Members of Generation Alpha present a challenge to outreach ministries of today’s churches since their values differ from their parents’ and teachers’ generation.

“Alpha are the sixth graders and younger,” Jana Magruder explained. “They’re expressive individuals whose worldview is unique, and they’re global citizens because of the internet.”

Magruder, strategic initiatives director of LifeWay NextGen, was keynote speaker at “Reaching and Teaching the Next Generation,” an event held at Westwood Baptist Church in Alabaster on Aug. 18. State missionary and children’s specialist Belinda Stroud of the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions served as host.

Overcoming wrong assumptions

“What we did worked well in previous generations,” Magruder said, “but today we can’t assume our children have a Bible or church background, plus we only have them two or perhaps three times a month due to current attendance patterns.”

LifeWay Research indicates Generation Alpha believes human nature is good and institutions are suspicious or even downright evil, Magruder said.

“Traditionally our model was ‘hear, believe and share,’” she said, “but I think we need to bring children to the ‘here’ before they can ‘hear.’”

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This article was originally published at TheAlabamaBaptist.org.