4 Millennial Characteristics
1. Millennials are value-driven. Other generations have been duty or rebellion driven, but not millennials. They align themselves with organizations (to shop and worship) that share their values. Most often they align themselves with organizations that serve local and global communities.
2. Millennials are not Sundaycentric. Unlike previous generations, being a Christ follower is less about Sunday and more about being Jesus through the week. Millennials tend not to get too engrossed over worship style, dress code, Bible translation, preaching style, etc. They will attend churches that allow them to serve beyond themselves. A church that is engaging the community is one step closer to reaching millennials.
3. Millennials need Jesus. They don't need cool. They don't need organic. They need Jesus. Try not to package Jesus in a wrapping that is undeserving. Just give Millennials Jesus unadulterated. Tell them about the hope of Jesus today!
4. Millennial are family focused. Gen Xers (otherwise known as latchkey kids) experienced a destructuring of the family. Millennials long for meaningful relationships and tend to cling to family. They will classify many people as family, but they truly value blood relationships as well. Millennial that are parents desire to teach their children well through mentoring (for more information check out Why They Stay by Crites and Parr).
According to Pew Research, the current young adult generation (millennials) is the largest generation in the United States.[1] Young adults in this generation are the first generation predominantly not raised in church.[2] Research conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs found the majority of the millennial adult generation does not attend church regularly, and the majority of collegiate millennials mostly identify as“religiously unaffiliated.”[3] Further research validated the findings.[4] Only 31% of millennials attend church in any given week.[5] When surveyed, millennial adults reported they had stopped attending church for at least a year when they were between the ages eighteen and twenty-two.[6] Researchers have observed millennial adults attend church because of certain personal values.[7] Subsequent research supports the previous statement.[8] Millennial adults have overcome many personal barriers to be part of a church.[9] They do not want to be idle in faith but desire to engage the world in a positive manner.[10]
david evans is the Evangelism Leader for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. If you would like help connecting with your local community or young families then feel free to contact david via e-mail devans@tnbaptist.org. In the meantime check out “The Reaching App” by searching in your app store or visiting www.TheReachingApp.com.
[1]Richard Fry, “This Year, Millennials Will Overtake Baby Boomers,” Pew Research Center, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/01/16/this-year-millennials -will-overtake-baby-boomers/ (accessed January 18 2015). Also refer to Thom Rainer, “Ten Ways Millennials Are Shaping Local Congregations Today,” LifeWay Christian Resources, http://thomrainer.com/2014/08/13/ten-ways-millennials-shaping-local-congregations-today/ (accessed January 17, 2015).
[2]Daniel Cox, “Born and Raised: More Americans Are Being Raised without Religion and Choosing to Stay that Way,” The Huffington Post, http://www .huffingtonpost.com/daniel-cox/born-and-raised-more-amer_b_3682847.html (accessed April 24, 2015).
[3]Daniel Cox and Robert P. Jones, “A Generation in Transition: Religion, Values, and Politics among College-Age Millennials,” Public Religion Research Institute, http://publicreligion.org/research/2012/04/millennial-values-survey-2012/# .VTqVms4rfww (accessed April 24, 2015).
[4]Daniel Cox and Robert P. Jones, “Millennial Values and Voter Engagement Survey,” Public Religion Research Institute, http://publicreligion.org/research/2012/10/millennial-values-voter-engagement2012/#.VTqZSM4rfww (accessed April 24, 2015).
[5]George Barna, “Twentysomethings struggle to find their place in Christian Churches,” Barna Group Research, http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/5-barna-update/127-twentysomethings-struggle-to-find-their-place-in-christian-churches (accessed January 17, 2015).
[6]Mark Kelly, “Study: Unchurched Americans Turned Off by Church, Open to Christians,” LifeWay Research, http://www.lifeway.com/Article/LifeWay-Research-finds-unchurched-Americans-turned-off-by-church-open-to-Christians (accessed January 17, 2015).
[7]George Barna, Grow Your Church from the Outside In: Understanding the Unchurched and How to Reach Them (Ventura, CA: Regal, 2002), 34. Also refer to Dan Downing, “Hello: I’m a Millennial,” The Cashlinq Group, http://cashlinqblog.com/2014/12/01/hello-im-a-millennial/ (accessed January 17, 2015).
[8]Dan Kimball, They Like Jesus but Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 1. Also refer to Wanda Vassallo, Church Communications Handbook: A Complete Guide to Developing a Strategy, Using Technology, Writing Effectively, Reaching the Unchurched (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 1998), 287; and Seth Hurd, “The Unexpected Things Millennials Want in Church,” Relevant Magazine, http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/unexpected-things-millennials-want-church (accessed January 17, 2015).
[9]Robert Webber, The Ministries of Christian Worship, vol. 7 of The Complete Library of Christian Worship (Nashville, TN: Star Song, 1994), 79-80. Also refer to Don Everts and Doug Schaupp, I Once Was Lost: What Postmodern Skeptics Taught Us about Their Path to Jesus (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008), 23.
[10]David D. Burstein, Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation Is Shaping Our World (Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 2013), xiii. Also refer to Winograd and Hais, Millennial Momentum, 3; Leonard Sweet, Post-Modern Pilgrims: First Century Passion for the 21st Century World (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2000), 53; Tom Strode, “Survey: Younger Southern Baptist Involvement Rising,” Baptist Press, http://www.bpnews.net/44145/survey-younger-southern-baptist-involvement-rising (accessed February 9, 2015).