EA Resources | Tag | Millennials

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: reaching Emerging Adults.

Posted on June 27, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

Many churches say they want to do something about the Millennial Exodus: I use this term to describe the steep decline of Millennial involvement with the organized church following their graduation from high school (read the statistics here). However, few churches are willing to turn their words into action. Many churches annually fund children and youth ministries yet are hesitant to designate funds towards programs for emerging adults. This needs to change. You can challenge your church to make Emerging Adult Ministry a priority when planning this year’s church budget.

Here is the entire article on Church Central’s website.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Manager of EA Resources, a non-profit designed to provide resources to church and parents about emerging adulthood. He is also the founder of the EA Network, a national social network of individuals who minister to emerging adults.

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How big is the Millennial Generation?

Posted on June 15, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

I came across this article while doing some research, and I wanted to share it with those who enjoy reading about Millennials (who are currently emerging adults)!

Marketers tend to focus a lot of energy on Millennials. Their lives are deconstructed on many different levels, and there’s research to be found on anything ranging from their top financial goals to the ways in which they use their phones. Those analyses are all helpful in their own right, but – stepping back to the big picture for a moment – how many of these prized individuals are there in the US? The latest data out from the Census Bureau gives a sense of how large this coveted generation is.

Read the rest of the Article HERE.

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A Great Way to Eliminate Your College Debt.

Posted on June 6, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

Chilean artist steals and destroys $500 million worth of student debt papers.

Here’s one inventive way to deal with the student debt problem. Late last week, Chilean police arrived at Santiago’s Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral and removed a white bin of gray ash — allegedly all that remained of $500 million worth of student debt notes.

Here is the Link to the Article in the Washington Post.

Here is a Link to the Video! The video went viral, but not here in America. It is not in English, and not very exciting.

If you want to read some resources to really help you eliminate educational debt, here are a few links.

Tales of Four College Students

Debt Scams – Don’t Get Fooled

This Millennial paid off $23k in college debt in 10 months.

Financial Literacy

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The Millennial Exodus – Abby’s Story

Posted on May 25, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

(This is part of a series written by Millennials who have either left or stuck with the church. If you are a Millennial and would like to submit your work for publication, you will earn $100. Here is the link. To read more stories by Millennials search Millennial Exodus. If you would like to fund our research among emerging adults, click here.)

Here is Abby’s Story

Churches and Christians often get bad reputations. They are called judgmental, close-minded, uninviting, and even hypocritical at times. I would like to call a news flash – because all humans are hypocritical, not just those who entitle themselves Christians!

There are a million reasons for someone to not feel compelled to go to church. You may get incredibly annoyed and turned away from God when you read “Christian” statuses on Facebook. You may not believe that you need to go to church in order to go to heaven. You may think you don’t have time for church. You may not like what a particular church teaches. You may believe God has caused you suffering so you are turned away. You may think you’re too broken for church – what you’ve done is too bad to step foot into a church and ask for forgiveness.

I’m not here to tell you you’re wrong; I don’t know what you’re going through. But, I am here to tell you that whatever your situation might be, you’re missing out.

No matter how good of a person we try to be, none of us are perfect, so we’re going to fail at one point or another. But it’s how you let those experiences change you that shows the world either love or hate. And in this world, everyone feeds off of one another. This world lives by the philosophy an “eye for an eye” or “I didn’t get my way, so I’m certainly not going to let you have yours.” But that’s not what we’re called to do.

Jesus calls us to a different philosophy.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and send rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? … And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others?”

– Matthew 5:38-47

Living like Jesus is much easier said than done. Living like Jesus would be living perfectly in an imperfect world. If you’re consistently trying to live in this manner, it can be flat out exhausting. If you pour your heart and soul out for others on a regular basis in this broken world, you will grow weary. And eventually, your cup becomes empty, and you can’t pour out from an empty cup. If you don’t have a church and a church family to turn to, who will help remind you to turn to Jesus to become refilled?

