There is a false dichotomy today in that most people feel there is nothing supernatural in organized religion or Christianity anymore, and neither do they perceive anything supernatural from the naturalistic Darwinism they have received from their public education and the media. By default, many are looking at the landscape finding there is nothing to feed their spiritual needs, and many of these people are drawn to books on crystals, tarot cards, how to contact the spirit world and other occult practices. They say to themselves, “there is a spiritual part of me that needs to be nourished.”
Christianity in the United States is declining at a precipitous rate, according to last Thursday’s Pew Research polling data, and the percentage of Christians in the country has hit an all-time low. In their data results (click here), over the last ten years the percentage of U.S. adults that identify as Christians dropped by a remarkable 12 percent from to 77 percent to just 65 percent, the lowest point in the nation’s 243-year history. During the same period, the number of religious “nones” — those who self-identify as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular” — has shot up by a stunning 17 percent and this group now makes up more than a quarter of the population (26 percent).
The most egregious data point is the number of religiously unaffiliated, acute among young adults, resulting in a markedly less religious generation. Fewer than half of Millennials (49 percent) describe themselves as Christians, while four-in-ten identify as religious “nones” and 10 percent identify with non-Christian faiths. The prior “Generation X” (born 1965-1980) scored demonstrably higher 15 years ago in comparison at the same age reference point in a recent Gallup poll (click here). The Church must painfully acknowledge our failure in reaching this “lost generation.”
THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION (born 1981-1996)
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever.” (Daniel 12:3)
“The largest community that is being least affected by our modern church is the Millennial generation. These are tomorrow’s decision makers, they will shape the future of the political and social society for coming generations. Unfortunately, these people are leaving the church in scores, and many churches don’t know what to do about it. They are completely ill-equipped to handle this problem. Even churches that have tried to address the needs for the upcoming generation have missed the mark by attempting things like church makeovers or implementing rock concert-style worship services which are not what these generations of people are looking for. And even worse, some churches are shrugging this generation of people off as unreachable.” –Allie Anderson, author, Unscrambling the Millennial Paradox
Many believe the divide that separates Millennials from the previous generation is the biggest generation gap that this world has ever seen, because of the dramatic way in which the world has changed over the last 100 years, and especially over the last 20 years. History provides literally no template for how to deal with the modern generation. It is the advent of the Internet and computer technology that serves as a defining signature for their generation, thus the behavioral traits are not necessarily constrained to the United States but can be found in the modern world-at-large.
Anderson states further, “the communication gap is (due to) emergent technology. The previous generation looks at the new generation and doesn’t know how to connect. Previous generations could relate but now it is much more complicated.”
In so many ways this emergent technology has created a much more isolated society, especially among Millennials who have been raised on its utility. Today, we are so wirelessly “connected” that it is not uncommon to see a family of four sitting in a restaurant immersed in four different screens oblivious to one another. By our human DNA we are “wired” for community so to speak, but often we are separate while all sitting in the same room together. Hence, we have the rise of social media and reality TV. The desire is in us to connect, but the world has changed.
But it’s not just emergent technology.
“No generation prior to the Millennial generation was less parented. We live in an age of single parent families, these kids need fathers, they need mothers, brothers, sisters, they need mentors.” -Dr. Thomas Horn
There is more. As I heard one say, “In the modern era we frequently find that we have substituted friends and co-workers for “family.” Today, the Church needs to step up and be that family and replace the absent aunts and uncles that traditionally surrounded people.”
“We are at a critical stage historically, spiritually, and socially, and that the Millennial generation is facing challenges that would have been completely foreign to other generations because of technology, change in how we assimilate information and communicate with one another.
(A recent poll stated that 61% of professing U.S. Christians believed in at least one form of occult practice, i.e. spirited objects, reincarnation, astrology, etc.)
There’s also what our friend Russ Dizdar (deliverance minister) might call the ‘Black Awakening.’ We’ve never seen a time in American history where people have been so open to occult influences. Much of the Church in the locally communities in America, some 60-70%, hold occult ideas. We are now seeing it go to new places – legislation, infanticide, euthanasia of the elderly, the devaluation of what it means to be human. What we are communicating to the Millennials is frightening frankly.” – Horn
ARE MILLENNIALS “UNREACHABLE?”
“who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.” (Acts 11:14)
“No, but it’s ironic. They (Millennials) have desires that stem from the fact they were made in the image of God. They have been telling us what they want, it’s amazing. They want a place where they belong, a place of community, a place where they can ‘activate.’ They are asking the church to tackle the hard issues. The Church is sometimes unable to know how to tackle hard issues with love. We must balance truth with love in the same message, they are ready to hear it Scripturally. They are ready to transfer from milk to the meat of Scripture. They are asking for things that are in fact very deep.” -Anderson
WHAT ARE MILLENNIALS LOOKING FOR?
“The Millennial generation is leaving partly because of the communication gap taking place. Millennials will say they want a church that is ‘new,’ that is, focused on ‘new’ and leaving traditions behind. Many churches have responded with church makeovers, coffee shops in the lobby and they don’t mean that kind of ‘new.’ They mean a church that is willing to activate and take it (Good News) to the streets. They want a church that is actively seeking relationships with people that gives them a community and a place to belong. One thing to remember is that these people can stream anything they want into their living room, on Sunday morning or anytime during the week. If they want it, it’s out there, and it’s available for streaming. So, if they show up at your church, it’s because they are looking for an interpersonal relationship of some kind and that the most important thing to remember. What they are truly look for, is a place where they belong.” -Anderson
“These kids (Millennials) need fathers, they need mothers, brothers, sisters, and they need mentors. Really what is key to reaching this generation is becoming just that. (Exercising) the spiritual gifts, being a friend, caring for these people. Statistics will tell us that Millennials are leaving the church in droves, but where they are staying and where they are flourishing is because they have a very strong mentoring presence. Once they believe someone loves them and cares about them, now they are open to your theology, to your deeper teachings, going from milk to meat of the Word, but not until then. A big rock concert is not going to cut it. A coffee shop in the middle of your church lobby is not what they are looking for primarily. Now those are all fine furnishings, but they need mentors, friends, and everyday champions.” -Horn
Today, the Church has an unprecedented opportunity to reach a “lost generation.” We are at a precipice, a moment in time that will determine. Will this generation truly be lost? Or will its harvest become a Great Awakening?
“Once the church makes a connection with this youngest generation in a lasting and meaningful way, they will become the biggest group of activists for the Great Commission this world has ever seen.” -Anderson
The true early Church was familial, a community of individuals each contributing in their own way, demonstrating the love of Christ and exercising the gifts of the Holy Spirit endowed to them. It is the model we need to get back to and what the Millennials are screaming for, the sense of family. Could this be you?
“Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)
Sources: Dr. Thomas Horn, Allie Anderson, Steven Bancarz, Witness Lee