Rachel Held Evans’ article Why Millenials Are Leaving the Church has garnered quite a lot of attention, and I am fascinated by what she says.
We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against.
I get it. Millenials want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They are ready to make a difference and see the world change. And the church gets stuck talking against something more often than doing something for a community or against an social justice issue.
Evans says we might need to reconsider laying a new style over old principles. In fact, she says, the “BS-meter” goes off when something is phony or fake; instead, Millenials want something compelling.
One great response to Evans’ article came in today’s RTD opinion piece by Matt Thornhill (I might have missed it had Travis not previewed it in his weekly e-mail yesterday).
…power has shifted from institutions in America to the individual. In many aspects of modern life, what once was commanded and controlled by an institution is now fully distributed and managed by the individual.
Want to send a message to someone? Old way: Write a letter, lick a stamp and rely on the post office. New way: Type, text, done.
Want to see a movie? Old way: Show up at a designated time at the single-screen movie theater. New way: On-demand, anywhere, any time.
Some churches are already embracing this shift: Want to get together and study the Bible? Old way: Sunday school on Sunday mornings at the church. New way: Small groups any day of the week anywhere. Or, better yet: online.
More accessible. Deeper. Challenging. Relational.
That’s a lot to think about.
