Rachel Held Evans wrote a very great article
at CNN.com
(click here for the full article) about why
the Millennial Generation is leaving the church. Recent studies have
shown that many young adults are heading to more traditional, high church worship
because of the things missing from the hipster churches. When
asked how to attract more millennials many churches, pastors, and laity think
it is about the 'cool' factor. Rachel disagrees. Below are two
quick quotes that do a lot to sum her thoughts.
"But here’s the thing: Having been advertised to our
whole lives, we millennials have highly sensitive BS meters, and we’re not
easily impressed with consumerism or performances."
"You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business
as usual and expect us to stick around. We’re not leaving the church because we
don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t
find Jesus there." (this one stung a little..okay...A LOT!)
What I read in her article was a relief for me. Attracting
young people, millennials, is not about doing A, B and C. It is about
authenticity. Are you being authentic in your worship and in your
missions. I think she hit the nail on the head that Millennials have a
highly sensitive BS meter. They (personally I have one foot in the
Millennial and GenX generations so I talk about both of them as 'they') can see
right through masks many churches put up. They can see authentic a mile
away.
Maybe what churches should do is stop worrying about the
type of worship and simply learn to do what they do really well. Instead
of trying to be everything to everyone just be yourself, and be really great at
it. People are attracted and want to participate in authentic
worship/missions/small groups/(insert other church functions), no matter if it
is high, low or in between.
May we strive for authentic and not cool. What is cool
is always changing, authentic sticks around.
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