One of my Facebook friends shared an article about a recent concern of the Southern Baptist Convention. While the SBC is the group who is owning up to this problem, it does seem to be an epidemic in numerous Christian churches everywhere.
They are understandably upset with their statistics, as they have shown a decline in the past seven years for the evangelism of "Millennials."
A Millennial is a person who was born anytime from the late 1980's-2000. I am a part of the Millennial generation. We are the ones blamed for laziness, addiction to technology and poor social skills. We are also the ones who are growing up, getting out of college and becoming real adults. For you, that may be scary. For us, it is even scarier.
Millennials are in an odd place, the sophomore year of life, if you will. We are too old to feel sorry for, but too young to have valuable opinions. We want to be independent and taken seriously, but sometimes we really need someone to take care of us.
I am aware that this is almost an impossible predicament, so much so that the Southern Baptist Convention is voicing their heartache about the whole situation. Despite their efforts, another year has gone by and the Millennials of their church and area have gone unreached, unchanged and unsaved.
When I read this article, I was heartbroken as well. I am a Millennial, and after going through a few strange years in this sophomore time of life, I hope I can shed some light to concerned Christians who desperately want to reach my generation but have no idea how to do it.
So, how can the church better reach the Millennials?
1. Love us... love us with open arms and hearts that don't judge.
As a college student, I have visited my fair share of churches. Going away to school was a different church experience because I was with other students instead of my family, and I was genuinely shocked to see the difference in the way I was greeted by the church.
Sometimes I wasn't greeted at all.
This is not a knock on the church, because I know it's not all about the meet-and-greet, but it is something that affects if a Millennial may want to come back. I don't know if it's that college students look intimidating or just that we look like we don't need friendship, but we do.
We come to church because we are curious about what God is doing there, or maybe just because our friends invited us. But regardless of the reason, we so appreciate the person who comes up and introduces themselves with a welcoming handshake and warm smile.
Don't make assumptions about Millennials because individuals can and often do defy stereotypes. We don't only want to tweet, we want to know you. We want to be made to feel a part of your church. And we also really like being hugged. because our moms are far away.
2. Please take us seriously, whether this means in our faith or just in our independence.
Not all Millennials are new Christians or unsaved. Regardless of where we are, we do want to learn from those further along in their walk with the Lord. Part of this awkward phase of life is having the desire to be treated like the adults we are becoming, and it is so fulfilling to be spoken to and treated as a grown person.
We might not know as much about FOX News as you, but we can hold our own in conversation about serious things, and more than that, we want to! Don't avoid talking to us about things you think seem too advanced. Many Millennials are very well-versed in Scripture and theology, and we love adults that respect that.
3. Take care of us.
This one is a little more tricky, because I did just tell you to treat a Millennial like an adult. This whole college-age thing is a process, and we have so many responsibilities that we are trying to handle.
We are stressed, and anyone who makes an effort to acknowledge that means the world to us. That can mean sharing fresh-baked cookies with us, inviting us over to spend time with your family or even offering to wash our clothes. Those things make us feel like you care. Showing Christ's love is beautiful to both the giver and the recipient.
The pastor's wife at the church I attended my first few years of school gave each college student who had been volunteering with the youth group a bag of homemade cookies. We were all SO thankful; we hugged her and told her just how much it meant to us...and that we don't get to have cookies made by a mom too much. She was just doing it as a nice gesture, and it was clear she had no idea how excited we would get. The little things really mean the most.
4. Understand that we want to help... and we can.
We are capable and eager to volunteer to be a part of your church. Don't dismiss that desire; find use for it. Millennials that are involved have a huge heart to serve in ministry, and many have a passion for missions.
Help foster their calling and do what you can to support it. It has been a fantastic experience for me to have served in the youth group where I attended church, and I have met some amazing students and parents. They are so thankful for the college volunteers, and in turn, we are so thankful for them.
5. Treat us like we are an important part of the church.
Like I've previously stated, our lives are at a weird time, and there's nothing worse than feeling like there's not a place for you. Help Millennials find their niche and pour into them.
Sometimes my friends and I (some of us volunteered at church and held a position at school on the student life staff) would feel a little burned out from giving so much of ourselves all week and not having anyone pouring into us.
Many churches have ministries for children, youth, families and senior adults, but they have a group that has accidentally fallen through the cracks. That would be the Millennials, and if I had to pin the biggest problem from the article about the SBC, it would be this one. Don't count them out, raise them up.
It is the Millennials who invest in your children and grandchildren, so invest in them. Invest in us.
I love the church, and I can't say enough how thankful I am to have been part of a church at school that encourages me and allows me to serve.
But when I read the article about the SBC's problem, I thought that if anyone could help the church understand how to reach Millennials a little better, perhaps a Millennial could help.
I also appreciate that the SBC has recognized this problem and desires to fix it.
I speak for so many Millennials when I say the following: we are so excited to be a part of your church family and if you reach us, we can help you reach the world with the love of Christ.