What Jesus has to offer turns being overwhelmed with anxiety, fear, and depression into being overwhelmed with peace and love. It turns not ever having enough into having more than you ever could have asked for, even if it is nothing like you planned your life to be.

I’m living proof that lives can be completely transformed when you feel like there’s no hope ahead if you stay in the church. I’m living proof that darkness can be turned into light with the help of Jesus himself. I’m living proof that if you persevere through the times where it’s not easy and you have Jesus by your side, your life will eventually be filled with joy, regardless of what you’re going through. I can promise you that my darkness would still be darkness if I didn’t have the church and Jesus in my life. There would be no hope for my future.

I dare you to prove me wrong by trying it yourself.

Allen Abby Allen is a full-time physical therapist from Springfield, IL. She spends her days doing her best to be Jesus’ hands and feet, facilitating healing of all her patients each day. In her free time, she enjoys writing inspirational and encouraging blog posts, which are written purely from whatever may be weighing on her heart at that time.

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The Fracturing of Evangelicalism – Will Millennials be the Wedge?

Posted on May 23, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

I have walked among evangelicals my entire life. Raised in a conservative Baptist tradition, my faith changed after I attended a national meeting where the denomination officially separated themselves from Walt Disney, Promise Keepers, and Billy Graham. While I understood their fear of modern culture exemplified in media giants like Walt Disney, I wondered how anyone would call Rev. Billy Graham “evil?”

Since then, I have moved among various denominations under the umbrella of Evangelicalism. Evangelicalism as a movement arose within Protestant Christianity in the 1940’s. The National Association of Evangelicalism (www.nae.net) is the organization which defines and leads this movement. Approximately 26.3% of Americans identify themselves as Evangelicals, according to Pew research. While “the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ” is a stated value of the organization, their divergent views on politics and culture may now be causing the movement to break apart.

Cultural issues like homosexuality, politics, and sexism have been splintering the unity of evangelicalism for the past decade. The organization does not hold official doctrinal statements on these issues and therefore seeks to remain united in spite of their diversity. However, Millennials might be the wedge that splits this movement. The rift is not because Millennials want to fracture the movement, or because they hold a hidden secret agenda. Nor is it due to the media’s frequent characterization of them as lazy, narcissist, or delusional.

Rachel Evans, a popular blogger and speaker.

Millennials are sometimes viewed as the catalyst for progressive changes within Evangelicalism. In the divide between conservative evangelicals – like Trenton Wax; and more progressive perspectives like Rachel Held Evans, each holds different views on how to reach and re-engage Millennials. While these and other writers can contribute to change within the church, during the process they are trailblazing pathways in seemingly opposite directions. (see Note below)

Many articles are filled with reasons why evangelicals are leaving the church, including: churches are too cool; churches are not cool enough; churches are irrelevant; churches are too relevant; churches are too strict; churches are not strict enough; and on and on and on. However, upon dissecting these statements, one finds that the focus often shifts from young adults themselves onto the cultural war happening within Evangelicalism.

Our desire to reach Millennials may become the wedge that will split us. The progressives are yelling, “Well, if you would stop living in the past…” while conservatives shout back, “If you would stop conforming to the culture!” Each side is being consumed by their own beliefs. Each side is filled with anger at “others” who they perceive to be injuring the church. Each side claims spiritual discernment and is filled with righteous indignation.

Many assert that without change, the future of the church is at stake. This fear motivates us – especially when it revolves around our children and the legacy we will leave for them. Unfortunately, this fear often also motivates us to move in unhealthy directions.

All the while, each side is contributing to the fracturing within Evangelicalism, when both should be focusing on the Millennials who are stuck in between them.

Religious communities must ask themselves key questions:

Do we understand emerging adults and their needs during this life phase?
How do we reach and re-engage emerging adults?
What are our expectations (spoken and unspoken) of emerging adults within our community?
Where is there room for Millennials to serve and lead within the church?
What messages are we sending to them, and how can we communicate our confidence in them?

