The New Christians

There are many “Christians” out in the world today. I was  recently reading a book called “The Next Christians” by Gabe Lyons. In his book he discusses how Christians fall into three big main categories. Separatists, Cultural, and the third one we will talk about in a few. The first two categories break down into separate categories. So let’s start first with the Separatists side. The Separatists side breaks down into 3 mini categories; Insiders, Culture Warriors, and Evangelizers. Now I will give a brief explanation of each one of the mini categories.

            Insiders- these are the people who avoid non-believers at all cost. These people are only involved in “Christian” activities. They chose not to face the outside world. Why? Because these people are afraid that any outside influence could prove to be disastrous with their relationship with Christ. They find it best to stay involved in their local church and not branch out.

            Culture Warriors-now these are the people not to get in a fight with. They will fight every person that tries to take any hint of Christianity out of America. These people tend to not be violent in their views (with exceptions). Instead they only vote for pro-life politicians and anti-gay candidates. Their determined to keep God and Christ within America and will not stand for it being taken out. Their determination is driven be a deep belief that America and Christianity are “deeply intertwined.”

            Evangelizers-I guarantee that you all at least know one person that falls into this category. These people are so obsessed with winning souls for God that they end up turning more people away from him then to him. In his book Gabe gives this explanation “many evangelizers take seriously Old Testament Scripture that suggests that ‘blood will be on the hands’ of those who neglect to share the good news.” These people believe that the only true Christian activity is to win souls for God. Like I said earlier however, they end up turning more people away then bringing people closer.

Now I mentioned another major category which was called Cultural, these guys are interesting as well, and I feel that more people can relate to this group then perhaps the Separatist group. Cultural Christians break down into 2 mini categories; Blenders and Philanthropists. Once again I know that you can think of people that fall into these categories; maybe even you fall into one of these, only you know.

            Blenders-are the most common group of Christians in my opinion. These are the people that are Christian on Sunday, worldly on Monday (I used to be like that). They go to church because they think it’s cool, or they go simply because it’s another time to hang out with friends, and do that “church stuff”. Though you better believe that when Friday night roles around that they will be at that party living life and drinking that alcohol. I don’t have to go into much detail because we all know people like this.

            Philanthropists-these people simply focus on good works. They believe that it’s the right thing to do, which it is to a point. Often times though these good works replace rather than enhance a good relationship with Christ. These people are deeply involved in community service, yet if you were to ask them “what does Jesus mean to you?” you would be met with an explanation of all his “good deeds”. Once again we all know people like this so not too much detail needed here.

            Now both of these groups are intertwined. They both want to be accepted. They also want to fit in with current culture. “They don’t obsess about the afterlife and generally believe heaven is reserved for most everyone, except awful folk-like murderers, pedophiles, and men who don’t pay child support.” Separatists feel called away from the world, while Cultural Christians actually base their faith on society’s wants and needs. Now if you remember I mentioned that there were 3 main groups of Christians. I’ve only mentioned 2. So I’m sure some of you are anxious to find out a little more about this third group, I personally fall into this group.

            RESTORERS-this is the spiritual revival group I mentioned last week. This is the group that is slowly taking the nation by storm.  They envision the way the world as it was meant to be and they work toward that vision. They recognize that the world will not be completely healed until Christ’s return. However, they know that the process begins with a partnership with God. They are working on restoring the image of Christianity. They don’t separate from the world, nor do they blend in with it. instead they chose to ENGAGE in the world. They combine both the highs of Separatists and Cultural Christians together to create a super Christian. Instead of keeping their faith in religious activities they carry it over into the school week, and extra-curricular activities. In his book Gabe also goes into the differences of these Christians from the other group.

1.)    They are Provoked, not offended

2.)    They are Creators, not critics

3.)    They are Called, not employed

4.)    They are Grounded, not distracted

5.)    They are in Community, not alone

6.)    They are Countercultural, not “relevant”.

What do I mean by each of these well let’s take a little time to explore them.

Provoked, not offended. These Christians believe that God’s love extends to all people. They don’t run from areas that Separatists keep away from instead they run to them. They seek out all those who are broken and offer hope to them. They stand up for what they believe to be good, true, and beautiful. They don’t act because it’s the “Christian thing to do” they act because they know its right.

Creators, not critics. Regardless of faith, class or ethnicity, these Christians feel bound to create goods that tell the truth about how the world works. Like I said before they act even if their actions won’t result in a conversion. They do their good works because it’s the right thing to do.

Called, not employed. These Christians no longer believe that you have to be in “the ministry” in order to do ministry. They go out and share the Gospel with those in the work place. They also believe that they should help those closer to home before going out and helping other people further away. They create missions right in their own backyard.

Grounded, not distracted. These new Christians know that through media, social networking sites, and friends that there will always be people out there that will try to change them. They understand this and thus create a strong foundation in the truth of God. They know that they are going to be under constant fire and so they put on the full armor of God.

In Community, not alone. These Next Christians realize the importance of community involvement. They actively engage in loving, grieving, serving, and suffering with each other. They take criticism from friends and family, and they also expose their deepest secrets even at the risk of rejection. They know that the best way to win souls is not to do it alone but simply to just love on one another to help each other grow deeper spiritually.


Countercultural, not relevant. Often times Christians are looked at as hypocritical, and nothing like Jesus. These new Christians are creating a personal brand rather than a giant brand. They are reflecting the opposite image of what Christianity has become to most people. These Christians are no longer worried about keeping up with society, and all the technology. They simply let it happen as needed. They chose not to follow what’s cool in culture, and instead chose to follow the basics. These Christians are popping up faster than many people realize, and are creating a revolution of Un-Christianizing America. They want to remove the image of what Christianity has become and start new with a clean slate. These are what the Next Christians are doing, are you going to join with them?


Sorry if this post is hard to read, my blog is messed up at the moment and I'm trying my best to fix it.