How To Get Teenagers And Millennials To Become Church Members

Over the years, teenagers and millennials church attendance has decreased. A research analysis showed that church attendance dropped from 33% pre-pandemic to 30% post-pandemic. Among young people, attendance has decreased even more. About 17% of young adults aged 18-20 attend church once a week. Only 25% of young adults attend church 1-2 times a month or yearly. That’s why you need to figure out how to get teenagers and millennials to become faithful church members. The best way you can do that is by creating positive first impressions, conducting surveys, and creating safe spaces. 

First Impressions Matter 

First impressions are important. They have a lasting effect. If your church does not impress people the first time they attend service, they probably won’t return for another event or service. If they do, they won’t play an active role in church. 

I speak from experience. I am a church kid. I have had a lot of different experiences. Some churches I participated in while others I unwillingly sat there uninterested in what was going on because I was forced to be there, turned off by politics, terrible music, or boring, repetitive messages.

Conduct Surveys 

The easiest way to get more teenagers and millennials to join your church is to find out what they think about your church. 

Surveys are invaluable sources of information. Create a short survey using these 5 simple questions: 

1. Did you enjoy the service? 
2. If so, which parts of the service did they enjoy (music, preaching, the atmosphere, etc.)?
3. If not, how can we improve our services and events to make them more welcoming?
4. If there was one thing you could take away from today’s message or service, what would it be? 
5. Would you be interested in attending more services or events? 

Place the surveys in an area of the sanctuary that is easily accessible and direct visitors to them at the end of the service. Alternatively, you can instruct your ushers to approach visitors with a survey and a pen and ask them to complete it. 

While surveys are a great idea, you must know that not everyone wants to complete a survey. More importantly, not everyone will leave positive reviews. 

Do not be discouraged by the responses or lack of responses. Keep an open mind. Look for areas of improvement, and you will be able to convert potential members into committed members.   

Create A Safe Space

One of the reasons I believe church attendance is down is because the church is not a safe place anymore. 

Yes, this statement is controversial. But the truth is the truth. 

Most church leaders take offense to this statement and see it as disrespecting God or going to church for the wrong reasons. 

Yes, people go to church to connect with God. However, the noise in the church can get in the way of drawing people closer to God. 

Growing up as a church kid, I can’t tell you how many times church members were talking behind each other’s backs, judging newcomers, and making people’s situations the topics of their sermons. Attending church becomes less about God and more about church politics. This is why a lot of Christians have gravitated toward studying the Word rather than attending church. 

Deciding to refrain from attending church does not mean you are disrespecting God. The belief in God is still present. However, the additional noise makes going to bedside Baptist more attractive. 

If you want more young people to become members of your church, you must create a safe place. People should feel comfortable enough to be themselves. They should not have to hide who they are just to become a member of your church. Here are 3 helpful ways to create a safe space for your church members.

Be Less Judgmental

The church is full of judgmental attitudes. It is another reason why folks don’t attend church. No one wants to be judged for everything that they do. 

While there are things that Christians should not do, it’s important not to judge the person who falls short. There is no perfect Christian. We all fall short sometimes. As the bible instructs, we should not cast stones at others because we all sin. 

You were not a Christian all your life. Even if you were, you probably backslid all the time when you were younger. Remember how you felt ostracized and misunderstood when people judged you for your actions? This is the same way young people feel when you judge them.

Show young people grace when they mess up. Be more understanding and less judgmental. They will feel less comfortable at your church if you keep judging them. Eventually, they will stop attending your church and participating in your events. 

Be Trustworthy 

Fake relationships are common in the church. There is nothing worse than finding out the person you considered a friend or spiritual leader has been spreading your business around the entire church. 

Once the trust is gone, the doors of communication close, making it easier for the person to stop attending church. For this reason, you must create real relationships with new members. 

If they disclose information to you, do not tell everybody who will listen. Do not create a sermon on this person’s dilemma. 

Keep the information to yourself. Listen to them. Acknowledge their feelings and give them hope for the future. This simple action will let them know that you are a trustworthy person that they can talk to about anything. This simple action will inspire them to become an active church member, and they may even become a spiritual leader that others can go to in times of trouble.

Answer Their Questions

The common theme of the church is that questions are not allowed. You are not supposed to question God. You are not a real Christian, or you’ve lost faith in God if you ask questions. 

I do not agree with this way of thinking. Questions bring clarity and understanding. 

Questions are normal. You probably had a lot of questions when you first became a Christian. You probably still have questions even though you are a seasoned saint.  

Do not take offense to questions. Answer them the best that you can. If you do not have an answer, tell the person I do not have an answer for you right now, but let me think about it and study the Word, and I will have something for you on Sunday. Do not use this as a way to get out of the conversation. Think about their questions, try to come up with an answer, and approach them the next time you see them. 

Not only will this help persons develop an authentic relationship with God and become faithful members of your church, but it will help you build rapport. Rapport is how you convince teenagers and millennials to take active roles in your church. 

Moreover, questions are an opportunity to challenge their thinking. Do not scold them or judge them because of the way they think. Challenging their thinking can help them be more aware of themselves as a Christian and help them figure out what Christianity looks like for them. 

Church attendance is down. However, I believe that we can get teenagers and millennials to become faithful members of churches if we learn how to create safe spaces and conduct surveys to identify what works and does not work to help us create positive first impressions.