Was anyone else able to listen to Calvin College Chaplain, Pastor Mary Hulst, speak on the topic of millennials and the church yesterday? She kicked off the 2018 January Series and I found her talk to be spot on as far as understanding millennials (traits, interests, challenges) and what they are looking for in the church (spoiler alert: hip pastors in skinny jeans not needed).
I found it helpful how Pastor Mary explained the unique challenges facing millennials when it comes to always being so connected (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.). She described how living such documented and public lives is actually increasing anxiety and loneliness. Millennials crave real community (think personal invitations instead of Facebook invites), mentoring relationships (they want to hear from someone older than them about how their faith has made a difference), and even gentle correction.
I also appreciated her emphasis on the importance of good preaching. Millennials don't care about "cool" but they do care about how the gospel can directly make a difference in their daily lives. Amen!
Did you listen to Pastor Mary's talk yesterday? What were some of your top takeaways?