Aaron Earls recently shared six reasons why many congregations fail to reach Millennials:
- not online,
- too inward focused,
- not trustworthy,
- not diverse,
- too institutional, and
- don’t offer real community.
So What?
Overall, I think Earls’ list is helpful but incomplete. The number one reason I find congregations don’t reach Millennials is because they don’t make reaching this generation a priority. In fact, I have been a part of conversations this year in which Millennials were intentionally and explicitly excluded from outreach plans.
- What percentage of your congregation’s worshiping community on a typical Sunday morning are adults under age 35?
- How many of the negative attributes on Earls’ list describe the current reality in your congregation?
- Share the one change you think your congregation could make that would have the greatest positive impact on reaching Millennials.