These are changes that conservative and progressive evangelicals can agree upon. May we focus not on the issues that divide, but upon the gospel, and seek to follow the voice of our one God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit designed to equip parents and churches to understand emerging adulthood. If you need someone to help your community understand the challenges of emerging adulthood, contact him at gdavid@earesources.org.

Notes:

I believe these authors and leaders want to find unity within the church (just as Jesus prayed for his followers to be one in John 17). Rachel Held Evans blogged about her personal struggles with the future of evangelicalism, and then “left” evangelicalism and now worships at an Episcopalian church. However, the church must question whether our unity is even reflected through man-made labels like “evangelicalism.”

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Millennials are now Parents – What does this mean for the church?

Posted on March 14, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

Time Magazine recently featured an article about Millennials examining how they parent. The transition of Millennials as lazy, narcissistic children into parents is happening quickly (The words lazy and narcissistic came from a previous Time article). According to Time, “Millennial parents number more than 22 million in the U.S., with about 9,000 babies born to them each day. This growing cohort of parents is digitally native, ethnically diverse, late-marrying, and less bound by traditional gender roles than any generation before it.” (Source)

According to Time, “Millennial parents are attempting to run their families as mini-democracies, seeking consensus from spouses, kids and extended friend circles on even the smallest decisions. They seek wisdom from those closest to them, rather than the highly-marketed “parenting experts.” They’re backing away from the overscheduled days of their youth, preferring a more responsive, less directorial approach to activities.”

Here is the full article.

As Millennials become parents, churches will need to respond to connect to this new generations.

Connectivity with their children.

Through the use of technology, Millennials are used to being in constant contact with their children. Most childcare centers use the latest technology to keep Millennials informed and connected with their children. They don’t want a paper describing the lesson when they can have a picture of their child showing it. Millennials are now the main clientele of the nursery, and their values should affect how we serve them. The days of publicly humiliating them by removing them from the service, or flashing their child’s number on the screen should be over. In order to provide Millennials with the security they desire use an app or a simple text message.

Gender Roles as Parents

Today’s millennials do not hold traditional gender roles. While, the percentage of stay-at-home mothers is increasing (with the recovery of the economy, almost 29 percent of women stay at home with their children), marital roles are more fluid. Train your staff and volunteers to avoid assumptions and comments based upon traditional gender roles so as to not offend visitors or regular attenders. [Load graph of Stay at home mothers from Pew Research.] Avoid sermon illustrations and media pics that present one perspective of family life.

Use, but don’t abuse Social Media

“Eight-four percent of Millennials are social media users, with 66% of Gen X on social networks and 44% of Baby Boomers. According to the study, more than half of the U.S. users on Twitter are Millennials.” (Source) We should not abuse these platforms to push our own programs, but use these connections to become involved in the lives of people. The appeal of social media is snap shot of people’s lives, and not desperate pleas to come to your events. Mind your manners on social media, or you eventually will either be ignored or deleted. As a church, use social media in order to understand their daily lives and know their values.

While it is truly impossible to describe how Millennials as a generation will parent, research reveals that they hold different values, beliefs, and perspectives. According to the Time article, Millennials want their children to be, “Open-minded. empathetic. questioning.” These differences will change their expectations for church ministries and staff members.

Church leaders should begin to ask how these values will express themselves as their children enter other ministries of the church. Our nursery workers will be the first to experience Millennials as parents, and they will lead us into this change.

Leave a comment about how Millennials having children will change the church.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit designed to equip churches and parents to minister to emerging adults.

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An Example of Generational Mediation – Tattoos

Posted on March 9, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

We met at my favorite spot – McDonalds, the home of free wifi and endless sweet tea. The man immediately began to open up about his son, and how proud he was of his academic achievement and occupational accomplishments. At twenty years old, his son was not a slacker or self-absorbed like most other Millennials (if you believe the media). He was already financially self-sufficient, and held down a career job. But in spite of his fatherly pride, something had robbed this father of the ability to enjoy his son.

