5 Reasons Why Millennials Are Over Church & How You Can Get Them Back

Do you know that recent studies show that millennials are the least likely sect that attends church these days?

This is a very interesting statistic that is more prevalent in developed countries.

It seems that this age group is over the idea of church. The question that begs an answer is, “why are millennials over church?” We seek to answer this question and proffer a few solutions in this post. Let’s get started.

Reasons why Millennials are over Church

Here’s the basic truth, any church that doesn’t work on attracting younger adults doesn’t have a future. Sadly, it seems many churches these days have neglected this age group. What are the reasons for this complex issue? Check some of them out below:

Unacceptance

Many millennials feel like the church doesn’t accept them. The church should be a place where everyone is accepted. When they come in and receive the gospel, by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, they will change. You don’t expect people to change before they enter the church. They change because of the church. Many millennials that are over church today say it is because they feel unaccepted.

Adaptability

According to Bill Clinton, “it is costlier to stick to old ways than to adopt change.” Here’s a basic fact. The church has refused to evolve over the years. This lack of adaptability has seen the church push out the very people it should be grooming.

Congregation management has changed. There are new ways to give such as digital donation and text giving. Churches can make use of embedded Livestream to reach their audience instead of having everyone in church. A lot has changed yet the church seems to remain static.

Millennials can see the changes and wish that the church will adopt these changes. They wish their church could make use of church apps like ChurchPad and social media a lot more. The more the church sticks to its lack of adaptability, the fewer millennials we will have.

Mentorship

Once upon a time, pastors only needed to preach to get the message across. Unfortunately for most church leaders these days, millennials don’t only want to be preached at. They also want to be mentored. Even our perfect example, Jesus Christ, mentored his disciples.

If you want the millennials in church, it is simple, find ways to mentor them as well. What they crave is a relationship with their church leaders. They seek a leader that can have a working relationship with them.

Invest your time in them, be ready to walk them through thick and thin, and you’ll see them change. Millennials seek relationships.

Lack of understanding

How would you feel if you got into a place and everyone else spoke a different language and couldn’t understand you? Of course, you’ll want to find a place where you would be understood. This seems to be what is happening between millennials and the church.

Millennials are more interested in a lot of things that the older generation doesn’t even consider. Examples include social justice and environmental issues. The major problem here is that the older generation doesn’t even want to see things differently. This is making it more difficult for them to build a relationship with the millennials.

We aren’t saying the church should become a social justice or environmental institution, but it should lend its voice to different matters and provide support where necessary.

Non-inclusiveness

These young individuals have opinions and their opinions should count where it matters. Most churches don’t even give a listening ear to the millennials in their congregation.

They have no say, they are told that their ideas aren’t good enough/. Inclusion tells us that everyone must have a sense of belonging and every idea should be respected. This issue will continue as long as the church doesn’t listen to these young individuals.

How to get millennials back into the church

Now that we know a few reasons why millennials are over church, how do we get them back? Here are a few tips:

Be inclusive

The church must move from having millennials as just volunteers and part of the congregation. They should be given a chance at making more impact. With inclusivity comes a turnaround in the situation of the church. The younger generation has a lot to offer asides from adding numbers to the church. It is time to give them a chance and show them that they are the game-changers.

Be innovative

The church cannot continue to stick to its old ways of handling things. It is time to adopt innovative ideas. Make use of church management software like ChurchPad to improve church communication. Encourage digital donations, Livestream sermons, and become more liberal.

Encourage mentorship

True, the pastor cannot mentor every young member of his or her congregation. However, they can encourage the older generation to establish mentorship relationships with millennials. This wouldn’t take so much and it would make it understanding each generation a lot easier.

Conclusion

These are just a few reasons why millennials are over church and how to bring them back. If you have any questions, please drop them in the comments section.