The Millennial Narrative: Sharing a Good Life with the Next Generation

by Jaco J Hamman

“A good education will land you a good job,” “Be an entrepreneur/Start
something in a garage or dorm room” and even “Jesus saves” are
narratives that collapsed for the millennial generation (born
1982-2002). These narratives, amongst many similar social and religious
ones, have lost their meaning and power as millennials question all
authorities and struggle to flourish in a world come of age. With their
needs for community and success, a strong spirituality, and believing
that their gifts should be recognized and can make a difference,
millennials increasingly find meaning and purpose outside the church. As
they face economic uncertainty, reduced career prospects, unceasing
change, as well as civic, global, and ecological uncertainties, however,
a large number of millennials are overwhelmed with feelings of anxiety
and depression. Caught between hope and fear, millennials leave the
church with their values of personal transformation, purpose, community,
spirituality, social transformation and ecological awareness.
Ironically the church often holds the same
values.


The Millennial Narrative is written for pastoral leaders who
want to welcome millennials, both inside and outside their congregation.
The book draws on the wisdom of the prophetic Book of Joel as a
narrative worth living into. Drawing on Joel’s three chapters, The Millennial Narrative empowers pastoral leaders

• Facilitate the work of mourning millennials are
facing;

• Envision a spiritual community that can welcome
millennials;

• Introduce a compassionate God that restores and indwells as the
Spirit;

• Reflect on God’s judgment through the lens of accountability;
and,

• Support and encourage millennials to be a blessing to
others.


In addition, pastoral leaders will receive a sermon outline and material for adult education.

208 pages, Paperback

Published February 5, 2019

Reviews

[Rachelle Sperling · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. It took me a very long time to wade through. First, I have some disagreements with some of the theological positions included within the author’s framework which meant I took a lot of time to evaluate prayerfully what he was saying. I wanted to be careful to read with discernment. In addition, it was often hard for me to tell what the author himself was promoting and what he was reporting as the millennial mindset, which further bogged down my reading. The flow of the ideas also felt disjointed, alongside the lack of clarity in the voice making it a difficult slog to get through. I wish it had undergone some extensive editing to make the content more accessible.

I think there were some really helpful ideas of how to engage millennials (particularly non-churched/non-christian) using the book of Joel. There were also some helpful statistics and evaluations of how the generation views the world and responds to Biblical concepts that I was able to consider. I found the overall structure (of recognizing loss, gathering for lament, moving from isolation to community, discovering the Compassionate God, receiving the Spirit, spiritual practice, being accountable and promises of restoration) helpful categories of thinking.

Overall, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend the book, but if you are willing to do the hard work of gleaning what is helpful you’ll find some valuable considerations.

[Kelly Brill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someone I'm connected to online mentioned this book; I ordered it to take with me on a study retreat this summer, thinking it might give me some good ideas for upcoming sermons. Hamman's thesis is that the book of Joel has resonance with the millennial generation. Joel talks of the plague of locusts...millennials today face "plagues" of their own: they live under the umbrella of climate change, loneliness, and the awareness that their generation will likely not do better economically than their parents'. What do you do in that situation? First, you mourn and lament...then you form community and engage in the small, every day acts that make a difference.

Hamman engages actual millennials, inviting them to share their stories.

I can't imagine preaching many sermons about locusts (the yuck factor) but this book helps me understand the lived experience of millennials much better. It rings true to those millennials I know and care about.

[Kyle Haack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Difficult to follow book that combines the prophet Joel and current psychology on millenials.