Many of our churches are missing the millennial generation (typically defined as those born between 1980 and 2000). If you want to be that kind of church, too, here are some things that will likely keep you from reaching this generation:
- Pay little attention to doctrine. Beliefs matter to millennials. They’re not going to spend their time in congregations whose attention to doctrine is weak or non-existent.
- Don’t worry about gospel application. Teach Bible content, but don’t help your hearers understand where the Bible’s teachings intersect with their lives. Leave the impression that Sunday’s truths have little relevance to Monday’s living.
- Be distant and boring in the pulpit. This generation welcomes vulnerability. They’ve also grown up with electronic options to listen to good preaching when they can’t find it in a local church. They won’t sit long under poor proclamation.
- Provide few opportunities for service. This generation wants to be hands-on in their faith. If you keep them at arm’s distance while another generation does the church’s work, they will go to church elsewhere.
- Keep the generations separated in your church. Millennials want to learn from older adults. They’re seeking mentors who will walk beside them. The church that provides neither opportunity won’t keep them long.
- Make worship a show rather than a genuine encounter with God. Millennials and “authenticity” go hand-in-hand. They’ve seen enough fake Christianity, and they can often spot it from a distance.
- Neglect social ministry. My generation was so afraid of losing our evangelistic focus (which wasn’t that strong . . .) that we almost ignored social needs. Follow that pattern, and you won’t reach the millennial generation.
- Ignore hard questions. Young people live daily with hard cultural questions. They want to know how the gospel answers those questions, and they’re unafraid to ask. Superficial answers won’t work.
- Be less than open about the church’s finances. Millennials don’t want to know all the details, but they want to be informed enough to trust their giving is making a difference. Financial integrity is important to them.
- Build weak, disconnected small groups. Make sure they focus on transferring information more than on sharing life. If nobody invites millennials into life-on-life groups that emphasize transformation, you’ll likely have succeeded in keeping them away.
Millennials, what would you add?
And, if your church is reaching this generation, tell us what’s working.
I’m in Gen X but all of these apply to us too. I saw most of them especially #2, 7, & 8. I want to add a few more:
Focus on Paul far more than Jesus, Moses, Joshua-This was common as Jesus was regarded as too simple and real Christians read Paul in order to get the church right.
Disregard women and single people-The married couples with children were all that were wanted.
Group all young people into one group and tell them they are going to hell-I wondered why I should even try to be a good person when my fate was already determined.
Don’t give the younger people a speaker who they can understand or who can relate to them.
Don’t put the bread (host) in their hands and tell each person individually that “this is the body of Christ given for you.”
Don’t offer forgiveness to younger people or have congregational confession as the older and powerful people and the pastor don’t need to.
Thanks, Mark.
As a millennial I’d say be program driven so that reaching out to your community or neighborhood becomes difficult due to your church calendar.
Thanks, John.
Don’t push the Millennial to get married. Don’t try to set them up, treat them as real, complete beings even if they are single.
Thank you.
I’ve observed, as a millennial and a pastor, that we desire quality exposition. I think that’s directly tied to numbers 1-3, because you cannot have quality exposition without 1-3. But we don’t mind a 45-60 minute sermon when there is depth, passion, and clarity.
Thanks, Lee.
As a millennial minster, I can see both sides of this. What frustrates me the most is when non-millennials never even ask millennials what is important to them. A way of keeping us away is doing things for us and not WITH us. We want to be involved…actively. Don’t cater to us. Work alongside us. It will make a world of difference.
Thanks, Logan.