A few days ago I sat in on a lecture at a worship arts conference. It was a panel discussion involving three young pastors and a large room filled with Baby Boomers and Gen X’ers trying to figure out the impossible – The Millennial.
How do we get them to continue coming to church? What kind of music do they like?
Should we have a later service? Maybe we could try being more eclectic? How do I minister to young people without them thinking they’re my “project”? – The main topics discussed.
As I listened, I became more and more uncomfortable. Then I realized something. Holy cow! We are like a totally different species to these people. Then, from the back of the room a man said, “well, we really need to figure this out because they are the future of the church.” At first I nodded my head in agreement, as everyone did.
The pastors gave great answers. “Cut the fluff”, meaning get to the point. Simple is better. Engage in not only authentic, but also genuine worship. Church is not a show. Quit trying to be cool. If you view them as your project, they will realize what you are doing. Instead, maybe tell them that you would like to invest in them personally and Shepard them. I mean, really good stuff.
I left feeling pretty good about the session. I’m a car thinker- as soon I get behind the wheel the thoughts start rolling in. This day was no exception. I couldn’t help but think of the man in the back and the word “future”. My 10-minute drive turned 45 minutes. I became more and more restless, but came up with a conclusion.
I asked people their first thought when they hear the word millennial. While some positive- innovative, technologically advanced, a longing to be associated with a cause, the responses were overwhelmingly negative. Things like lazy, entitled, unstructured and sensitive. While I do believe all those things are probably true (whether I like to admit it or not) I also think we are looking for a sense of purpose and significance.
I (and a lot of other young people) am lazy. Is it because of my generation or sinful nature? We’ll leave that one up for discussion. Living in a way that says, “I’ll worry about church when it’s my time”. I don’t want to be the future. In fact, I refuse to be the future. God specifically shows us in scripture that He can use young people in great and mighty ways.
God not only encourages, but also trusts young people. He wants us to set an example for older people? What an encouragement! Who cares what others think, GOD has a great confidence in us! We’re not called to be the future; we’re called to be the NOW! In all our laziness, entitlement, brokenness and sin, God wants to use us for great things. Let Him. His promises are real and true.
