Millennials are not necessarily inclined to attend a church that mixes sacred tradition with secular trends, says Christian writer and author Andrea Palpant Dilley.
Dilley, who is familiar with being a member at both a mainline Presbyterian church and a modern, non-denominational congregation, advises churches to carefully consider their outreach strategies when trying to attract young adults.
“Across America today, thousands of clergy and congregations—even entire denominations—are running scared, desperately trying to convince their youth that faith and church are culturally relevant, forward-looking and alive … proceed with caution …with thoughtfulness and deliberation. What young people say we want in our 20s is not necessarily what we want 10 years later,” writes Dilley on ChurchLeaders.com
While the number of Americans under 30 who do not identify with any religion continues to increase, according to a Pew Research report, Dilley argues that there are millennials who do care about being in traditional churches over much trendier congregations that embrace an “unchurchy” feel.