Millennials and the Church
17/06/16 05:37
I’ve written about millennials before, and I am no expert on the particularities of the generation of youth and adults who are emerging as leaders in our communities and in the world. Furthermore, as has been true of previous generations, the source of deepest understanding and meaning about a particular group of people comes from within and not from the observations made by an outsider. I am definitely not a millennial. I don’t see the world from their particular point of view. On the other hand, I have always found hope in the intelligence, leadership and energy of those who are younger than I. I also think that we who are in the category of elders do well to take seriously those who are younger.
Our world is changing and with every change comes both risk and opportunity.
Millennials are less religiously affiliated than ever before. There’s no news in that statement. Study after study reveals similar statistics. A 2012 Pew Research Center report reports that nearly one in three do not belong to a faith community and of those, only 10% are looking for one. A 2014 survey shows that the disaffiliation trend is growing.
As a church leader, I can’t help but wonder if the trend is primarily caused by the institutional church or the individuals. Of course the answer is most likely not one or the other but a combination of both.
What seems to be the case is that youth and young adults are both more globally connected and more locally isolated than was the case a few decades ago. The globally connected part is obvious from there command of social media and ability to instantly access all kinds of information, including making connections with those who share their point of view. The local isolation seems to be, in part, a result from the large amount of time spent in front of various technological devices. I am no longer surprised to see college roommates who communicate by email instead of speaking to one another or teens who are texting to each other while sitting next to each other in the same car. Technological communication is so much a part of their lives that they aren’t aware of what seems to me to be obvious: the technology often gets in the way of genuine conversation.
There are positive and hopeful aspects to this new way of seeking community. There are wonderful love stories of couples who found each other over the Internet and who would never have met if it weren’t for online dating services. There are charities and causes that have found incredible support online that wouldn’t have had much traction using traditional methods. People with unique interests are able to find each other and make connections that were previously impossible.
But make no mistake about it. This wonderful global community is not a solution for isolation and loneliness. The lack of community is deeply felt by youth and young adults. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth. Rates of isolation, loneliness and depression continue to rise.
Millennials may have decided that traditional churches don’t offer the community they seek and need, but they still have a great need for community. And, for many the community of the Internet is insufficient for their basic need of human contact, care and connection.
We have this rich treasure of intelligent, capable and competent 18 to 34 year-olds who have all of the qualities we most desire for our communities: compassion, a sense of service, willingness to work, idealism, and energy. But they, and we, lack the language to connect in meaningful community. Part of the reality is that we have raised these young people in a secular world. It isn’t just these youth who have suffered from the lack of religious community, it is also their parents. And lacking a faith community, young people also lack a language to express their spirituality. They are aware of that which is beyond. They experience wonder and gratitude and a sense of the world beyond themselves, but they lack the traditional language of religion to express what they know to be true. And without the language, they are challenged to make spiritual connections with others.
It seems to me that one source of hope lies in the development of new institutions and new language. The church has always been much more than a particular congregation or a particular denomination or a particular way of organizing community. Christianity, at its core, is always about resurrection and therefore needs not fear the death of particular institutions or structures. Inventing new communities can be a powerful tool for millennials. And with new communities new language emerges. I am often amused and occasionally energized by listening to a young adult speak of spiritual truths while avoiding the use of overtly religious language. While I prefer to use religious language, I understand that the truth is not contained in the words. It always lies beyond and different words can point towards the same truth. I also find joy in some new organizations that are working hard to offer fellowship, personal reflection, pilgrimage, and even disciplines of practice. They may not use words like “liturgy,” “confession,” “worship” or “prayer,” but meditation and practice can offer the same benefits of community.
More interesting to me as an elder, however, are the ways in which the community of which I am a part, can employ the tools of the new generation. We have much to learn about remaining globally connected from those who are younger. I know how to take a meal to a neighbor, but I’m clueless about how to set up a Kiva loan to a farmer in Kenya. I can pull change from my pocket to help the person ahead of me in the checkout lane at the grocery store, but don’t look to me to know how to make random acts of kindness go viral. I know how to speak to the congregation I serve, but haven’t the foggiest idea how to organize a TED conference.
