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- It’s time to pass the torch…
It’s time to pass the torch…
Is your focus in the right place?
Many pastors have been leading for years. You’ve built churches, taught congregations and helped hundreds of people on their faith journey.
But what next?
Too often, church leaders focus on what they will build for far too long. Now, it’s time to shift your mindset:
What will you leave behind?
When much of your career has been focused on what you’re building today, it can be difficult to think about retirement and beyond — what you’ll leave for generations to come.
And we’re not talking about churches or programs or lessons.
We’re talking about a commitment to fostering the next generation of pastors and leaders.
The millennial leaders growing in your church today will be the ones to pastor your grandchildren. That’s huge. But what does it mean for you?
Your time, energy and attention should be turning toward mentoring younger generations in the church. To do this, we need to make a few changes, starting with…
Get comfortable with the uncomfortable
Your church is going to change. That’s okay. That’s necessary.
One driving misconception about the younger generation is they are disengaged, and worse, leaving the church entirely.
But that’s simply not true.
Truth is, church leaders are expecting the next-gen to engage in the church like they did… in a church that was built in the 80s for boomers, by boomers.
It’s simply unrealistic to expect this specific expression of the church to have a lifespan beyond the boomer generation. But getting ready to help mentor and lead the next generation to build the expression of the church that fits their needs requires something important: trust.
For trust, we need to understand:
Millennials and GenZ are just like you… but younger.
Unfortunately, it seems as if many church leaders suffer from the occasional bout of amnesia. Back when we were in the same life stage as younger generations are today, we had hippies, vagrants, LSD users, potheads, lazy people, entitled people — you name it.
None of the labels put on millennials and GenZ today are new.
It’s up to today’s leaders to help 25-year-olds now be better than they were at 25.
Younger generations are participating and giving…
At even higher rates than their older counterparts. A recent Barna study looked at millennials, GenX and Boomers and found:
There is no discernable difference between how much the generations give to charitable organizations.
But let’s take it a step further and break it down to who gives specifically to churches by frequency:
Boomers: 31%
GenX: 36%
Millenials: 42%
So the question isn’t whether or not younger generations are giving to the church. It’s whether younger generations are giving to your church.
Action Items: Closing the generation gap in your congregation
If the younger gen isn’t engaging in your church, there are a few things you can implement today to get the ball rolling:
1. Focus groups
Call in a diverse group of people directly from your congregation. Seek feedback and collaboration — odds are they have ideas to better serve their subsequent groups.
2. Mentorship program
Helping lead the next gen of leaders requires building personal relationships. Even if only a few mentees show up, your time will be well spent. Remember — mentorship is a two-way street. You’ll learn and grow just as much as the younger gen.
3. Shift your mindset, grant permission
Boomers and GenX won’t be the leaders who rebuild the church to meet millennial and Gen X needs. Understand younger generations will make mistakes along the way (just like you did), and grant them your trust and permission to start this transformation to the next iteration of the church.
It’s time to stop focusing on what you will build, and shift your attention to what you will leave behind. How can you and your fellow church leaders help pave the way for younger generations to build the church of tomorrow, today?