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Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.

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The Coming Shift

Jason VanaJason Vana

comingshift

A shift is coming to the way we do church.

It happens every few decades or so. A generation rises up that no longer fits in the mold of the prevailing style of church service. They can’t encounter God, don’t see a purpose to the method of service, can’t seem to find life in the rituals, modes, and style of church. So they walk away – either thinking this whole “God” thing is a sham, or striking out looking for a new way of finding Him.

We are in that generation.

The Millennial Generation’s Ideal Church

Recently, the Barna Group — a leading research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture — published the results of a study among the millennial generation (ages 18 to 29) to determine their “ideal” church.

The infograph below shows the results.

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Points of Interest

A few points to note about this generation’s ideal church:

It’s a big shift indeed.

The Opposite Trend

The current fastest growing churches in America are the exact opposite of what this millennial generation is looking for – they are loud, trendy, entertainment-style set in an auditorium as opposed to a sanctuary.

And they are working. Many of these churches are seeing thousands of people coming to Christ — some with genuine life change and firm decisions to become disciples. They draw in people who would never step foot in a traditional style church.

But what happens when the millennial generation grows up? What happens when their desire for a community-focused service far exceeds their desire to be entertained by flashing lights and concert-quality music? What happens when the shift takes full affect and they leave the mega-church style looking for something different?

I ask the questions because the shift will happen.

It’s Already Here

You can already see it in the world. Take a look at the food industry. In the last few years there has been a drastic shift back to natural — food and beverages made with natural, whole ingredients as opposed to the hype of low calorie, low fat, low…whatever. Or the goods for good industry — buying a product for yourself that somehow aids those in third world countries. Or the continued rise of social media — this generation’s outcry to be known.

I see it big time working in college ministry. Students aren’t looking for the latest hype. They aren’t drawn in by loud music, flashing lights, and the latest trends.

There are two factors that seem to draw students into Ignite:

The millennial generation isn’t looking to be entertained. They aren’t looking for your church to have the best video, understand all the latest trends, or be too cool for a sanctuary.

Authentic Community

The overwhelming cry from the Barna Group’s research can be boiled down to two words: authentic community.

They can get the hype, the entertainment, the loud music from anywhere and every where else. What they aren’t finding out there is peace, quiet, reflection, or community.

The shift is coming. In some ways, it’s already here.

Escaping the Shift

All that being said, there will still be a handful of local churches who thrive in the current model — who continue to see growth, make an impact, and see millennials flocking to their service. After all, there are a small percentage of millennials who count the current model of church as ideal.

The danger, however, comes to those churches who see the success of those handful of churches escaping the shift and think the shift hasn’t come. For many, it will be too late to change before their young people have left and the church is on the slow decline to death.

Remember — most churches don’t die overnight. Many take a 100 year journey down that road.

Willing to Change?

Will your church be willing to change to help this next generation encounter God in a way that is authentic and real to them? Or will it be like countless churches in the past — dig its heels in the ground and swear their method of reaching people worked before, so it will always work.

I, for one, welcome the change.

Maybe it’s because working in college ministry, I experience the shifts more often. Every four years to be exact, when the entire model of ministry needs to be revamped to reach the incoming freshmen.

I’m just used to it. And really like change.

Let’s hope churches around our nation do as well, or we will miss an entire generation because we were stuck in our “we’re not traditional” ways.

What about you? How do you think the Church should respond to the millennial generation’s longing for their ideal church? Leave a comment below.

[Header image via C Slack cc]

Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.