Inspired by the book "Rise of the Nones," here's a quick look at how culture has changed around us and how the Nones are seeing and hearing the gospel message differently than they were 40 years ago.

Challenge: Is there an adjustment you can make today that will help make your service more accessible? Let us know in the comments below!

Nones stands for Non-Religiously affiliated. By definition, this means if you put out a survey or a census asking what religion those people would associate with, they wouldn’t choose one at all - they would choose none.

Church hospitality continues to be a conversation that church leaders and elder boards ask me about fairly regularly. As congregations continue to shrink and more churches close each year, leaders continue to look inward to see what they can do better.

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.

Through my time as a church helper, I've talked to churches who have told me, "we tried ___, but it didn't work." When I ask why, usually the answer is "we don't know. Often, these conversations end with people agreeing that they never knew what "working" looked like, so they honestly didn't know if they ever got there.

I want to give you four conversation starters you need to have with your team BEFORE you start implementing a growth plan. Don't skip this step, even if you think you've got it nailed down - let it act as a confidence booster. Every church should have these conversations if they're looking to reach more people with the message of Jesus