Much to celebrate
It’s admiration day. Each Friday, we should look at what we’ve accomplished, celebrate it, or at least do so at the end of the year. It’s the end of the year. Looking at our past accomplishment is encouraging, and past success is a solid platform for future success.
Gen Z and Millennials are making themselves heard. They spoke loudly in the election, having greater voting power than older generations and they add around 41 million voters each year as older generations leave the planet.
Reference verse:
“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—
A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.”
– Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
There is the season to celebrate! Let’s do it and think about what we’re celebrating. Our accomplishments.
Some accomplishments are unclear. People who voted in the 2020 election watched for the changes they wanted. By the 2024 election, they saw that the changes they wanted weren’t happening. Change in politics is gradual, but it happens if we vote consistently.
Because of the lack of change, many found Biden and Trump unmotivating, leading to a significant number of individuals not voting at all, even though some were encouraged by Harris.
Additionally, many viewed Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians as unconscionable and chose not to vote. They expressed their conscience by not voting, but in doing so ultimately handed the election to Trump. Many felt like there was no lesser of two evils. The world is complicated.
Other gradual change is happening. Workplaces are changing for the better, although fast food and retail sectors are only experiencing wage increases, despite many of their workers being in their 30s and having these jobs as careers.
Today’s workers seek purpose and look for jobs that provide a sense of fulfillment.
8 ways Gen Z will change the workforce
They are intolerant of unfairness of any kind and around a third are activists who purposefully work for change. A status quo system that resists change isn’t acceptable. Disruption and change are normal to them after experiencing the last twenty-five years of financial and social chaos. Spiritually they are a lot like Jesus. They will make change. Eventually. When they figure it out.
My accomplishments
Not that anyone cares. My Patheos column has grown exponentially. It takes around a day to write a blog-article, and I make no money from it. I regard it as a ministry.
I developed a $25,000.00 course for free at my church and presented it. It was rated 4.5 out of 5. It’s not the usual church growth stuff that rarely works, but a high impact course all about ministering to new generations. Understanding and Working With New Generations is now on Udemy.
I’ve found innovative ways to turn my Patheos column and other articles into an audio podcast on Substack. This takes very little time.
I also turn my articles into a video podcast on my YouTube channel, with innovative methods. AI has developed incredibly over the last year. This takes around a day to produce. Again, I lost money on all these publications – they do cost me. I make sure they are very high quality and well researched, not blather.
My last video platform doubled the price. I dropped it and searched for others and found none of suitable quality or double the price. Video podcasts are finished for now, but audio podcasts will continue.
No payment in nearly 30 years of publishing online as a ministry and advice to writers and filmmakers about writing and making movies. I don’t count the cost. Unfortunately many people value things by the amount they cost. Many love getting everything for free. Like MIT and Harvard, I think most information should be low charge or free. Pay for teaching, not information. Experience and ability are what people should pay for.
I wrote a short series, On the Road Christianity, to see how it would work. It got a lot of views and I will likely do something like it again in the future. Maybe an ai video which has improved considerably. I’m two months behind on creating a course on making change and three books behind that I had planned. And two months behind on helping another ministry with a website. Argh!
There is one novel I’m starting to write and may turn it into a movie. Fun. Will I ever have the time? Probably not.
My various publications are found by, and hopefully help, several thousand people around the world every month. I have to remind myself of this every so often since I get no feedback.
I’ve been writing books since 1980. You can find links to some of them on my author Website, which I created this year. DorianScottCole.com.
I supported my wife a lot this year, but regrettably we didn’t get to take trips we were hopeful of taking. It’s her time but everything is always in the way for both of us.
The things I do are fun and rewarding. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love to see people develop and succeed. I hope your year was as rewarding, and you have great success in 2025.
Conclusion after this about church planning:
Church planning season – strong impact course
How can churches minister to new generations if they won’t come to church? The church has been losing people at 1% a year, and now most of new generations won’t come.
I developed and presented a course on understanding and working with new generations. I would like to say I had rave reviews, but on a scale of 1 to 5 it averaged 4.5. Well, some people were raving.
The course helps people understand new generations, their values, and their differences. It helps people understand how to build a bridge to them and minister to them. The old worn-out things we used to do don’t work, and for good reason. This solutions focused course enables people to find new ways, appropriate ways, to minister to these generations in their local circumstances. It’s for church groups and generates deep discussion. </p>
Free video preview of the course
Course on Udemy: Understanding and Working with New Generations
Conclusion
Let’s celebrate! I want to remind people that you can succeed at what you want, with God’s help, if you keep trying and try to be a little flexible about methods. That’s the secret to your own success and changing the world. You have to keep trying.
