Millenials

Demographers refer to folks born between 1980 and 1991 as Millenials. New research recently released by LifeWay reveals some of the attitudes of American Millenials regarding spiritual matters. The study shows that a majority of these young adults consider themselves to be Christians (65%), but that many less than that number often pray, read the Bible or attend worship services. In their survey of 1,200 people in that age cohort, researchers Thom and Jess Rainer (father and son) found that 14% of them report being atheist or agnostic, another 14% had no religious preference, and 8% claimed adherence to religions other than Christianity. Responding to a question about whether they ever read sacred writings such as the Bible, the Koran or the Torah, 67% in this age range said they never do. However, 31%said they pray each day, while 20% said they never pray. Twenty percent of these folks attend religious services at least weekly (including church, synagogue, temple and mosque). "The research shows us that religion and its practices are decreasing and becoming increasingly privatized among the Millennial generation," said Rainer, President of LifeWay Christian Resources. The spiritual landscape in the nation, he went on to observe, is changing.

Congregations have often struggled with attracting and incorporating young adults into the full experience of church life. The diversity of spirituality in our society may be a contributing factor. This research also shows that congregations may not have done the best job of helping young adults see the relevance of Christian faith for today's living.