In a recent blog, Shane Raynor addressed millennial myths
and the real reasons that people leave the church. He argues that millennials are not a homogeneous
group, and their decisions to disengage from the church vary greatly. Some are reasons that lead people of all ages
to leave the church. He suggests five
reasons that millennials leave. I don’t
agree with all of them, but he does suggest one with which I resonate—“They don’t
feel challenged”—but I see it in a slightly different way.
Raynor says, “Some of us have tried so hard to meet
people where they are that we’ve made church too accessible. Most people
want to grow spiritually, and it’s hard to do that in churches that spend an
inordinate amount of time catering to the spiritual lowest common denominator.
. . .People who don’t feel they have opportunities to move forward spiritually
may leave church simply because they’re bored.”
I would suggest that challenge comes in many forms. If we pursue the idea that the common
approach for many people today is to belong, behave, and then believe (rather
than the old approach of believe, belong, behave), the challenge that young
adults seek is not a higher level of spiritual engagement, but a desire to make
a meaningful contribution in a supportive environment. Although it may seem trite to say it, “They
want to make a difference.” Often this
is seen as personal investment in service rather than becoming more spiritual.
Unlike previous generations, young adults don’t want to take the time to “pay
their dues” before serving. They have
seen other generations who have worked up through the system and who have then
found themselves marginalized and their leadership rejected.
Young adults do need to be challenged spiritually, but a
foundation must be laid first. When it
comes to spiritual growth, helping young adults to engage the Gospel in
language that they understand and answering the questions they ask is not “catering
to the lowest common denominator.” In a
post-Christendom society, many young adults lack the vocabulary or context to
pursue their spiritual quest in the ways familiar to a previous
generation. Once on board, however, they
are quick learners and find much in Christian doctrine, theology, and heritage to
enrich their lives and help them grow spiritually.
So, I agree that we need to challenge young adults, but
the form of the challenge must be concrete, meaningful, and engaging. Only then will they realize their need for a
spirituality that will change their lives and their motivation.
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