The Resiliency of Gen Z: A Youth Pastor’s Perspective

As society went into lock-down during the early stages of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, for many of us in church leadership—youth pastors, in particular—we were nervously waiting for a mental health fall-out as our students lost their in-person communities and connections. We got online youth group and Zoom small groups going as quickly as possible. We made sure to over-communicate the ways students and parents could contact us. We planned virtual social hangouts and coffee hours in case any student needed to talk or see our faces. We expected our students to be knocking down our digital doors with care needs, prayer requests, and other crisis concerns.

Generation Z, Church communityShannon GreeneJuly 28, 2020Generation Z, Youth Ministry, Church CommunityComment

Top 5 Ways to Engage College Students, part 1 of 5

In this first of a five-part series on the best ways to engage college students, I want to say up front that there are many more ways to engage college students than just the five I will bring. This first post discusses the important issue of consistency.

Millennial Life, Church communityMarv NelsonFebruary 26, 2020Comment

4 Reasons Our Class is Growing

I’ve been hosting a class on The Gospel of John during lent. Hundreds of people have been coming out for a 90-minute lecture-based teaching.

Church community, Missional churchesChris FolmsbeeNovember 11, 2019Comment

Creating Collaboration in Your Community

Reaching millennials means we need to get out of the status quo. The routine life of a local church is not connecting with the non-religious millennials. In our movement out, collaboration becomes essential.

Church communityBurlapOctober 25, 2019Collaboration, Community, Generational Ministry, Generations, Church Ministry, Nones, The Nones, MillennialsComment

Superfluous, Supportive or Vital? The Church and Emerging Generations

We’ve seen the signs. Millennials and members of Generation Z have disaffiliated from organized religion. Even those who have grown up in church have become “nones” or “dones.”

Church communityBen SimpsonDecember 27, 2018ChurchComment

Embracing Globalization in the Church

In my workplace, I interact with people from all over the world nearly every day. I have the opportunity to engage with people who look differently than me, live in places far away from my own home, and speak languages I do not understand.

Millennial Life, Church communityShannon GreeneNovember 21, 2017GlobalizationComment

What is a None?

What is a “None?” And where did they come from?

Millennial Life, Religious Activity, Church communityBen SimpsonOctober 24, 2017"Nones", Church, Millennial MinistryComment

The Importance Of Caring For Your Community

One of the most common strategies for reaching Millennials is to think big. Big gatherings. Big budgets. Big personalities. Big stage. Big hype.

Don’t.

Instead, think small.

Church communityBen SimpsonSeptember 19, 2017Young Adult Ministry, Millennial MinistryComment

Reaching Millennials Who Are There

There has been a lot of talk over what is the cause of the “Millennial void” in our churches. Many of the articles have a lot of consistent things to say. One recent article, by Sam Eaton, has been shared over 600,000 times.

Church communityBen SimpsonSeptember 14, 2017Millennial Void, Young Adult MinistryComment

Digital communities as a home for conversation

Social media networking can’t replace the connections and spiritual growth that our culture provides, but it can, and does, accentuate it. As conversations about politics, social justice, religion, sports, entertainment, and the mundane continue to grow online, every outward detail of our lives can find a place in social networking.

Millennial Life, Generation Z, Church communityMike TufanoSeptember 12, 2017Comment