Getting millennials into your church is only half the battle. The second part is trying to encourage millennials to be active members.
You may find that they attend services, but rarely volunteer or become a part of smaller worship groups. This doesn’t mean they’re not interested, though.
The key is learning what millennials want and how to appeal to their interests. When you do that, you’ll have active Millennials in your church.
Find Things They’re Interested In
Honestly, this applies to all generations. Think about school for a moment. You were probably far more active in classes you were interested in. The same goes with church programs. Send out a survey either within the church, on your website or on social media. Ask millennials what their interests are and what types of things they’d be most interested in helping with.
Offer Opportunities That Make A Difference In The Community
If you want to encourage millennials to be active, offer them opportunities that matter to their community. Millennials want to make a positive difference and that means going out and doing things in the community versus just asking people to come to the church. Ask about causes close to their hearts and find ways to get the church involved. When millennials feel like they’re making a difference, they’re far more likely to not only be active, but stay active.
Give Them The Chance To Lead
Millennials don’t just want to be part of a team. They also want the opportunity to lead sometimes. For instance, if you’re starting a church Facebook page, it might be beneficial to ask a millennial to head up the social media team. If they have a cause that’s important to them, let them lead a team of volunteers. This shows millennials that you see them as equals and not too young or inexperienced. Plus, it gives church leaders a great opportunity to mentor these growing leaders.
Get More High Tech
While millennials aren’t interested a flashy environment, they do want some tech tie-ins. For instance, offer the opportunity to use Bible apps, have an active social media page and upload content regularly to your blog. You can even offer digital tithing to encourage more active tithing among millennials. Mixing some of the things Millennials love into your church shows them they’re more welcome and encourages them to be more active.
Consider asking your members what types of tech they want to incorporate. After all, if the majority of your members are on Facebook versus Twitter, it’s best to skip Twitter and use Facebook instead.
Add Millennial Church Leaders
One of the best ways to encourage millennials to be active is to have millennial church leaders. It’s easier for millennial to relate to leaders from their generation. These leaders also know what’s important to their fellow millennials and can encourage them better than older leaders can. While you don’t have to replace your current leadership with millennials, adding one or two is a good idea. Another option is to create smaller groups with millennial leaders.
Make Communication Easy
Finally, millennials want a church that communicates well. They want to feel like part of a family versus being preached to on Sunday. They want communication throughout the week. This is a generation that craves immediate satisfaction. Their faith is no different. When they’re struggling, they want to know they can talk to other members in their church family. Having more contact with members and leaders during the week keeps Millennials not only interested, but makes them more likely to be active.
When it comes to being more active, make it easy for millennials to check out the latest programs, leadership opportunities, and volunteer opportunities. Social media and forums on your church’s website both work well for millennials. You could also have a text or SMS tree to get the word out.
Ready to start encouraging millennials today? Start with a church website to stay in contact with millennials all week long.
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