Recently, I shared some of my favorite highlights from the book Generational IQ: Christianity Isn’t Dying, Millennials Aren’t the Problem, and the Future Is Bright. This week, I had the privilege of connecting with the author of the book, Haydn Shaw to talk about effective strategies for reaching millennials.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
- Even many dedicated Christians today believe the kingdom of God is more important than the Church.
- The time period in which we are raised shapes how we relate to God and the questions we ask.
- Millennials are all about authenticity, diversity and different ideas.
- 70% of 18 to 24 year olds coming out of high school will leave the church at least for a year. But if an adult of an older generation stays connected with a young person after graduation, the young person’s chances of returning to church doubles.
- It’s crazy that we stop student ministry when young people enter their most vulnerable time.
- Church leaders should understand that millennials have different challenges and questions than previous generations. We’re going to have to respond with different methods.
- Segregating millennials in their own services or ministries limits the diversity they are looking for and removes the possibility for older generations to give influence.
- Like it or not, older generations respond better to younger music than younger generations respond to older music.
As I said in my last article on this book, I think all church leaders need to read it. When it comes to reaching the next generation, so often we don’t know what we don’t know. Haydn mentioned in the interview that he has some new, free resources to get pastors and boards discussing the right questions. Check them out at ChristianityIsNotDying.com.
