I am a sandwich.
Well, metaphorically …
I guess I could more accurately say that I am a member of the “sandwich generation,” a loose term for the segment of the population who are simultaneously caring for their aging parents and supporting their own children, even if only financially. And I am in good company with about a quarter of the U.S. adult population joining me in this passage.1
To continue with the taxonomy, I also lie within the largest group of this segment deemed “middle-aged” with around 70% of this group between the ages of 40 and 59.2 Within the North American Division (NAD) of Seventh-day Adventists, we comprised almost half of the membership as of 2022.3
So, what is important about this classification other than comprising a significant number of the Adventist population? We were also “sandwiched” between two worlds: analog and digital.
Many of my peers and I remember the days when every electronic had a tether or a dial. As children, we had the role of being the human TV remote, physically going to the TV to change the channel. There was no such thing as auto dial, and you painfully watched the rotary dial on phone slowly track its way back to set before whirling it to the next number in the sequence. And one of our most valued possessions was our bicycle and the freedom and adventure it brought.
Then suddenly, in retrospect, the proverbial technology roller coaster completed the slow clackety climb to the analog apex of the track’s big drop and into the fast-paced digital world we rushed. The familiar “schwack” and “ding” of the typewriter was replaced by the jarring sound of the dial-up modem. Telephones became mobile and were no longer terra-firma bound. You could write to people all over the world and transfer knowledge in a split second rather than with costly phone plans and slow mail service.
So, you take this constantly changing physical and technological world of our youth and the constantly changing requirements of our adulthood, and I am not sure if my counterparts and I have ever really known “normal.”
So here is the rub … for us, everything is “normal.”
We were familiar with times of being relatively “unplugged.” We were also young and adaptable and growing along with this fledgling digital technology. We were certainly a sizable number of early engineers and are a large portion of the continued producers of what we are experiencing now in this period being labeled “Postnormal Times,” or PNT for short.
This concept of PNT was popularized by Ziauddin Sardar, a British-Pakistani scholar, writer, and cultural critic. It is identified as a departure from society’s previous social and governing structures and is characterized as a period of interconnected systems, unpredictability, instability, and contradictory values, beliefs, and realities.
If I were to be honest, I feel as though the twentieth century was one big postnormal time, from the roaring 20s to the female workforce during WWII to the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s to the punk rock subculture emerging in the mid-1970s. And the twenty-first century has certainly followed suit with the growth of social media, COVID, and now the integration of AI in our daily lives.
So, what has this all meant for my fellow Adventist sandwiches? My sandwich peers are half of the Adventist population and are “in line” and currently taking the leadership reins from the previous generation in the Church. Unfortunately, in a 2011 global survey of former Adventist church members commissioned by the General Conference (GC) Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research, found that around 35% of middle-aged members leave the church.4 These departures are for a multitude of reasons but included losing touch with the Adventist Church, feeling shame to not being able to live up to perceived standards, anger over treatment from the church, and more.5
So how does the Church address these problems in these continued unstable times and keep this group engaged and supported, and, ultimately, retained in the Church?
My fellow sandwiches all face some similar challenges to varying degrees. Probably one of the most basic struggles is the financial burden of supporting essentially three generations. The Church may not be able to address this issue with each individual’s circumstances, but there are benefits to being part of a supportive community in terms of hearing of employment opportunities, caregiving assistance, financial gifts from church members for significant needs, and an eager prayer community.
There is also trying to balance career responsibilities and caregiving duties that weigh on sandwiches. The stress of caregiving can take a toll on the mental and physical health of this generation. Many benefit from access to mental health services, respite care, and support groups to manage stress and avoid burnout.
Building and maintaining strong social support networks is essential. What better place to encourage from and build upon a positive support network than the Church. These networks can provide emotional support, practical assistance, and a sense of community, helping to alleviate some of the pressures of caregiving.6 What can be more Christ-like than that!
And since sandwiches manage three plus generations in their spiritual and church lives, ease of accessibility to the community is crucial. While the Adventist denomination may have initially been slow to adopt the new digital advances, it certainly has its presence on them now, from live-streamed Sabbath services to online publications and most churches and related clubs on social media.
While we can mostly agree that being present and in-person in our Church community provides the greatest spiritual and personal gains, a more hybrid approach in the Church can give those with demanding schedules greater ability to be active and engaged in the community, rather than just having to “opt out” until their lives allow for more mental, emotional, and physical space to participate. Flexibility for sandwiches is key.
So, while we wait for His second coming to eliminate the struggles and stresses of all, putting focus on all-encompassing access and tailored support to the Church community is paramount to continuing our commission in the name of Jesus and continuing to build a supportive, thriving Christian community in these ever-changing times.
Liz Kirkland is the RMC communication assistant. Email her at: lizk@rmcsda.org
1 Blazina, C. (2022, April 8). More than half of Americans in their 40s are ‘sandwiched’ between an aging parent and their own children. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/04/08/more-than-half-of-americans-in-their-40s-are-sandwiched-between-an-aging-parent-and-their-own-children/
2 Parker, K., & Parker, K. (2013, January 30). The sandwich generation. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/01/30/the-sandwich-generation/
3 Coppockm. (2023, April 12). Age Statistics in the Adventist Church – Adventist Research. Adventist Research. https://www.adventistresearch.info/age-statistics-in-the-adventist-hurch/#:~:text=In%20essence%2C%20while%20there%20are,80)%20comprise%20only%2012%25
4 Trim, D. (2011). Foundational Research. Retrieved August 18, 2024, from https://www.adventistresearch.info/wp-content/uploads/NR2017TED_2.pdf
5 Ibid.
6 Cohen, S. (2004). Social relationships and health. American Psychologist, 59(8), 676–684. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066x.59.8.676