It is important to incorporate younger adults, teenagers, and kids into church life, and to make the church more youth-friendly for them. 8 common characteristics attract young adults to church. You need to ensure that your church and/or members follow these traits as these are important factors that younger members look for when choosing a church. We at Grace Plano Church follow these traits and consistently encourage the youth and younger adults to seek out Jesus.
Always be Sincere
Young people don’t appreciate insincerity. Honestly is important to them, especially for teenagers who are from bad neighborhoods or have a bad family upbringing. These kids need to know they can trust you and you need to show them that they can trust God. Churches who show sincerity in their faith and intentions are more likely to attract teenagers and reduce church dropouts. Ensure your congregation has a good reputation for being genuine and loving. Encourage congregational members to show love and respect towards younger generations. Be truthful in your words and actions and you’ll gain their trust and respect.
Avoid Being Hypocritical
Hypocrisy is one of the reasons why the younger generation tends to drop out of the church. It is hard to follow someone who does not practice what they preach. Your church, therefore, needs to consistently follow good Christian values. Sometimes it may not be the church itself, but rather the hypocrisy of a member or two making a simple mistake or not acting in accordance with church values. It is important to prevent this behavior from occurring by reminding church members about following good values, but also reassuring the youth that everyone makes mistakes and showing them that the church and congregation have more love than hypocrisy.
Be Authentic
Young adults appreciate an authentic church. The generation considers honesty and authenticity as important features and your church needs to follow these standards. It may not always be easy for church members to follow the Bible, especially in circumstances when negative and unpredictable life events occur. Nobody is perfect but young people are not seeking perfection. They know that everyone has bad days and nobody is perfect, including themselves. Showing them that the church remains faithful to Christianity and members strive to be better Christians every day is better than trying to be perfect. After all, we are all human.
Be Supportive
A church needs to support the next generation and show them that they can offer them support during difficult times. It is best to guide younger members, rather than be disapproving of their choices. It is the modern world and we need to show support over their choices when it comes to school, marriage, or career aspirations. Of course, not all of their decisions will match Scripture but churches need to show support while encouraging the youth to follow Christianity. Speaking to them and listening to them will help to show them support, rather than being dismissive of the youth and the choices they make.
Be Forgiving
Forgiveness is essential to promote good Christian values and faith in God. As we previously mentioned, judgment is not something that the Lord put on this earth for. Humans have sinned and will continue to sin at some point but it is the church’s responsibility to forgive them and teach them how to be better Christians. Young adults want to know that their church will do this. They seek a forgiving church, rather than a harsh one. It is best to be encouraging towards Christian values and show forgiveness than to inflict hate or punishment for simple wrongdoing or bad values.
Inspire Young Adults
Churches need to be inspirational to attract and retain young adults. Young adults (especially younger kids and children) are at a critical time of their life where they require guidance and motivation the most to become responsible young adults. Sermons need to include inspirational stories and examples of good Christian behavior displayed in society. Activities for the youth should also be inspiring and uplifting. The idea is to raise their spirits and keep them interested in church life. Good churches encourage all members to interact and this leads to senior members inspiring the youth through stories and examples of their hard work ethic.
Do Not Judge
Young adults don’t want to be in churches that are judgemental and rude. Churches should resist judging and criticism as we are here to save the world, not judge. Healthy Churches do not judge as the only judgment should come from the Lord. HE is fairer than us and far more equipped to do the judging. Good churches know that we are here to serve the Lord and Savior and help his disciples to find their way. We must strive to show love and respect at all times.
Be Welcoming
Entering a new church or Christianity service can be overwhelming at first. Young adults might know who to sit by, how to interact with members, and how to participate in church activities. They will appreciate a warm welcome and guidance when attending a new church. First impressions matter and a church should welcome them with open arms. It will help if youth leaders and ministers/priests personally greet the younger adults and introduce them to the congregation. Someone should be assigned to help the youth find their way by letting them know the schedule for church and youth activities and being there for them should they need help.
