As young adults seek meaning and connection beyond traditional religion, churches are asking how to reengage them. Beth Ludlum, Co-Director & VP of Strategic Initiatives of The Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary, explores cultural shifts shaping young adulthood today. She offers 6 practical steps for churches to build authentic relationships with young people and join God’s work already present in their lives.
Where are all the young people?
This is a common refrain in many churches. Both national research and local observation indicate the same basic idea: while overall religious decline may have stopped, younger generations are still moving away from religious institutions, doctrine, and practice.
To engage young adults, we first must understand another decades-long trend: the crumbling of the social infrastructure that traditionally shaped young adulthood in America and the necessary rise of alternative building blocks. Put more simply, young adulthood looks different now than it did for previous generations. Nearly 20 years ago, sociologist Robert Wuthnow observed:
“…younger adults are having to invent their own ways of making decisions and seeking support for those decisions. Whereas dating and mate selection used to happen within the social milieu of the high school, congregation, or campus, it now occurs increasingly in bars, at parties, and through the Internet. Other major decisions, such as when to have children and how to raise them, or where to live and what kind of career to pursue, are also being made on an improvisational basis, largely without firm institutional grounding. It is little wonder that social critics write about the problems associated with individualism. In the absence of any institutional sources of support and stability, young adults are forced to be individualistic. They have no other resources but themselves.” (Princeton University Press, 2010)
Over the past 20 years, the “institutional grounding” for young people—and institutional trustworthiness—has only continued to decline, including in the mainline Protestant church. As these gaps have widened, young people have sought to address significant life questions and transitions in other ways. A decade ago, third-space (often exercise- or food-based) gatherings such as Soul Cycle and yoga were on the rise; in recent years the wellness industry has boomed, generating an estimated $6.3 trillion of global revenue as people (young and old alike) turn to fitness, diets, spas, and gurus in a search for meaning and self-realization. Yet even secular critics acknowledge that these often individualistic, capitalistic pursuits cannot replace the community, ritual, and spiritual grounding of religion. At The Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry, we believe that young people need the stability, intergenerational community, and connection to God that can be found in a healthy faith community—and faith communities need the questions, perspective, vitality, and leadership of young people.
So, in the face of these cultural realities, what’s a church to do? First, recognize that even as young adulthood is a time of significant transition and exploration, the Spirit is already at work in and through young adult lives. Like every generation and every person, each young adult brings a distinct experience of God and of the world that is a blessing to the church. Our task is not to be God to young adults; it’s to seek where God is already at work and join them there. Once you’re ready, let these six steps guide you to deeper engagement:
1. Create a team.
Find people across generations and with different levels of engagement in the church and community who feel passionate about meeting and accompanying young adults. Let curiosity and empathy, a desire to know, love, and learn with young people, take the lead. Talk, laugh, eat, and pray together.
2. Examine your own church.
Take the balcony view, literally and/or figuratively. Where do young people sit during worship? Where and how do they participate in ministries? Where are they in leadership—or not? Note what patterns or discrepancies you see. If you’re brave, ask “why”—why are young adults not in worship, in leadership? Remember: curiosity, courage, and humility are helpful.
3. Observe your neighborhood.
In pairs or small groups, walk around your church’s neighborhood, city, or community. Ask God to open your eyes to see people, places, and things that you normally overlook. Where do you see young adults living, working, eating, gathering, or playing? What community amenities exist, and what’s not available? MissionInsite or community demographic data can also help flesh out the picture. Note what you’ve learned and what questions have been raised.
4. Listen to young adults and the people who know them.
Reach out to a young adult in the community to whom you’re already connected, or find a connection through a local business owner, fitness instructor, employer, or volunteer group who regularly engages young adults. Invite that young adult in the community to coffee, and just ask them about their life. Surveys, focus groups, and “expert” (those people who regularly employ, work with, or support young adults) interviews are also helpful, but nothing replaces one-to-one conversation. Compare notes, watching for themes and surprises.
5. Dream.
Based on the values of your church and the values of the young adults around you, brainstorm ways you could grow in relationship, partner together to make a difference in the world, or minister with them. Our research shows that laughter and fun are key to good brainstorming, so make sure your team plays and laughs together before and during your brainstorming!
6. Experiment.
Once you have a full list of ideas, choose one or two to experiment with. Consider those values (of church and young adults) as you plan both what you will do and how you will do it, and measure not just how many people show up, but how those values are expressed and achieved.
While these steps are simple, they aren’t easy. But getting to know the real, live young adults in your community will be worth it – and may just help your church discover more about its mission, purpose, and future at the same time.
Ready to take the next step, but need help? Contact The Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry to learn more about how a cohort-based experience or church-based consulting can help you engage the young adults in your community in new ways.
Related Resources
- After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion by Robert Wuthnow (Princeton University Press, 2010)
- Connecting with Young Adults through Online Ministry by Chris Wilterdink
- Welcoming Young Adults featuring Reggie Blount — Watch the Leading Ideas Talks podcast video | Listen to the podcast audio version | Read the in-depth interview
