Several months ago a Pew Research study sparked what almost seem like shouts of glee from those who were eager to declare the impending death of Christianity in America. According to the report, Millennials are leaving the Church in droves…
Reformation Day — 498 years and counting
By Brett Younger Seminary professors spend a lot of time around 24-year-olds. As a result, we spend a lot of time feeling old. Our church experience is different from theirs. My parents took me to church three times a week….
Opting for non-church weddings crosses age, religious categories
By Jeff Brumley Marriage isn’t what it used to be. That’s no surprise. But ministers and researchers are reporting getting married is rapidly changing, too, with Millennials getting much — though not all — of the credit. And the most noticeable difference…
Pastor trades unconventional pulpit for traditional church — and a challenge
By Jeff Brumley Bob Ballance said he’s expecting the question from all quarters: why is he leaving his Colorado church popular with Millennials for one that’s more traditional in a small Virginia town? And he admits there will be some…
Be who you needed …
By Aileen Lawrimore “Be who you needed when you were younger.” This meme, trending in social media, offers a great reminder to those of us who may have forgotten the struggles of our younger years; it’s also a great suggestion…
Rise of post-Christians scares some, energizes others
By Jeff Brumley The Barna Group’s recent report of a sharp increase in the nation’s post-Christian population this year came as no surprise to Joy Yee, senior pastor at Nineteenth Avenue Baptist Church in San Francisco. Nor was she shocked…
World’s restoration is focus of young adult gathering
By Blake Tommey In the field of social psychology, scholars have coined a technical term known as plausibility structure. Among those who seek to understand how people’s thoughts, feelings and behaviors are influenced by others, plausibility structure is essentially a…
Millennial ministry: It’s time we drop the adjective
By Aileen Lawrimore Collegiate ministry. My Facebook newsfeed is full of articles that have something to say about ministry to or with young adults (often referred to formally as Millennials). And if you read BuzzFeed, the Huffington Post or other…
Churches must be creative to meet coming ‘Boomer wave’
By Jeff Brumley Congregational coaches are warning churches against becoming so fixated on Millennials and other young people that they ignore the surging population of Baby Boomers already in their midst. But those experts say most congregations simply aren’t ready…