According to Forbes Magazine, millennial is a term first coined in 1991 by Neil Howe and William Strauss to describe the group born after Generation X, with birth years ranging from the early 1980’s to the early 2000’s. Millennials are a big topic amongst church researchers and thought leaders. Seemingly elusive, are millennials really as hard to reach as all the media suggests?
Barna, a company specializing in research to analyze trends in faith and culture, has a whole section on research for Millennials & Generations. Barna classifies millennials as simply “30 and under.” Barna’s research on what type of worship space millennials prefer found that, even though they prefer the term “modern” over “traditional,” the actual elements they selected …show more content…
Evans published an oft-quoted article on CNN’s Belief Blog in 2013 detailing her thoughts on “Why millennials are leaving the church.” At the time, at the age of 32, she stated that she barely qualified as a millennial, but related more to that generation in her struggles with how to live her faith. Evans pointed out the divisiveness the evangelical Christian community can incite, by making people “feel they have to choose between their intellectual integrity and their faith, between science and Christianity, between compassion and holiness.” Evans points out that acceptance is important to millennials – and that they “want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are …show more content…
Millennials use their smartphones for so many every day needs, that it feels more comfortable for them to access scripture, podcasts, or other church information digitally. However, don’t overlook traditional methods for communications. According to Direct Marketing News, Research conducted by Money Mailer found that 90% of 25- to 34-year-olds say they think direct mail is reliable, while 87% say they like getting information and offers from retailers in the mail. Translated into church communications, be sure to send physical postcards and direct mail to supplement your digital communications. Similarly, millennials will still use printed invite cards to pass on information to friends and acquaintances who may be looking for a church home or a church-sponsored
Barna, a company specializing in research to analyze trends in faith and culture, has a whole section on research for Millennials & Generations. Barna classifies millennials as simply “30 and under.” Barna’s research on what type of worship space millennials prefer found that, even though they prefer the term “modern” over “traditional,” the actual elements they selected …show more content…
Evans published an oft-quoted article on CNN’s Belief Blog in 2013 detailing her thoughts on “Why millennials are leaving the church.” At the time, at the age of 32, she stated that she barely qualified as a millennial, but related more to that generation in her struggles with how to live her faith. Evans pointed out the divisiveness the evangelical Christian community can incite, by making people “feel they have to choose between their intellectual integrity and their faith, between science and Christianity, between compassion and holiness.” Evans points out that acceptance is important to millennials – and that they “want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are …show more content…
Millennials use their smartphones for so many every day needs, that it feels more comfortable for them to access scripture, podcasts, or other church information digitally. However, don’t overlook traditional methods for communications. According to Direct Marketing News, Research conducted by Money Mailer found that 90% of 25- to 34-year-olds say they think direct mail is reliable, while 87% say they like getting information and offers from retailers in the mail. Translated into church communications, be sure to send physical postcards and direct mail to supplement your digital communications. Similarly, millennials will still use printed invite cards to pass on information to friends and acquaintances who may be looking for a church home or a church-sponsored