Millennials have been all the talk for quite some time now. How can churches reach millennials? How do you get millennials involved in your church? How do you get millennials to give? And there have been some fascinating studies done on these very topics. But for many leaders the questions still remain.
As a millennial, I’ve always been interested in the articles and studies written about my generation. As I’m sure you know, one term is regularly used when describing our interests: social justice.
It’s true. By and large, my generation highly values social change. We want to make a difference in our communities. And this is an everyday aspect of our lives.
But how does this impact what we are looking for in a church? It may be simpler than you think….
Millennials want to see the difference your church is making.
That service project you did last week? We want to hear the difference it made and how we can have the opportunity to serve. The money that people are giving? We want to know how it’s helping more people hear about Christ. We want to hear the stories of life change.
Though we get a lot of negative press, millennials are actually quite generous. But because most of us are connected to so many causes that we’re passionate about, we need to be shown the worth of investing in our church rather than (or in addition to) another cause we love.
Paint the picture for us. Use stories to capture our attention. Our time, skills, and resources are valuable to us, and we want to be sure to use them in a meaningful way that makes a difference.
Some questions to consider:
-
How are you communicating the effects of your church’s ministry to your congregation?
-
Does your church turn words into action?
-
How can you portray your church’s ministry as a meaningful cause to join in on?
-
Is your church telling stories rather than just stating facts?
Millennials have a lot to offer, and they make up approximately 25% of the U.S. population. I hope you’ll take the time to consider what it might take to reach more of my generation for Jesus.
If you’re interested in more articles written from the perspective of a millennial, here are 3 that I recommend:
Struggling with your next steps as a church? We love nothing more than connecting small and mid-size churches with BIG resources. Take a look at how we help and, if you’re feeling brave, we’d love to hear from you!
