This document discusses strategies for churches to better engage and minister to young people. It recommends that churches build a culture of intergenerational relationships, recognize young people as equal members, and become unconditionally welcoming. Churches should also support their youth leaders. For churches struggling to attract young people, the document suggests considering options like increasing youth participation in services, activities, relationships, and decision-making. The Bible provides principles like unity, encouragement, and multigenerational fellowship that can guide churches.

1. Young People
and the Church

2. 3a Young People in the Church
https://faithsurvey.co.uk/download/csintro.pdf
You know the story…

3. Young people are the mission ground…
How do we…
Welcome them?
Love them?
Serve them?
Include them?
It takes a village to raise a
child…
It takes a church to raise a
young Christian.
3a Young People in the Church

5. Rooted in the Church
3a Young People in the Church
• Churches should aim to build a culture of
intergenerational relationships
• Churches should be inclusive of all ages in both
leadership and worship
• Church should recognise young people… as equal
members of the Body of Christ
• Church should be become unconditionally welcoming
places for young people
• Churches need to do more to support their youth workers
and leaders.
Available on the website

6. What are the options?
For the church that is struggling to
keep or attract young people…
what are the options?
You decide.
Think pros and cons of your
options…
3a Young People in the Church

7. What is Church?
7 marks of church (Martin Luther, 1539)
1. The Word
2. Baptism
3. Lord’s Supper
4. Forgiveness
5. Service
6. Prayer / worship
7. The Cross / discipleship in suffering
3a Young People in the Church

8. What does the Bible say?
Multigenerational (Matt 18: 5, 10; Mark 10: 14; Luke 9:
47)
Body of Christ (1 Cor 12: 12)
Bear with one another (Eph 4: 2)
Unity - agreement (1 Cor 1: 10)
Build up (1 Thess 5: 11)
Worship (1 Chron 16: 23)
Confess (1 John 1: 9)
Encourage (Heb 10: 24-25)
3a Young People in the Church

9. How should we work together?
1. Participation / Involvement (service involvement,
leading etc)
2. Activity (mission, serving the community, food
banks, activity groups)
3. Relationships (openness, bearing with each
other, creating opportunities for others – preferring
others’ needs)
4. Unity & Diversity (Value these, but focus on
relationship)
5. Decision-making – all-age? Seek the views of
children and young people. Young people on PCC
/ church councils etc.
3a Young People in the Church

10. Think of creative ways of
including young people in
3a Young People in the Church

11. 3a Young People in the Church
You Lost Me: Why Young
Christians are Leaving
Church … and Rethinking
Faith
(Excerpt on the website)
by David Kinnaman

12. 1. First, Be Honest
2. Confess
3. Increase Your Expectations
4. Preach a Better Gospel
5. Hand-Craft Disciples
6. Recover Imagination
7. Recognise Giftedness
8. Invite Participation
9. Take Risks
10. Re-center on Jesus
11. Don’t Overreact
12. Be a Rebel–Get Married
13. Take a Gap Year
14. Take Education Seriously
15. Interpret Culture
16. Find the Family of God
17. Find Calling in the Marketplace
18. Strengthen Family Ties
19. Think Christianly about Media
20. Avoid “Proxy Wars”
21. Refuse a Religious Veneer
22. Travel as a Family
23. Be Present
24. Be Intentionally Intergenerational
25. Disciple Like Jesus
26. Make Connections
27. Release Your Successors
28. Meet a Need
29. Reclaim Hope
30. Seek Diversity
31. Use Time Wisely
32. Be Nonpartisan but Not Apolitical
33. Tell On Yourself
34. Be Like Jesus
35. Embrace the Radical Gospel
36. Don’t Condescend
37. Have Faith in the Next Generation
38. Support a Young Person
39. Give Them What They Want
40. Be the Right Kind of Mentor
41. Catalyse Innovation
42. Un-market the Gospel
43. Lift Up the God of Justice
44. Take a Note from the Amish
45. Reason Clearly
46. Avoid False Ultimatums
47. Make Distinctions That Matter
48. Give Honest Answers to Honest
Questions
49. Don’t Fear Doubt
50. Share Power
Fifty Ideas to Find a Generation