Monday 7 October 2013

How Young People Connect to Church

What are the things that help young people connect to church? I sometimes talk about why people leave the church, including that they find it unChristian. But what connects them?

David Kinnaman, author of You Lost Me (why young Christians are leaving church) also did some research into things churches can do to engage young adults.

The article goes into more detail. But it covers 3 main areas. 1. Connection to Jesus. 2. Connecting faith to real life. 3. Allowing meaningful relationships with other Christians.

The research interviewed young people still involved with church ("Active") and those not currently attending ("Dropout"). While I'm not a big fan of those terms, the difference in the two groups is stunning. There's a clear connection between experiencing these things at church, and staying connected to church.


Also, it turns out the 59% of young people leave the church in their 'first decade of adulthood'. That's a strong reason to consider addressing this issue.

More ideas can also be found in the book You Lost Me.

Article Link: 5 Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church
Barna Resource: The Barna Millenials Project

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