It’s not uncommon for churches to feel like they’re constantly losing their younger members, but one of the reasons they tend to leave is they don’t feel engaged.
Some churches don’t seem to have any problems in this area. Why? They take actionable steps to engage young adults.
Their strategies also work for bringing in new young adults. Master young adult engagement and you’ll continue building your church for generations to come.
1. Give Them A Leader
Sometimes young adults need someone who thinks like they do. Consider bringing on a young adult leader. It could be a pastor, ministry leader or any part of the staff. The idea is to show young adults that you take them seriously enough to give them a leadership position. Plus, that young adult helps to guide the rest of your church leadership in how to better engage young adults in the church.
2. Incorporate Things They Enjoy
Young adults have different interests than their parents and grandparents. While a peaceful choir and soft organ music might appeal to some members, young adults want to know you’re paying attention to what they like too. For instance, churches that use electric guitars often were twice as likely to have active young adult members.
The same is true for incorporating technology. Having a website for them to interact with, posting and engaging with them on social media and even offering ways for them to participate in the church in a digital way (such as sending in questions via social media for next week’s sermon) helps to engage young adults and keep them coming back.
Talk to the young adults currently in your church family. Find out what they’re interested in. From social networks to charitable causes, learn what they’re passionate about and you’ll be better able to engage them.
3. Put Spiritual Needs Above Flash
It’s easy to get carried away with light shows, projectors and loud music in an attempt to keep young adults attending every week. However, don’t forget about their spiritual needs. Young adults want to learn. They have questions and want explanations. In the past, many people simply accepted God’s word without question. Today, it’s more commonplace to express opinions and search for answers.
While being more modern is a good thing, make sure you’re still teaching God’s word and making young adults feel comfortable asking questions and seeking guidance. It’s this type of community atmosphere and teaching that helps them find their spiritual path.
4. Create A Ministry For Them
If possible, create a ministry specifically for young adults. Whether it’s a paid position or volunteer, they need someone around the same age to help guide them. For instance, think about asking your parents a question or talking about an embarrassing topic. Sometimes the generational gap made this awkward and seemingly impossible.
By having someone who is not only a young adult too, but comfortable in their faith, young adults feel more at a home. They’re more likely to talk about current issues they’re facing. The right ministry leader is also able to help teach by applying scripture to current events and problems that they face daily.
5. Give Them Opportunities
Finally, engage young adults by giving them more opportunities to be an active part of the church. Remember, this generation is tech savvy. Take advantage of that. Ask for volunteers for managing your church’s blog, recording podcasts, filming sermons, managing social media and more. This is also the perfect way to get more young adults to walk through your door since your younger members also know a thing or two about sharing content online.
Even though they’re young, give them leadership opportunities. Let them take charge of a volunteer opportunity that’s close to their heart. Hear them out when they have an idea for raising money or helping in the community. The more you interact with them and give them chances, the more engaged they’ll be.
Ready to start your journey in engaging your young adult members? Start with a professionally designed website today to give them an extra place to interact with you.
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Comments 1
Young people like to know they are part of something bigger. Teach them about how they have a great purpose. The facts that have been discussed here are really important. Thank you so much for sharing a great post.