Little things we can do that help others a lot
Are you making New Years Resolutions?
A smile, compliment, or assistance can help another person feel accepted, and make their day. We need reminders we’re not in this alone.
Take a meal to a family going through a tough time: This can provide much-needed practical support, alleviate stress, and show that they are not alone.
Mentoring others helps provide not only insight, but encouragement that makes all the difference by your believing in them.
Donating blood may save multiple lives and have a lot of positive impact on the families of those saved.
Volunteering to help the homeless can put a person and family back on their feet.
Probability Space
What probability spaces can we open in our minds to reach for positive outcomes in things we’re interested in. In my experience, each new thing we do and get good at broadens our horizons so we can take on diverse projects that we have no idea we can do or even want to.
(A probability space is where all of the elements necessary for something to happen are present and it’s almost inevitable. All it takes is intention.)
Potential Space
If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore, are there initiatives we can begin which will enlist others to make good things happen?
(A potential space is a virtual space in our minds where entirely new things can take shape.)
A thought on the slipping IQ in the US
If we want to contribute to the dumbing down of people, keep writing at a 7th grade level. People gain understanding of new words from usage and context. No new words, we lose them.
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This helps me improve my work.
Please subscribe to my Patheos Newsletter.
Building a Community of Action
New Way Forward community
Can we make positive change in our world and end a lot of suffering?
Helen Keller, who was both blind and deaf, said: “Although the world is full of suffering, it’s also full of the overcoming of it.”
The human spirit yearns for a world without suffering, but it’s through facing challenges that we progress. The world isn’t perfect, but together we can create a future with less hardship. Famine, discrimination, gun violence, and injurious economic and educational disparities are complex problems, yet understanding their root causes empowers us to find solutions.
Launching in first quarter 2025, the New Way Forward community will connect individuals seeking practical solutions and creating lasting change. We’ll focus on understanding problems and their solutions, and how to effectively create change.
Join us in building a brighter tomorrow! New Way Forward on Facebook.
If you made it this far, you’re a reader! Image two lawyers asking restaurant patrons for help writing their suicide notes, in this comedy. Intrigued? Please consider my novel, Death for Christmas: Be kind or it may kill you, on Amazon and Draft2Digital.
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My friend, David Ketcherside, former Christian broadcaster, has written a book series that I gave feedback on. It’s for men, written from his experience, thoughtful analysis, and heart. Gen A, Z, and X (Millennials) would find it very helpful. It’s available in print, on Kindle, and as an audiobook on Audible. Check out The Whole Dude. His description: “My hope is to remind readers what being whole looks like, and help them recognize the distortions that stop us from feeling totally awesome all the time.” He’s also excellent at marketing if you have marketing needs.
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– Dorian
Our answer is God. God’s answer is us. Together we make the world better.
Restore and recreate. Take time to celebrate life. Laugh, sing, and dance regularly, even every day. Happy. This is why we dance to celebrate life: Reindeer actually running and dancing.
Civic service opportunities
Do Unto Others Kindness Campaign, and civic engagement.
United Methodist Church Volunteer Opportunities.
Join or support Zero Hour and amplify the voices of youth organizing for climate action.
Peoples Hub. Resistance, Resilience, Restoration, Re-imagination. Online Popular Education. For movement workers to learn, connect, collaborate, and strategize – in and across the disability justice and solidarity economy movements.
Stakeholder Capitalism – a video podcast series from the World Economic Forum. Can capitalism be made to work for all of us – and to improve rather than destroy the state of the planet?
General service and aid opportunities (on One Spirit Resources Website). To add your service opportunity to the One Spirit Resources list, contact the author (me) through Facebook Messenger. Note that I only friend people I know.
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Education Opportunities for new generations
Becoming an Entrepreneur – MITx online
Evaluating Social Programs – MITx online
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Bible scripture verses are New American Standard Version (NASB), unless noted.
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Author and books
Appease the Volcano: What does God require from people? The voices of the ancients from many religions echo much of the same things: It starts with law, then mercy and forgiveness, then love. Love is a major emphasis in all major religions and replaces law.
The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy: How to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern.
Preparing For the Future Of Work and Education: Analysis of the kinds of jobs that AI and Robotics will displace, and the educational requirements for them. AI will replace or augment thirty percent of jobs. This is an in-depth analysis citing many authoritative sources.
Author Website: Dorian Scott Cole
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