The Millennials

Connecting to America's Largest Generation

By: Thom S. Rainer, Jess Rainer

Narrated by: Ray Porter

At more than 78 million strong, the Millennials - those born between 1980 and 2000 - have surpassed the Boomers as the larger and more influential generation in America. Now, as its members begin to reach adulthood, where the traits of a generation really take shape, best-selling research author Thom Rainer (Simple Church) and his son Jess (a Millennial born in 1985) present the first major investigative work on Millennials from a Christian worldview perspective.

Sure to interest even the secularists who study this group, The Millennials is based on 1200 interviews with its namesakes that aim to better understand them personally, professionally, and spiritually. Chapters report intriguing how-and-why findings on family matters (they are closer-knit than previous generations), their desire for diversity (consider the wave of mixed race and ethnic adoptions), Millennials and the new workplace, their attitude toward money, the media, the environment, and perhaps most tellingly, religion.

The authors close with a thoughtful response to how the church can engage and minister to what is now in fact the largest generation in America’s history.

©2011 Thom S. Rainer, Jess Rainer (P)2011 christianaudio

Very informative and eye-opening!

I am glad my Pastor recommended this read. As the Online Pastor, this book will help me reach a generation of believers with a stronger sense of their needs and desires.

5 years from publish date makes this unfortunately out of date when discussing millennials.

The research from this book was done only on those Millennials born from 1980-1991. Being that it was published in 2011 that makes the age of those researched between 19 - 30 at that time. Or in their 2016 age 24 - 35 now. I was born in 1979 and have been managing people in retail and sales environments since I turned 19 in 1998. According to the authors definition I've always been managing Millennials if any of my employees were younger than me. I can say with first hand experience that the work force didn't shift in 1998 or even 2005. The shift in employee behavior didn't show up in my work force until closer to 2010. In almost 20 years of managing Millennials I disagree with the research conclusions that they value marriage, that they have high respect for older generations, and that they are hard workers. Personally I think the time frame for the definition of Millennials should be more along the lines of those born from 1984 - 1999. I think research done on that group in 2016 would bear different results and conclusions.

A Great Read

A very readable analysis of the ins & outs of the millennial generation! The authors are able to clearly layout the markers of & tips to reach the largest generation in the United States.

crucial

crucial info and insight for understanding the millennial generation. highly recommended for pastors and church staff. Parents too! especially!

Slanted views!

This book wasn’t for you, but who do you think might enjoy it more?

Evangelical Christians looking to validate their world view

What could Thom S. Rainer and Jess Rainer have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

I wish they had stuck to reporting the research instead of infusing the book with their personal stories. Over and over again, they make the book about being "christian" or "other". Even the questions stilt the research toward Christian views.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Even the tone of the narration seems judgmental.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The research seems valid. I wish they had found a way to filter out their opinions and personal stories.

out of date in 2024?

Now that the millennials have aged I question whether many of the findings or data in this work are accurate. I simply do not see a lot of things reported and can't say that my anecdotal evidence shows many of the conclusions as accurate.