The XY Factor – A unique group of 20s and 30s

The XY Factor meets every Sunday after worship in the Third Floor Living Room.  Check the Events Calendar for other XY gatherings and connect with us by joining our Facebook page.

What is the XY Factor?

Being a Christ-follower in the 21st century doesn't mean just sitting in a pew. It means sitting up and taking notice of the world around us, educating ourselves about social issues around the globe, and speaking out and taking action when we see God's fullness of life being stolen from our sisters, our brothers and ourselves. In other words, it means living the Gospel out loud. The Park has been drawing in a host of bright, diverse and talented 20- and 30-something folks, and I believe it is a testament to the spiritual, intellectual and volitional art of living out the Gospel embodied by our community.

These Generation X and Generation Y New Yorkers (The XY Factor) hail from around the country, and they are concerned with questions like: how can we make a difference in a complex yet interdependent global culture? How do we live out the message of Jesus Christ in a society that saturates us with product marketing and values the building up of the self over serving others? What new roles and responsibilities do we bear in a wired world that instantly brings cultures, races, religions and current events together in a 24/7 streaming virtual space?

XYs have come of age in a post-enlightenment, post-modern, post-millennium, post-Christian world. What might we hold on to in a society defined by the things we believe we have conquered, moved beyond or left behind? It is in this atmosphere of “been there, done that,” a fast-paced environment which leaves little to the imagination and little to anticipate, which we are called to proclaim and live out the Gospel. I use the phrase "come of age" in this context to describe the experience of coming into one’s sense of agency as the person God designed one to be. Out of all the extreme variations and infinite possibilities, it is the moment of truth when a human being comes to truly own his or her identity, and thus learns to responsibly and intentionally wield her gifts in her sphere of influence.

For XYs, coming of age after the millennial transition inevitably means we are cementing our identities and purposes in a time of unlimited options and boundless reach provided by technology and global communications. Along with this comes unprecedented pressure to be successful in a world that assumes there are no limits to affluence, accumulation, status and possessions.

The challenge for XYs is no longer simply believing that we can "do or be anything” or should “strive to be all we can be,” but rather to decide what we really are at the core, then stick to it and live by it. This is where the concept of congregational unity and accountability, and the desire to become more like Christ, can become very relevant to spiritually-conscious XYs. XYs are making unique contributions to the world, and at The Park we find a community that helps us discern the life-giving ways we can use our talents and opportunities.

The Park is an open, affirming, loving, challenging and questioning community where XYs are given the tools and the free space to do just this. From relaxing together at an Oscar-watching party, to serving together at The Park's Saturday Community Lunch, to engaging in dialogue about how we can apply the Gospel of Jesus to both our daily lives and global problem-solving, XYs are engaging our walk with Christ and one another at The Park.

Growing up, I heard a lot of hymns being sung about the "bye-and-bye in the sky," and these were beautiful songs of hope. But in today's age of instantaneous effect (the Internet, digital media technology, hand-held communications, a multitude of "miracle" products), the concept of sitting around waiting for God’s kingdom to one day show up does not seem relevant.

The notion that God is bringing God’s kingdom at every moment, and engaging humanity (through the incarnation of Jesus and the call of the Gospel on Christ-followers) to help bring the kingdom speaks to the XY sensibility of endless possibility.

Bearing witness to the kingdom of God that may not always appear to be evident in our midst, but is in fact actively infiltrating and changing the world through our hope, faith and love, inspires the awe and fulfillment of purpose implicit in participating in acts of co-creativity with God.

That inspiration of creativity and hope-filled energy is what I am certain XYs can harness together as a community.

In summary, the XY essence is not just a factor, but it is that of an ACTor. The XY Factor describes a phenomenon of the content and character that is brought to society by the Christ-followers among these two generations in the face of increasing greed, indifference, self-satisfaction and self-centered “celebrity” and "faux-reality" culture.

The Park provides a hub of support and growth that leads us to action in our unique ways in the places where we work, play and hold influence.

By joining together in our commitment to Christ, we can indeed counteract the life-stealing forces of our global society by exemplifying a new way for people to live and relate to one another with justice, compassion and humility.