4 ways churches are trying to bring young people in the doors
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Whether it be in a comfy over-sized movie theater seat with minimally reclining backs or a traditional pew, Charlottean’s young people are still using their Sunday mornings for more than picking up the last necessities before tailgating.
Church can sometimes be the place to take grandma on your bi-monthly visit. Sometimes, the wooden pews and gray-haired attendees can be intimidating. Other times, the judgmental stares and stigmas transform church into a less-than-favorite local hangout.
Yet in Charlotte, local churches are still finding a way to stay relevant and make a home for Charlotte’s most up and coming generation.
(1) Honesty
“It’s staying relevant to the Gospel and honest to the Gospel,” said Sarah Davis, minister of outreach at Hawthorne Lane United Methodist Church.
Plus some good food doesn’t hurt. Davis said the church hosts multiple events like Food Truck Sundays to encourage younger individuals to go. The church is currently celebrating a centennial, which causes me to believe they have been staying relevant to the area for a little while, at least.
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(2) Involvement
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Myers Park Presbyterian Church hosts Trinity, a group for 30- and 40-year olds. The group does social events and works with Habitat for Humanity and other outreach projects. Twice a month, 20-somethings can gather for a spirituality study during Theology on Tap, with drinks and theological discussion.
(3) Awareness
This year, Myers Park Presbyterian had 104 adults join, 10 percent of whom were in their 20s and 59 percent in their 30s, communications director Josh Richard said.
Nationally, 17 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds identified as Catholic, and 20 percent identified as Historically Black Protestant in 2014. Another 17 percent call themselves Evangelical Christians. In North Carolina, 77 percent claim themselves as Christians and 3 percent are non-Christian faiths, according to a Pew study.
(4) Relevance
Church isn’t always on Sunday. CharlotteOne caters directly to 20- and 30-somethings and hosts worship services, service days and talks about social justice issues. They want to be known as a bridge between 20- and 30-somethings and local churches.
Charlotte is a hot-bed for faithful and religious activity and it’s not hard to find a place to be accepted.