:45,260 --> 00:46:49,100 S1: at Chris farrell.org. Our program is a production of Moody Radio, 833 00:46:49,140 --> 00:46:51,540 S1: a Ministry of Moody Bible Institute.