Chuck Bomar - Worlds Apart: Understanding the Mindset and Values of 18-25 Year Olds

I love college-age people. And Im blessed to be around so many. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with them. I love learning about their lives, and I am constantly blessed by learning from them. I guess what Im trying to say here is not only do I have quality friendships and a deep love for individuals in this stage of life, but also for this younger generation as a whole.

I hope you can say the same. If not, I hope this book will move you in that direction as I share with you some of what Ive learned through my relationships with this age group.

If Im honest, I find that people of older generations are often bewildered by people in the eighteen- to twenty-five-year-old range. Its easy for those of us with more years behind us to criticize younger generations rather than to walk lovingly alongside them. I believe this is mostly due to a lack of understanding and perspectiveand its a loss for both sides. College-age people need people like you in their lives. They are at a launching point on their life trajectory and desperately need (and desire) someone to help them navigate their world. However, Id also suggest you could use these younger people to be a part of your life as well!

The problem is every generation has grown up in a different world. That leaves different generations living worlds apart from one another today. The desire to bridge that gap is what led me to write this book. I want to play a role in bringing your world together with a younger persons. You might be a parent or leader of young people. You may feel bewildered by, frustrated with, or simply interested in college-age people. Whatever the case, this book is for you.

Maybe youre a parent at the end of your emotional rope and searching for practical advice. You might be a leader who is desperate for insight into the minds of college-age people. Or perhaps youre simply desiring to gain perspective and deeper understanding into what is actually happening in the lives of people between the ages of eighteen and twenty-five. If any of that describes you, this book is written for you.

The college-age years are a complex stage of life. I believe they are also the most catalytic stage of life and one packed with unlimited potential. My hope is that as you increase your understanding of this life stage, youll gain fresh perspective on what the people in it think about, how they develop their identities, and how their values drive their decisions. And all of this will hopefully lead you to a loving posture as you seek to bring your world closer to a college-age persons.

Its inevitable that generational values will vary. We all look at the generations on either side of us and recognize differences. But in order to bring our worlds together we must recognize the common ground we have while patiently operating with our differences in mind. This book will not only articulate the differences you may have with todays college-age generation, but will help you navigate them practically too.

I have broken down and simplified what seem to be some of the biggest tensions that disconnect different generations in the home, on campuses, and in churches. In order to help you navigate these areas, we must begin by gaining perspective of the college-age world, what has shaped the way college-age individuals think about certain things, and when they begin thinking about them.

Ill begin by giving a brief glimpse into the ways the world of todays young people differs from the world you likely grew up in. Well learn how to operate with those differences in mind and how to find common ground. From there the book will take you on a journey toward clarity, understanding, and fresh perspective on living together and loving well even when our generations seem far apart.

So, with that, lets begin.