Generational Gaps - Millenials and The Church

I might get myself into a bit of trouble here, but I feel like multi-generational churches are kind of like people who do CrossFit or become vegans – they can't wait to tell you about it.

It starts with an innocent question like, "Hey, what's your church like?" Before you know it, you hear about ten different ministry groups, how young and old are all sitting around the potluck tables together, and how kids are welcome to be a part of any church area. It's a beautiful place to be!

But no matter how well you're doing or how many young families you have, every church is struggling a little with being multigeneration – and for a good reason.

People who are from different generations see things differently.  Experience things differently, and learn things differently.

Sometimes it can feel like the only thing you have in common with someone from another generation is that you're in the same place at the same time.

So for the next few weeks, we're going to run through four generations: Millenials, GenXers, Boomers and GenZers, and talk about how each generations experience, personality traits and dispositions affect how they're going to interact with your church – or maybe, more importantly, THE church. 

And this week, we're going to start with Millennials.  Why, well, because I'm a Millennial, and we're the best And besides.  You owe me this.  I should be able to be anything I want to be. I ran out of avocado toast this morning. My life is way harder than anyone's in the history of time.  And so you know, I deserve this.

WHO ARE MILLENNIALS 

For those who don't know, we Millennials were born somewhere between 1980 – 1996 (or 2000, depending on what researcher you ask). 

That means that right now, the oldest Millenials are 40! And hey, I know what you're thinking. Just a minute ago, our generation was pushing the boundaries and taking everything over. It's true, but now the older Millennials are in their 40's. Settling down, moving out of our parent's houses for the 4th time, and just starting to gain traction on saving for a downpayment. 

 Seriously though, like many generations, Millennials have been through their share of cultural and technological changes. And many of them affect how Millennials interact with the church. 

MILLENNIALS ARE USED TO CHANGE. 

If there's one thing that you can say about Millennials and change, they're used to it. It seems like for our whole lives, very few things have stayed consistent - especially in the last 20 years or so.

 There are many areas that Millenials have seen change, from education to school safety and passports; you name it. But let's use the example that everyone can see because everyone has been affected by it. Millennials' have experienced a massive amount of in the area of information technology.

 Information Technology, or IT, has changed the world in many ways over the last 30 years. Let me give you a small look into my life to show you what I mean. 

I’m 35 (as of today)

In 1992 when I was 6, I remember using a DOS-based computer, playing super Mario on my original Nintendo and memorizing the phone number to my grandma's house while sometimes using a rotary phone to make that call.

In 1995, I hit the jackpot when my family got a computer with a CD ROM drive, but not a writer, so I was still using floppy disks to move files back and forth from my school and recording songs off the radio into my tape player. 

 By the year 2000 (my first year of high school), nothing had much changed. I was still using a Walkman and eventually upgraded to a disk man, which was sweet. But, in 2004, when I graduated high school, I had a computer that I could use with Windows XP, and I had regular access to the internet.  

 By 2010, I was moving files with a flash drive, not a floppy disk, and I could download videos that I needed off the internet or steam them on youtube. By 2015 I was starting to use the cloud to move all my files around and get instant online tech support from most companies I was working with.  

 And today, in 2021, I can seamlessly move any piece of information from multiple devices without thinking about it.  

 And this is just one area of my life that I've seen evolution like this. Here are a few more just to help my point. 

• The Hard Disk, to the Floppy, to CDs', to Flash Drives to the Cloud

• Regular Nintendo, Super Nintendo, N64, Gamecube, Wii and Switch

• Walkman, Diskman, MiniDisk Player, MP3 Player, IPod, Spotity

• ICQ, MSN, MySpace, Vine, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tik Tok

During the life of my whole generation, I've seen and experienced the benefits of evolving technology and been excited about the next phase of it. Generally speaking, Millennials are comfortable and often excited about changes like this because we're what's called digital immigrants. 

 Being a digital immigrant means that I grew up in a world where I remember when newspapers and the evening news were my only sources of what was going on, but those aren't my primary sources anymore. I remember switching the TV channels by hand or waiting until seeing a hockey box score the following day.

 AND THEN, THERE'S THE CHURCH. 

 I've been in the church for my whole life, and I love the church. And I know the church isn't about evolving technology or how well there is a constant change or any of those things. I know it's about more than that. 

 But, and correct me if I'm wrong, change isn't something that's come easy to the church. Whether we're talking the internet, the printing press, or back to when Jesus redefined who our neighbours were – change isn't something that the church, the institution, has come to become comfortable with yet.  

  And here's why this matters. When Millenials (who are church outsiders) look into the church and see a building, a program, thought process, an approach to its neighbours, a dress code, technology that looks like it hasn't changed since before they were even born, they honestly think – that place isn't for me. That's not a place that understands the current culture. That's not a place that understands what I'm going through.  

 That's not a place that's relevant to me. 

The truth is, they just can't see themselves there.  

 Millennials have experienced culture and technology so different from the church that it doesn't make sense to go there. 

 And we can go back and forth about whether or not that's right or what church is all about. We can start sentences with "back in my day," or "people should just know they need God," or whatever. But the reality is, that's not the world we're living in. And you can lament that, but then you need to come to terms with it. We need to see that a cultural gap has formed and ask ourselves: what can we do about it? 

 Well, this isn't a problem that can get solved in one day. Nor is it a problem that will be solved entirely. But here is one step you can take at your church to understand Millennials better and close that generational gap a bit. 

CHOOSE YOUR HILLS WORTH DYING ON CAREFULLY. 

 Now look, I'm not looking to start anything here. But if your church is still digging in its heels about a projector in the sanctuary, certain types of instrumentation, or only allowing people who are members to participate in your church. Then not only do I think you're dying on the wrong hills, I believe you are taking up the battle on the wrong hills. 

 You want to die on a theological hill? That's ok with me. I understand that one.

 But not making simple and easy changes to how your church operates to help those on the outside picture themselves there doesn't make much sense to me.

 For example (and I understand that this should be an episode all on its own), but we've known for a while now where community forms have shifted.  

 Twenty years ago, community was primarily formed in person, but now, it's primarily formed online. This isn't really up for debate. It's the reality of the world we're living in. So if your church refuses to have an online presence, still advertises in the newspaper, and thinks that if people aren't in the building, they aren't a part of your church, you will have a hard time getting to know people who need to know Jesus. You just will. Engaging with people online should be a given. It's not a hill worth dying on. It should absolutely be a primary part of your outreach - especially if you're hoping to reach Millennials.  

SO WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN? 

 Well, really, it means this. The amount of change that Millennials have experienced over their lives has not only gotten them used to it, but now we just come to expect it. And when something doesn't change, for better or worse, we see it as something that should be left behind. 

 You're not going to be able to change everything at your church. I know that. I'm saying this - the places you can make changes - you should really consider it. If for no other reason, it shows an entire generation that you're willing to move with culture, stay relevant, and meet them where they eat. Refusing easy changes shows Millennials, a group that only knows change, that you're not really for them. And I don't think that's the message the church wants to send.