Do you want to know how to reverse Millennial indifference to your church? We all know we have a challenge connecting with Millennials. A few years back this tweet caught my attention…
“Millennials are indifferent toward American churches because they don’t see these churches making a significant impact on the world.”
That was a Tweet posted by Tom Rainer on Twitter. This comment sums up one of the key reasons we are losing this generation.
Millennials comprise the generation that was born between 1980 and 2000. Some 78 million people comprise this generation.
Millennials don’t see the church making a significant impact on the world. Are you kidding me? When crisis devastates some part of the world the Church, countless individual congregations, many denominations and multiple Christian organizations lead the way for support. Look at all the hospitals in our country with the name of a denomination at the front of them. Millions upon millions of dollars every year are given by the church around the world in aide and support. Yet it appears that Millennials somehow have missed this news.
The fault lies with the fact that most churches do a poor job of trumpeting their wins. It’s as if we fear that telling the story of what we accomplish is somehow bragging or being boastful. We need to do a better job of telling our story! I am not proposing that we adapt Fifth Avenue marketing. I am proposing that we tell our story again and again.
We need to learn from non-profits. When was the last time you received a letter from any non-profit? The next time you get one look at it closely. One thing I can assure you is that it will tell you all about the positive things they are doing. They will appeal for your gift by telling you not only how badly it is needed but by telling you what it will do.
People love to be on a winning team. People love to know that their money is making a difference. Show them that it is and they will give you more money. Non-Profits are great at this, the Church is not!
Churches need to blow their own horn! No one else will celebrate your wins. You have to do it yourself. Your church accomplishes so much every year that gets unnoticed. Part of the fault is that we do a poor job of telling our story. Could it be that Millennials are ignorant of the impact the church is making in our world because we simply are not blowing our own horn? Could it be that one reason why your giving is struggling is that you have not told your story? It is time that we the church start telling people about the impact we are making. The press is not going to do it. You have to do it yourself.
The first place we work at towards increasing a churches giving is to start making the offering time story time. Don’t tell people to give. Show them what giving does.
It is time that we in the church celebrate our wins and tell our story. Start thinking today how you can show people the “wins” your church is involved in. It might just impress Millennials that indeed the church is relevant. It might also increase the amount of money your church receives. Blow your horn to the glory of God!
Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach