The Truth about Millennials and The Church

-


     "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - 1 Peter 2:9

 


 The truth about Millennials and the Church is a long debated, thought-provoking, church stirring conversation that has been put off for far too long. Many have asked the questions "What is it gonna take to get the younger generation involved in the church?" "Why has the younger generation left the church or aren't active in the church?" I have done some research and God has to lead me to answer some of these questions .

One of the questions is "Why do millennials struggle with getting actively involved in the church?" When I say involved I mean seeking god so he can reveal your purpose to you and you can benefit the body of Christ. Not just coming to church and clapping your hands. Not shouting but then neglecting to fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. I could name a million reasons why someone may be too busy to get involved or even attend church but ONE is never too busy for God. When we say that, we open the door to excuse why God isn't worth giving our all to. Back in March of this year, I was trying to enrich the young adult ministry at my church. The age group is 18-30. I had this grand presentation that I drafted up immediately. It included monthly bonding events and setting up committees. I had a game plan of what God wanted me to do. However, I'm sure now that it wasn't for my church but for my personal ministry to be birthed out. Although, I shared my ideas with the Bishop and First Lady. The young adults were reluctant to get involved. To say the least the communication was way off.

A couple of months, before birthing out this ministry. I figured I needed a team or a couple resources to get me started. However, God has fully equipped me for this and has revealed to me I don't need a "team" behind me. Instead, he wanted me to hit the ground running and be obedient. One of the things that the young adults struggled with was communication with one another and until we learned how to be in communication with one another, we will be unable to cultivate covenant relationships in Christ. There are so many benefits when you enter the Kingdom, being a daughter or son of God., MY GOD! How good is it to know that he choose us? Whew! But to have covenant relationships in Christ gives you all the reassurance that you need. That you are not alone in Christ. You can have monthly outings, bible studies, emotional support, and a prayer partner!


Nevertheless, I have also learned on this journey of trying to bring the millennial generation together is understanding that when people are comfortable where they are at, it won't move them or attract them. YOU SHOULD NEVER GET TOO COMFORTABLE IN CHRIST, THAT YOU THINK YOU CANNOT BE ELEVATED IN THE KINGDOM OR A BETTER SERVANT TO HIM. For me, I am just set apart and different. I am a natural born leader, extrovert, and visionary. Last fall, we had a purpose series held on our Wednesday Service and it was life-changing for me. It propelled me forward in being excited to discover my purpose. But then I looked around and was like "Am I the only one who felt that"? And asked my myself the question "Why isn't anyone else on fire for Jesus like me. I soon realized everyone is different and your walk isn't the same as mine.  An article from Christianity Today examined why millennials drop out of the church, "About 70 percent of young adults 18 to 22 stopped attending church for a year. It goes on to say that 26 percent said that the people at their church were too judgemental, 20 percent didn't feel connected to the people at their church, 23 percent said work made it impossible to attend church, and 27 percent said they needed a break from church."

 

I wanna talk to my believers now, "How are we recruiting new believers?" Are we making them feel welcome when they come to our church, how do we help them go deeper into the faith by showing them the importance of having an intimate relationship with God? When we are judging them we are showing them away, from the time they walk in our church. As saints, we have to realize that "Jesus doesn't change when our emotions do." We cannot act on our emotions when we are supposed to be doing Kingdom work!!!! Many of those who attend church do not possess a "First-Hand Faith" In which you know God for yourself. And when you don't believe in God for who he is to you, it is easy to slip into double-mindedness.

The article examined three reasons why millenials are falling away from the church:

1. Some people are not involved in the church because they feel useless.

'They may believe that they are not personally qualified to serve in ministry capacity or they might think that the only special "clergy" can truly be involved.

Contrary to popular belief, all are called to ministry. YOUR LIFE IS A MINISTRY AND YOU HAVE A MILLION PROPHESIES ON THE INSIDE OF YOU. Pastors just have a different role, but its a common call." Have we created a class system in the Body of Christ, comprising "the called" and "uncalled"?