I suppose it remains to be seen whether or not the traditional church will be able to meet the needs of millennials for community. It does seem clear that for those with whom we do succeed in connecting that good things happen both ways. Christian community is good for millennials and millennials are good for the church. There is hope in our future.
Our world is changing and with every change comes both risk and opportunity.
Millennials are less religiously affiliated than ever before. There’s no news in that statement. Study after study reveals similar statistics. A 2012 Pew Research Center report reports that nearly one in three do not belong to a faith community and of those, only 10% are looking for one. A 2014 survey shows that the disaffiliation trend is growing.
As a church leader, I can’t help but wonder if the trend is primarily caused by the institutional church or the individuals. Of course the answer is most likely not one or the other but a combination of both.
What seems to be the case is that youth and young adults are both more globally connected and more locally isolated than was the case a few decades ago. The globally connected part is obvious from there command of social media and ability to instantly access all kinds of information, including making connections with those who share their point of view. The local isolation seems to be, in part, a result from the large amount of time spent in front of various technological devices. I am no longer surprised to see college roommates who communicate by email instead of speaking to one another or teens who are texting to each other while sitting next to each other in the same car. Technological communication is so much a part of their lives that they aren’t aware of what seems to me to be obvious: the technology often gets in the way of genuine conversation.
There are positive and hopeful aspects to this new way of seeking community. There are wonderful love stories of couples who found each other over the Internet and who would never have met if it weren’t for online dating services. There are charities and causes that have found incredible support online that wouldn’t have had much traction using traditional methods. People with unique interests are able to find each other and make connections that were previously impossible.
But make no mistake about it. This wonderful global community is not a solution for isolation and loneliness. The lack of community is deeply felt by youth and young adults. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth. Rates of isolation, loneliness and depression continue to rise.
Millennials may have decided that traditional churches don’t offer the community they seek and need, but they still have a great need for community. And, for many the community of the Internet is insufficient for their basic need of human contact, care and connection.
We have this rich treasure of intelligent, capable and competent 18 to 34 year-olds who have all of the qualities we most desire for our communities: compassion, a sense of service, willingness to work, idealism, and energy. But they, and we, lack the language to connect in meaningful community. Part of the reality is that we have raised these young people in a secular world. It isn’t just these youth who have suffered from the lack of religious community, it is also their parents. And lacking a faith community, young people also lack a language to express their spirituality. They are aware of that which is beyond. They experience wonder and gratitude and a sense of the world beyond themselves, but they lack the traditional language of religion to express what they know to be true. And without the language, they are challenged to make spiritual connections with others.
It seems to me that one source of hope lies in the development of new institutions and new language. The church has always been much more than a particular congregation or a particular denomination or a particular way of organizing community. Christianity, at its core, is always about resurrection and therefore needs not fear the death of particular institutions or structures. Inventing new communities can be a powerful tool for millennials. And with new communities new language emerges. I am often amused and occasionally energized by listening to a young adult speak of spiritual truths while avoiding the use of overtly religious language. While I prefer to use religious language, I understand that the truth is not contained in the words. It always lies beyond and different words can point towards the same truth. I also find joy in some new organizations that are working hard to offer fellowship, personal reflection, pilgrimage, and even disciplines of practice. They may not use words like “liturgy,” “confession,” “worship” or “prayer,” but meditation and practice can offer the same benefits of community.
More interesting to me as an elder, however, are the ways in which the community of which I am a part, can employ the tools of the new generation. We have much to learn about remaining globally connected from those who are younger. I know how to take a meal to a neighbor, but I’m clueless about how to set up a Kiva loan to a farmer in Kenya. I can pull change from my pocket to help the person ahead of me in the checkout lane at the grocery store, but don’t look to me to know how to make random acts of kindness go viral. I know how to speak to the congregation I serve, but haven’t the foggiest idea how to organize a TED conference.
I suppose it remains to be seen whether or not the traditional church will be able to meet the needs of millennials for community. It does seem clear that for those with whom we do succeed in connecting that good things happen both ways. Christian community is good for millennials and millennials are good for the church. There is hope in our future.