I am wondering if millennials are getting a bum rap when it comes to their association with mainline churches. A recent article published by the Barna Group revealed that it isn't just young adults who are avoiding God's house on Sunday mornings. Nation-wide, 47% of American adults reported that they had not attended church in the last six month. That compares with 52% of millennials who gave the same response: that's only a 5% difference. In light of that, I can conclude that it is not just those who are under the age of 30 who are turning their back on the church.
The folks at Barna also provided some insights into why some young folks are staying connected to the church. When it came to why they attend church, the number one reason was they had close friends (59%), followed "gaining an understanding of my purpose for a life in Christ." In other words the reason millennials stay committed to a worship community is relationships and personal relevance.
When I read the Barna report, I immediately thought of a conversation that I had with a father sometime back. It was one of those casual chats that I occasionally have in Starbucks. In this case I was working on my laptop, but I had my Bible open next to it. I have found that an open Bible is can be a great prompt. This dad asked what I was reading, we began a chat. He was concerned about his daughter and appreciated my passion for reaching out to millennials. His daughter had graduated from a college and moved to a major city in the Midwest, She was a creative illustrator and dad was proud of her work (he showed me samples on his phone). His daughter had been into the Goth culture in high school and had several body piercings. During college time she added a couple of tattoos. Dad did not always approve, but in his words, "You love them for who they are." The daughter had grown up in the church and according to dad was even active in a Christian organization in college, but now she was not attending church. She can't find a church where she is comfortable. There was a pregnant pause in our conversation. "Can I be honest?" dad asked. I nodded. My daughter values traditional worship, but when she shows up the members ignore her.
His story is all to familiar. Lets face it. Most of us "over fifty Christians" enjoy our worship communities. We look forward to the Sunday morning experience. Part of that experience is the fellowship time. I am probably like you in that I enjoy checking in with friends that I typically only see on Sunday mornings. Don't confuse the issue by asking me to have a conversation with someone who is different. But that is what Jesus called us to do. Jesus welcomed all people, and he always accepted them for who they were, not who he wanted them to be. When we welcome millenials into our worship community we are opening the door to a possible relationships. When that happens, we need to be ready to take on the tough issues of the day with an open mind, and then an open Bible.
We might have the opinion that young people only want to relate to people their age. The reality is they see value in experience and desire relationships with folks of all ages. The vital things is that people be open to sharing their insights. An integral part of that sharing is our relationship with Jesus Christ. and insights into our personal walk of discipleship.
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