“Hillcrest Generations: The Bridgers”
by Tom Goodman
July 27, 2005

Supersize Me became a surprise hit in 2004.  Morgan Spurlock’s documentary about the fast-food industry won multiple awards, including an Oscar.

In one scene, Spurlock emphasized the power of McDonald’s advertising.  He showed some pictures to a group of first-graders and asked them to identify the figures.

The first was a portrait of George Washington, which only one child accurately identified.  The second was a popular 19th-century portrait of Jesus, which no child could identify.  (The audience laughed when one ventured a guess—“George Bush?”)  The third was a cartoon figure of Ronald McDonald.  With delighted faces, every child immediately recognized him.

Think about that: a hamburger chain is doing a better job than God’s churches when it comes to reaching the next generation.  According to Thom Rainer, only four percent of those under twenty have become followers of Christ.

Three weeks ago we began a close look at the four generations within our church and community.  We’ve already examined senior adults, median adults, and young adults.  God led me to take Hillcrest through this study, and all of your great comments about the series have confirmed that conviction.  If you’ve missed one of the messages, listen online at Click here.

This Sunday we conclude the series by looking at those in the 20-year span of college-aged and younger.  We’ll call them the “Bridgers” because their generation forms a bridge between the 20th century and the 21st century.  Join us for the conclusion of this important series at 10:45 a.m. this Sunday.