His son was the last of four children, and had been born to the father much later in life. The father expressed how often he struggled to understand his son in ways that he did not have with his other children who were almost ten years older.

tattoo He had asked his son to refrain from tattoos until he was twenty-one. The father’s reasoning included the under-developed brain of emerging adults, his spiritual viewpoint of tattoos, and their long-term impact upon the individual’s body. Although he couldn’t imagine how anyone would want a tattoo, he would allow his child this option at the proper age.

The son ignored his father’s wishes, and the father’s disappointment was obvious. He was trying not to take his son’s decision personally, but it still hurt. The reasons not to get a tattoo were so clear to him. Why would anyone get a tattoo when “style” change so frequently? He used the word “style” in reference to tattoos several times during our discussion.

I asked what he meant by “style” and he said. “In our world clothing styles change every season, and hair styles change once every couple of months. Why would you get a permanent tattoo?”

While growing up, I often heard people associate tattoos as a trend. With a larger portion of the population getting inked in today’s world, few would categorized tattoos as a style or fad that changes change with time. In my discussions with emerging adults, the decision to get a tattoo often reflected a life event, core belief, or part of their identity (more – Sacred Ink).

They are the opposite of a fad, but tattoos often reflect a person’s longing for permanence and search for uniqueness. The process of globalization has made it even more difficult for people to establish their own place in our world. Tattoos are a simple way for humans to create a marker of their identity.

As I began to speak, there was a beautiful moment as for the first time, the father understood his son’s perspective. We sat in a quiet moment. When our time ended, he turned to me and said, “I have learned a lot. We should talk again.”

David - Prof 2 Another day in the life of a generational mediator.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit that seeks to equip churches and parents to minister to emerging adults.

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Creating a Vision for Emerging Adult Ministry

Posted on March 7, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

A vision of a renewed Jerusalem was given by Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. In Nehemiah 2:17-18, Nehemiah says,

“You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.”

Nehemiah starts with their present condition, and moves to where they should go by providing them a vision and a reminder that God is with them.

A vision does not provide a picture of the way things are, but an image of what could and should be. It focuses a community on where they are going and what must be done to get there. It unifies them as they work towards the common good.

If you are seeking a vision for how to minister to emerging adults, here are a few reflections:

Visions are God-given.

True visions cannot be copied. You do not pick them up at a conference, or by mimicking another ministry model. Visions come while seeking the presence of God. Due to the overwhelming church-as-business culture, the terms vision and mission statement are often misconstrued to be synonymous when they are quite different. We have been taught all visions must be easy to read, look nice in print, and be filled with hip lingo. However, true visions do not require confirmation by human intellect, approval by church hierarchy, and cannot be minimized by available resources. If you want a God-given vision cancel your conference, turn off the noise, and sit in the presence of God’s Spirit.

Visions are Spirit-led.

Leaders are always searching for evidence of the Spirit’s work. They are constantly seeking for stirrings of spiritual growth, and wondering either how they can help, or how to get out of the way. In Henry Blackabee’s study Experiencing God, he says, “Go to where God is at work, and join Him there.”

Due to the dynamic nature of our world, visions can change. They are not eternal, but have a shelf-life which is often dependent upon leadership. This doesn’t mean that the vision was wrong, but that it needs to shift due to our constantly changing world.

Visions are human-powered.

While visions are given by God, we are His hands and feet in this world to accomplish the work. I Corinthians 3:9 says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” We have the privilege of working side-by-side with others in God’s service. Because developing and realizing your vision is so much work, it is important to enlist the help of a team.

Nehemiah couldn’t build the wall alone, and neither can you. Look to God for a vision, seeking guidance by the Spirit, and recruit a team to work beside you.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit designed to equip churches and parents to minister to emerging adults.

