Jeff Slingo, an
editor
at large for The Chronicle of Higher Education, recently posted a blog about what he learned from a ten
day transcontinental train ride with 24 millennial entrepreneurs. In the
post, Slingo pushes back against the stereotype of millennials as “lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents.”
Slingo lists some of the things he
learned in dialogue with these young adults.
What he discovered has implications for the church, not only in engaging
young adults but in embracing a way of doing ministry that will renew the life
of the church.
First, we should “think and make connections across silos rather than
within them.” Young adults have been brought
up in educational and recreational venues where they have interacted with
people of many races, cultures, and backgrounds. They don’t function well in “silos” cut off
from the insights and experiences of others.
To reach young adults and to enrich our own ministries, we in the church
must reach others across barriers—denominational, ethnic, socioeconomic, and
geographic—in order to learn from those with different backgrounds and
experiences.
This also is
a challenge to the church to engage popular culture rather than attacking or
rejecting it. The music, films, and
other media that attract young adults have such a major influence on their
lives that we cannot ignore it if we really want to understand millennials.
Second,
millennials “learn by doing, not just by listening and reading.” One thing that most churches have come to
realize is that young adults respond well to opportunities to “get their hands
dirty.” We must continue to offer such
experiences not only one day a week or in week long mission trips but for
extended periods of time. In so doing
so, we must also provide young adults with the means of processing these
experiences within community.
Third,
Slingo observes that millennials will gain new understanding by forcing themselves
“to disconnect and just think.” The
church is uniquely positioned to offer young adults training and encouragement
to practice spiritual disciplines such as mediation, centering prayer, lectio
divina, and solitude. These practices pull the digitally engaged
generation apart to get in touch with God and themselves.
Fourth, the
author suggests that millennials should not “be afraid to ask even the simple
questions.” Churches can provide small
group experiences where young adults can freely seek answers to their questions
about life, faith, and meaning without fear or ridicule or rejection. As someone said, “The only stupid question is
the one you don’t ask.” Since we can no
longer assume that any adult in the general population has a basic
understanding of the Bible or the Christian faith, small groups with a non-judgmental,
supportive attitude can provide a place to learn and grow.
Fifth,
millennials want to “see and learn from the world, today.” All of us, including young adults, need a
global perspective. We gain this through travel and engagement with people from
other cultures. In an era when the
numerical strength of Christianity has shifted outside of the Western world, we
need face-to-face interaction with believers around the world. Churches can both encourage and facilitate
these encounters for all adults.
As the
church considers ways to effectively ministry to the millennial generation, the
reward can be a more vital and engaged community for all believers.
Comments