Reaching 20-Somethings

Are today's youth out of your grasp?

Do you worry about competing for their attention along with all of the technology currently available to them? Think they're not receptive to the message you'd like to send them?

It's not a lost generation, and, in fact, according to a recent report from Lifeway Research, unchurched 20-somethings are more open to church than their older peer group.

According to the findings:

"Despite recent media reports that young adults are running from churches in droves, the beliefs of many younger unchurched people are more connected to historic Christian beliefs than many suspected. More 20-somethings than individuals 30 and older believe in the God of the Bible, the resurrection of Christ and the uniqueness of the Christian God."

Jason Hayes, LifeWay’s young adult ministry specialist, has important advice for churches.

"We need to have an accurate understanding of exactly who we’re hoping to reach," he said. "Churches wanting to connect with this [younger] generation need to be informed and prepared. It’s not enough for the church to simply believe the right things. Our actions must be connected to these convictions as well."

What is your church doing to reach this age group?

Best,
Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor

Note: You can read the entire report here. The national phone survey included 900 unchurched respondents from age 20-29 and 502 adults over 30 years old.

Rick Warren, Newsweek, & Larry King

In response to the latest Newsweek cover story titled "The Decline and Fall of Christian America" (article here), Larry King had Saddleback's Pastor Rick Warren on his show last night.

While they covered a wide variety of issues, one segment in particular stood out to me:

"I don't think faith is changing that much. I think that during a recession three things happen, Larry. Three things go up when money goes down. Church attendance goes up, bar attendance goes up, and movie attendance goes up, because people are looking for three things when they're disappointed in materialism.

They're looking for meaning, and that's why they start going to church. They're looking for connections in relationships, and that's why they go to bars. They're looking for relief, and that's why they go to movies.

We at Saddleback...have created three different programs that we're launching nationally for connection, for relief, and for meaning. At the same time, bad times are good times for churches in many ways, because people are much more open to spiritual truth than any other time."

Have you seen a rise in your attendance numbers lately? Are you adjusting your ministries or launching new ones? How are you responding to your church members' current needs?

Best,
Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor

Note: You can read the entire transcript of the interview here. (He was the second guest, so you'll have to scroll about halfway down the page for his segment).

Also, Warren will be presenting a "State of the Church" webcast on Sunday, April 19. Click here to register for the event.

No Joke: Now IS a Good Time to Build

You might think, in this economy, that we could potentially struggle with finding churches to spotlight in our monthly Foundations column, which focuses on new construction/renovation projects among worship facilities throughout the country.

However, all evidence to the contrary. We have no shortage of projects to cover...and the dollar amount of these projects alone is a testament that churches are still, indeed, continuing to build and expand. In our four issues so far this year, we have profiled four churches with new building projects together totalling $41.16 million in construction costs.

I recently came across an article in a local newspaper profiling a Baptist church that just closed on a $25.4 million loan for a new worship center.

In particular, this paragraph stood out to me:

"...some in the community may question why the church is spending so much money to build the church during a time of recession. However...now is the perfect time to build because the recession means cheaper construction costs."

You can read the full article here.

I'm always interested in your thoughts. Is your church currently going through a building campaign/project, or are you planning one in the near future? How is the economy affecting your expansion plans?

Best,
Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor

Welcome

Welcome to the new editor's blog from Religious Product News!

We're excited about providing a forum to discuss the latest issues and trends affecting the church market, and we encourage your participation and comments.

Click on the Subscribe to Blog button on the left, and you'll be notified every time the site is updated.

Best,
Jill Pinheiro
Managing Editor