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National Congregational Study – 2015

Posted on March 1, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

The National Congregation Study led by Mark Chaves, sociologist at Duke, and Alison Eagle. The study included over 3800 participating congregations representing 70+ Christian denominations, plus Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, and other religious groups. The third wave of this report was recently released, and is available at this link.

Here are five observations from the study.

1. The Growth of non-denominational churches.

The number of congregations claiming no denominational affiliation increased from 18% in 1998 to 24% in 2012. White mainline congregations, and the people in those congregations, are older than the congregations and people of other religious traditions. I believe that this trend is going to continue as Millennials (and other generations) do not want to be defined by a denominational label or the culture baggage that some denominations carry.

2. The Continued Growth of Megachurches.

Most congregations are small, but most people are in large congregations. People are increasingly concentrated in very large congregations. The average congregation is getting smaller, but the average churchgoer attends a larger congregation. I believe that many people run to large congregations because they have been hurt by the church, but still love God (a group often referred to as the “Dones”). These large congregations allow them to remain hidden while spending time worshipping the God they love.

3. An Increase in Diversity

There is increasing ethnic diversity over time both among and within American congregations. Diversity (in ethnicity, socio-economic factors, and religious beliefs) is valued by many younger generations, and so I expect this diversity to increase. Truly diverse congregations will become magnets for Millennials.

4. A Desire to connect with their Local Community

Food assistance is by far the most common kind of social service activity pursued by congregations, with more than half (52%) of all congregations listing food assistance among their four most important social service programs. Social action is important to Millennials, and churches should have a clear passion for service within their local communities. However, serving the poor will take much more than clearing our pantries from an abundance of canned goods. I fear that many churches pursue this route in order to alleviate guilt over Western consumerism.

5. Traditional Boundaries into Leadership are Falling.

Acceptance of female lay leadership is very widespread, with 79% of congregations allowing women to hold any volunteer position a man can hold, and 86% allowing women to serve on the main governing board. Congregational acceptance of gays and lesbians as members and lay leaders increased substantially between 2006 and 2012, but acceptance levels vary widely across religious traditions. Those congregations who restrict leadership for various theological reasons might grow as they gather dissident members of accepting communities. However, as Millennials and younger generations become the majority of the populous, these restrictive communities may have trouble replacing their aging populations.

(A boundary that I believe needs to change is the restriction of leadership within the church due to age – READ MORE.)

The Spiritual Landscape of America is changing rapidly. How should your community respond?

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit organization that is driven to educate and equip parents and churches who desire to minister to emerging adults.

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What Kind of Leaders are Millennials?

Posted on December 21, 2015 by G. David Boyd 0

closeup of a young man with the word yolo, for you only live once, tattooed in his hand, with a filter effect

The title of this article immediately irritates me – any piece of writing or study that claims to state how an entire generation leads is going to be filled with assumptions, stereotypes, and generic statements that don’t mean much. (I am also not sure how their picture connects with the article?)

However, here are a few points that all church leaders should ponder:

You can check out the complete article here.

“Millennials want to be leaders. Ninety-one percent of millennials aspire to be leaders, according to The Millennial Leadership Study.” Could this be why some are leaving the church?
“Interestingly, of the 91 percent seeking leadership responsibilities, more than half are women. More women in leadership roles could impact or even break up the “good ol’ boys” network and pay inequality, criticized by so many today.”
“Millennials realize they lack experience and skills, and the study reports that 53 percent are eager to learn from mentors.” What does this look like with Millennials?
“Millennials may be misunderstood. But as the largest generation in the workforce, they have a significant influence. It’s only a matter of time before they begin redefining leadership and other workplace trends.”

Millennials who lead come in all shapes and sizes. While their styles will be shaped by the values of their generation (like authenticity), defining their leadership style (like any other generation) is impossible.

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