OK. I have more to say apparently. ;)

Why aren't young people in church? Let's chat. As someone who was ordained in her early 30s, have friends and colleagues ordained in their early/mid 20s. And have worked a lot with folks in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s. THREAD https://twitter.com/tcburkejr/status/1308111107626799106

First: your church's website is probably trash. Every church I've led as clergy had a website out of date by at least 10 years style wise, often content as well. This says a LOT about where you focus and priorities are. It telegraphs: we don't understand people who live online.

IF a young person shows up at your church what's the first thing that happens? In my experience the church descends with "fresh meat" in their eyes. Let's tackle the $$$ first. Every church wants "young families" who "aren't on fixed incomes" to solve their financial issues.

But the world YOU remember as a young family is gone. Their incomes ARE fixed as raises have sort of... vanished? And they are saddled with often hundreds of thousands of dollars in educational debt that Boomers gave them because of choices y'all made and advice you gave.

They'll never pay it off. They probably will never be able to buy a home. They'll be stuck in expensive rent for life. They're paying a mortgage payment on school debt, AND rent. And now you want them to balance the church budget? AND the church talks about "fixed incomes"

in a way that makes clear y'all haven't worked in decades and don't have a clue that pretty much everyone's income is "fixed" in that raises aren't the norm anymore, often not even COLA. Young person cannot go ask their boss for a raise so they can tithe.

If a couple they are probably BOTH working, often far from family (in our new mobile society) and therefore rely on PAID childcare. Expecting them to come to Women's Group meetings at 10am, or Mens group at 7pm is showing your privilege again.

And that gets us to the labor "fresh meat." All those boomer leaders who are tired of setting up chairs, and being on committees and want it to be "someone else's turn." And who honestly don't get why the exhausted young woman working 50 hours a week AND caring for her kids

doesn't jump to make coozies for the bazaar, or take over the altar guild. And if, IF, the church asks what these young people need we don't LISTEN to what they tell us. And if they DARE try to start something new, or change something old you can bet the attack will be swift.

If you want young people in the church, lay or ordained, make it your mission (Boomers) to support them. Don't view them as resources to be grabbed but as people you can support and love, as THEY indicate need. Center them, not yourselves and MAYBE you'll see a change.

1. Throw away everything you (Boomers) think about "young people." Because it is wrong, the world you were young in doesn't exist anymore.
2. Listen to the young people in your midst, even if at 43 I'm the young person! Because they (we) know what they want, they aren't dumb.

Be willing to try new things, and be willing for things to fail. Learn from those failures. Listen to the young folks. Be unafraid to experiment.

And this is probably going to be the hardest part...

Understand taht the church YOU love and remember is an aberration. The church as it existed in the 20th century is not the norm, it never was. So when those structures or traditions start to die, let them. You can mourn them, you can be sad, but be honest...

That you are mourning the church YOU knew, not The Church. What comes next will probably look very different, it will have to. And if you just want the church YOU know to be around until it can bury you? Expect the church to be buried with you.

And let me add: this isn't a dig on Boomers. I serve a church that is 90% Boomer and they get it. They called me to change them, we have a joke now that I'm TRYING to get them to say "we've never done that" because they've embraced change and experimentation.

Not to fill the pews w young folks to keep the institution going, to transform themselves. If others see that work and join us, great. If they don't, that's OK too, because we aren't here to just keep the doors open.