Now now, this is not as bad as it sounds. The title is referring to how Millennials and GenZ are looking for community outside of the church.
Why?
Because they are the least likely generation to trust traditional institutions. You have seen the decline in church attendance. Your efforts and donor-dollars are better spent providing group support for the needs they have, i.e. mental health, cultural, workplace, relational, and spiritual.
Soap box second: We need to stop outsourcing souls. We are too quick to listen when members of the congregation are told to "bring them to Easter service! Bring them to Christmas service!" How about inviting them over to dinner first. Or engaging your neighbor while you're taking out the trash. Introduce them to Jesus first. Then bring them to church. If you bring them to church first, they may not be ready to deal with us messy church folk.
Okay, done with the soap box...
Church and ministry leaders can adapt by creating content and programs that cater to the specific mental health and spiritual needs of these generations. To do so effectively, leaders should consider the following strategies:
Create engaging and relevant content: Not just photos of yesterday's service or cool images that introduce your next sermon series. Don't get me wrong, those are nice but develop content that addresses the mental health and spiritual needs of younger generations. This can include video series, podcasts, blog posts, or social media posts that touch on topics like self-care, anxiety, depression, relationships, and spirituality. Ensure that the content is relatable, easily digestible, and shareable on social media platforms. If you don't have the bandwidth to handle that, no problem. Partner with a parachurch who can help. They often provide free content.
Partner with local mental health professionals: Collaborate with mental health professionals to create small group programs that combine spiritual and mental health support. This partnership can help in developing evidence-based programs and resources, which can be shared with the congregation and promoted on social media.
Encourage decentralized small groups: I am not talking about home churches. Those work great under the guidance of operationally trained pastors but also require a great deal of oversight. Emphasize the importance of small group communities meeting outside of the church building. Encourage groups to meet in homes, parks, or cafes, and provide resources and guidance to facilitate these gatherings. This can include conversation guides, prayer prompts, and discussion questions related to mental health and spirituality. Lead the way. Provide the resources they need to execute these initiatives. Don't just mentioned them and expect them to run with it. Check in every month.
Develop a user-friendly online platform: Create an online platform or leverage existing community apps that allow individuals to search for small groups based on their specific needs, interests, and location. This platform should provide information on each group's focus, meeting times, and contact details, making it easy for interested individuals to join.
Promote peer-to-peer connections: Encourage existing members of the small groups to invite friends and acquaintances who may benefit from the support and community offered. Word-of-mouth promotion can be highly effective in reaching younger generations who are less trusting of traditional institutions.
Monitor and adapt: Regularly gather feedback from small group participants and leaders to assess the effectiveness of the programs and content. Use this feedback to make improvements and adapt to the evolving needs of Generation Y and Generation Z. Conduct surveys to see how well received these groups are and use that data to scale your operations into other communities.
By implementing these tactics, church and ministry leaders can create and promote small group communities that cater to the mental health and spiritual needs of younger generations in your community, fostering a sense of belonging and support outside the traditional church setting.
Stewart Severino
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