Why is multi-generational connection vital to students lives?

by James Myers

Words cannot describe the relief I found about a year and a half ago when I read Ed Stetzer's Lost and Found, and saw for the first time, the documented recognition of cross-generational relationships as a core value in the lives of young adults (see chapter 7).

Honestly, at the time as a 26-year-old college pastor I thought I was the only one.  Because of the fact that I grew up in a small town, eating breakfast in diners, interacting with older men trading stories had somehow set me apart from other (normal) young adults.

Upon learning that this desire to be mentored also existed in the lives of my students I created a monthly program where we would "grill" church leaders following the Sunday service over a free lunch.  Before you pull out your budget, let me just tell you that it was a flop.  My core students came out of loyalty not a desire to listen to older, more mature believers share their life experiences.

After pulling the plug within 4 months of kicking the program off, I realized where I had gone wrong.  Yes the desire to connect cross-generationally was true of them also, but they weren't looking for impersonal interviews.  They were looking for life-on-life mentoring.  This cannot be planned or programmed, which is why "big brother" programs often fizzle out as well.

What does work however, is when a mature older believer reaches out to a young adult with no agenda, no 13-week  program, and no mandatory book to read and says "Hey, can I take you to breakfast or lunch?"  You may find that it doesn't even feel like mentoring at all.  It might be awkward to even call it mentoring.  The word mentoring is never even mentioned in the Bible, but don't let this alarm you either.  Its principles are found throughout Scriptures.

Paul calls out older believer's and gives them the following marching orders:

Train the young women to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviles.  Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.