Young Love: How to Grow a Church by Reaching Younger Generations

Published December 7, 2016

Several years ago, a telemarketer tried to sell me a product aimed at reaching younger people. I stopped him half-way through and said, “Actually, we would be interested in a product for reaching older people. Do you have that?” He was speechless!

In my ministry here at Willow Creek Baptist, we’ve consistently filled our pews with younger people. How? The following three words describe some basic values of the younger generation and help give us a context for ministry.

Fluidity.

In the “old days” (I feel old saying that…) people would shop for a church, find one and join. Today, it’s not uncommon to hear someone say they attend three churches. Younger people like keeping their options open and are afraid to commit. We see this in areas like sexual preference, careers and church. As a church leader, you can expect slow commitment and transient younger people as they bounce from job to job. We’ve tried to build social structures, groups and ministry opportunities that are easily accessible and can engage people almost immediately. We want them to quickly find ways to engage, which hopefully drives them to deeper levels of commitment.

Rootedness.

Though they value fluidity, the younger generation subconsciously desires structure and a sense of rooted historicity. A young hipster friend of mine looks like the prime candidate to attend the church that meets in the local bar. Instead, he attends a theologically conservative, traditional Presbyterian church in town. Why? Structure and rootedness. It’s what’s missing from so many of their lives. Our services are contemporary; however, we don’t water down doctrine and the Word. In our services, you’ll also experience old-school things like the public reading of God’s Word and pastoral prayers as a regular feature.

Community.

As a reaction against the Wal-Mart generation of the 90’s, the younger generation values community, local and organic structures. They love to hang with their peers while engaging in community improvement projects together. We work hard at grooming new Growth Group leaders, giving us the flexibility to start new groups faster than instant rice. When a cluster of singles or young marrieds visit church, we attempt to get them plugged into a group where they can learn, grow and serve with their peers. They often come in pairs or groups, so be ready to capture that momentum and plug them in!

As a church leader, your greatest strategy for reaching the younger generation is to take an interest in them. Offer to get together, or engage them in a discipleship/mentoring relationship. We might not like the characteristics of these “kids nowadays,” but they will be leading the church in the near future. Don’t forget that!

Dr. Mike Augsburger, Lead Pastor of Willow Creek Baptist of West Des Moines, Iowa; Member of CSU Board of Trustees