These are my raw notes from a session led by a group of about 10 young people (teen through mid-20's) who shared their personal opinions and experiences, shared in the suspicion that many will find this unmediated input useful.
Pew Forums stats: unaffiliated adults increasing and skewing younger.
Biggest difference being a young adult in church vs kid.
No set programming for your age group. Now have to integrate into adult programming.
Not feeling like she had a set place, still in college so not quite adult.
Youth have specific expectations with curriculum and age limits. Young adults expected to find their own place and are not allowed to participate with youth anymore until they are 23-25. Sudden discontinuity.
Feels a need for separate space apart from worship but it doesn't exist.
Challenges faced
Spoken of like a group that needs to be fixed. Spoken of as millennials (born 1981-1996), not people.
Money is a struggle so being an unpaid volunteer is hard. Churches don't put money into developing programs for them.
Doesn't feel like respect is given to them. "That's so cute, thanks. Now sit down."
Idea of membership. Didn't attend church while at school b/c not home church. Yet home church didn't reach out to them. Some churches reach out to college age students with a "hi, how are you doing?" to keep in touch with former youth.
Stop asking me to be in the choir. Goes to church to relax and spend time with God. Churches treat young people like commodities to be used, not like people. Churches try random stuff to retain young instead of talking to them.
Scheduling is a huge issue. Diversity of work schedules and kids/no kids so communities hard to create.
Why do other young adults you know choose not to participate in church life?
Church doesn't have engaging programs for their kids. Old Sunday School with crappy crafts doesn't engage kids anymore. Need to create SS programs that are more active and engaging. Saw a great CE program at church of the beatitudes - 3year program with rotating schedule. 4 week theme - math, science, gym.
What is one change that your local church could make to attract young adults?
Works for self, sometimes 7 days a week. Sunday is a non-work day. Is only day with nothing going on. Don't want to drive to church. Asking church to do Saturday night church, with going to bar for community time afterwards. Or dinner prior to church as a community. Think about what other times will engage younger people to be at church.
Care packages for college age kids with candy, encouragement, literature, CD/DVD sermons. Helps them to feel connected and they subsequently come back to church.
Make sure it's all college age students, not just those in college. Acknowledge those who are in this transitional age.
Acknowledge multi-faith relationships. Is gay and has a loudly atheist partner -> there is no space for them at church. May be accepted as gay but partner is being aggressively approached for conversion. How to create space for the "nones"? How to have members of this type? Maybe they only come to soup kitchens but it may be the gateway. What brings people in is 1 - mission work, 2 - conversations that come with it. Mission work can't be shallow. Soup kitchens are no longer meaningful without a conversation afterwards about why there are so many people at the soup kitchen.
Membership is not sitting in the pews and putting $5 in plate.
Want to see the work being done, not be talked at about faith. Her partner goes to every chili supper and loves church and corny games.
Have to express radical, extravagant love in every way. This is what the young are looking for.
Connect people to the wider church ASAP. Went away to college and didn't find a new church but is connected through nat'l organization. Doesn't go to home church but is still involved.
Another e.g. of multi-faith - culturally Christian but identify with Buddhism.
Authentic worship doesn't mean contemporary music. Many of them like traditional music.
Small churches send kids away but don't help kids transition into being part of worship.
Interactive music that raises energy levels.
Don't be pushy, be nice.
Often putting together 3 jobs at a time. No more 9-5. Don't say "we missed you the last month" and force people to justify their absence or reveal why they were not there. Have church say "we are so happy to see you."
A kid wore jeans while serving communion and was chastised about it but reason was they couldn't afford khakis.
Send kids to Synod as guests. Have them understand the wider church. Becca would probably really like this.
Role of conference in bringing young adults to church
Have successful associations share best practices.
Is a loss between national church and local church, e.g. pastor embodied all that UCC represents but she didn't know there was national church until graduation. Only presbyterian church advertised youth activities. Was craving connection with other UCC youth. Need to find what your church's strength is and then do that. Don't force a youth group if it's not your strength. Highlight strength of churches in your area. Let each church provide that to the nearby churches. Association & conference level task.
FL conference excellent at youth programming but then nothing. Worked for him because he was connected to wider church. Try to extend youth programming to young adults.
Need people passionate about youth ministry - treat them not as the church of tomorrow but as the church of today.
Her youth ministry was very successful. Key was doing stuff with other local churches. Did coffeehouse on Friday eve for teens & young adults, inviting every UCC church in neighborhood with friends and whoever. Had amazing pastors who empowered her to do local job and to extend reach outwards.
Often the only young adult in their church. Join with other churches, advertise on social media ("Progressive Christian Church in your neighborhood"), provide the space for them.
Why do you stay in church? Why part of UCC?
Was loud and obnoxious at conference meeting so was asked to be a Synod delegate. Kept getting asked to be on stuff. Is one of few places where there's an easy ability to lift up leaders who don't have a resume. People who say "I don't agree with you but what you say is important. We have a place for that." Church is one of only places where you can have a meaningful conversation about race. Activist communities not full of grace, accepting of mistakes - have to be in sync with scene.
Church provides many service and leadership opportunities.
Great, supportive peers. Wants to preserve this great denomination.
Feels called. Loves that UCC allows you to come where you are in life. Let you bring your atheist friends. UCC tries to be a welcoming voice in the world.
Loves community and support from home church.
Sense of intentional community with a specified mission that extends beyond walls - young adults finding it elsewhere.
Other
Kids feel their membership is in one church but attending another. Asking young to connect back to church with updates to cell, email, social media.
Re: spiritual connection, finds it in hands-on work of service followed by connection with people, not sitting in pews droning along to organ.
Another person finds connection with God in the silence. Church is one of the few places that doesn't ask you to be constantly connected. Want deep discussion that comes after mission work, opportunity to be quiet.
Authenticity in worship - explaining theologically why we do what we are doing. Create a deeper meaning to what you do.
Provide opportunity for mission that's not on church council - not rewriting bylaws, etc.
Have spiritual conversations alongside worship. Talk about how current events connect to spirituality - make it real. "When I act, I'm doing something for action."
Remember Jesus did all his work in 33 years, i.e. he was young adult.
Sanjay Cherian
Delegate
Brookline Community Church
Thank you for these helpful notes!
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