Part of ongoing series: How Millennials Who Gave up on Church are Redefining Faith
In an era of radical transparency, Millennials have a heightened sensitivity for artificiality and false promotion. Any leader or organization who wants to engage the next generation—whether from the pulpit or the classroom—must take care their messages are free of all false promises and exaggerations… or pay the price.
by David Kinnaman • President, The Barna Group
They’re called digital natives for good reason. Millennials stand apart from other generations in terms of their technological savvy. They’re also in a class of their own when it comes to faith experience and practice.
The Church has always used regular habits and practices designed to help people worship. These habitual practices—such as prayer, Scripture reading, Sabbath observance, gathering every Sunday and more—have been part of the Church throughout the centuries.
Today there’s a new dimension that is reshaping personal spirituality, particularly among younger generations. The advent of the Internet and, more recently, social media have shaped personal habits significantly.
The first and last thing most people do every day is check their phones. When they want to know an answer to a question, they “Google it.” Scrolling through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter feeds has become a fixture of leisurely activity. This digital world is the playground of Millennials, or those ages 18 to 29 in this current Barna study. Millennials certainly stand apart in their unsurpassed digital savvy. They’re also in a class of their own when it comes to faith experience and practice.
Yet what happens when the unique spiritual characteristics and technological trends among Millennials collide? The latest study from Barna Group explores just that.
