no need for them to stick around. Also, this
generation does not want to be advertised
to. Kinnaman points out why this is:
“Today’s young people are the target of more
advertising, media and marketing than any
generation before. And their mindset is
both incredibly savvy and unusually jaded.”
He adds that what young people really
need and want is “to experience transparency
in their leaders.” I think churches do not
want to be part of the big bad world of
marketing because realness is so important
in a spiritual environment. So we need to be
careful when inviting anyone, and especially
young people, that we are being personal, sincere and transparent. We could
do more to seek out the younger generation as leaders and participants and
show them that their perspective is very much needed in the Church.
Welcoming: The last thing is how we welcome people into the Church.
More than 69% of the young adults who took this survey described New
Church congregations as friendly, but there were also 36% who described
them as exclusive, and 41% who described them as judgmental.
This paradox was summed up by a commenter: “I think that the
congregations at times are super supportive, compassionate, friendly, etc.,
especially to people they know. But to someone just entering the Church, I
think congregations can be overwhelming, exclusive and judgmental.”
This points to the need for congregation members to take it on themselves
to be friendly and welcoming to newcomers.
Another person said: “Sometimes I think about this question: Is this the
kind of church community I would want to welcome