  2. Some people are simply hurting.

   This second reason is not complicated at all, some people are just hurting. When I say hurting I'm speaking on all kinds of hurt, hurts of this world, and even dealing with being hurt by someone in the church. The church is a spiritual hospital and we need to embrace them so they can get to a place where they build their faith and walk in the complete fullness of who they are before they serve. So, it isn't that they don't wanna serve, but they are not in a place to. "For those who have been severely wronged, the first priority is to love them."

3. Some people are just lazy.

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but some people are just lazy. If they can reap the benefits of other's service and just sit back and be comfortable they will. Many people are okay with coming to church every Sunday and going home. Church leaders and pastors need to start holding people accountable o being a servant in the body of Christ. It should be more complicated. Just as we have to work to keep our relationship with the father, we have to put into work in our churches to help them prosper and let ourselves prosper as we walk into our purpose.


Now that we have discussed the three most common reasons why people are not involved in church. I want to encourage you to evaluate yourself and BE HONEST! Where are you at with being a servant of Christ? And I want to let you know that serving others is what we are supposed to do, it's not the bare minimum! Go out and get involved in your church, community, or volunteer to serve others. The bible says "Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be.  "My father will honor the one who serves me." (John 12:26)

References: "3 Reasons Why People Are Not Involved In The Church" Christianity Today. The Exchange. 13 June 2014.
(https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014/june/3-reasons-people-are-not-involved-in-your-church.html)
As always,Be encouraged, Nikia A. Handy   

For questions or prayer requests

Email: purposeroomministries@gmail.com

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Surviving Senior Year #SeniorSznSeries

-
Image
Yesterday was a heavy day for me. I wasn't emotional but I had a heart full of gratitude. Yesterday made a week since I moved out of my apartment on campus. I had visited for the weekend of March 13th and I didn't plan that I wouldn't return to complete my senior year. I was home for three and a half weeks. Stripped from physical contact, normal work, and school routine. I miss my own space the most. Some call it selfish but I was living on my own for a year and a half. I used to look out for my self, cooking, pursuing my independence, dining myself. I remember that Thursday, one of my friends asked did I wanna go out. I declined and said I had so much work to do. However, I REGRET that now, since that was the last time I was going to see him. As people, we don't truly value human interaction until we are deprived of it. Right now, we can hold zoom calls, skype, google hangouts but it is not the same. Nothing compares to the freedom that you have when ...
Read more

"Faithing It"

-
Image
You see your faith to God in the spiritual is like Gas to a car in the natural! We cannot move a car without Gas. - Heather Lindsey Recently, I have been studying faith at a deeper level. We know that everyone on this earth was given a measure of faith. It is a gift from God. So many of us get stuck in a routine and aren’t even aware of the dangers of it. For example, many times we may get comfortable. Go to church every Sunday, shout, post about it, have dinner and I won't even it. We cannot be spiritually transformed and elevated to the next level in our faith without having faith. So, what is faith? "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things unseen." Pastor Touré Roberts of One Church LA defines faith as your currency, your means of exchange with God. Hebrews 11:11 tells us that “Faith is the substance of the things hoped for, and the evidence of the things unsee n.” According to my Student Life Application Bible, NLT faith is ...
Read more

WELCOME!

-
Happy Easter! Jesus Christ risen on today. First I would like to welcome you all to my blog! I am ecstatic to be share my blogging journey with you. Lets jump right into it. My name is Nikia A. Handy, and I am a second year student at the College of Lake County, located in Grayslake, IL. (About 55 min from Chicago). I will graduate in May and transfer to Marquette University. While at Marquette, I will major in political science. I have always had dreams of becoming a lawyer, aside from writing. I am an student leader, peer mentor, and in the middle of expanding the youth ministry at my church. I am passionate about social justice and civic engagement. This is why being a CHANGE for my generation is vital. Some of my hobbies include reading, watching movies, exploring, and shopping! Lol. I mean who doesn't love shopping? Some of my favorite foods are wings, cheese fries, and tacos! My favorite ice cream is natural vanilla. Now that I have told you a little about myself. Lea...
Read more