Author: Harbor Genesis Christian College

Harbor Genesis Christian College

Churches are taking a financial hit as they confront the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The greatest challenge for many churches is the inability to hold gatherings due to public health concerns. Although many churches have transitioned to online services and financial giving, they have not been as effective as in-person services and giving. Several churches may be on the brink of closure. Some tips can help churches mitigate financial hardships.

1. Lower operating expenses

Operating expenses are those incurred to keep churches running. These include property expenses and staff wages. Every church has different needs and operating expenses. Reducing expenses is necessary for preserving a church’s financial strength. Churches should eliminate non-essential expenses and reduce essential costs as much as possible.

Many churches have subscriptions to several services. Because most churches are not meeting physically during the pandemic, several subscriptions and services might not be needed. Determine which subscriptions and services are necessary for the survival of your church and eliminate the remaining. It is a good idea to ask yourself whether live streaming from your church building is worth the expense.

Generally, it is less expensive to live stream church Bible studies and services from your home than in a commercial building. This is because commercial buildings typically have higher utility expenses. Saving money should be your priority. If it is not necessary to stream from your church or a commercial building, then stream from your home. Your church might just save more and will have more funds to relaunch or re-open once the pandemic is over.

For churches leasing properties, negotiating a temporary lower lease payment may be helpful. Landlords are more receptive to helping their tenants now more than ever because this pandemic is affecting everyone. Landlords do not profit from vacant commercial buildings.

If your church is suffering substantial financial loss, it might be a good idea to consider sharing church buildings with other churches of a similar faith to share the cost. This option might be better than having no building to meet once the pandemic is over. Several churches have mortgages and salaries to pay and might be receptive to the idea of sharing with proper planning and coordination.

Finally, considering lowering wages for staff. Before reducing payments, talk to your team. Mutual communication is essential during this crisis. Some members of your staff might have a greater need than others. Assess staff needs and make wage cuts after identifying the impact on everyone.

2. Plan for the worst-case scenarios

While there may be indications that the pandemic might last a few months, timelines are not certain. Preparing for a long term crisis is essential. Ask yourself, what do we have to do to survive during an 18-month crisis or longer? Even after the pandemic is over, it can take months to years to recover and get back to normal.

3. Spend time planning the re-opening and relaunching

After basically shutting down your church for some time, it might be a good idea to consider the re-opening of your church as a relaunch. Take this pandemic experience as an opportunity for improvement and change. Set specific goals you want to achieve in the short and long term once you start gathering again. Re-assess your mission, budget, evangelistic strategies, marketing, leadership structure, programs, and any factor that might be important to the relaunching and success of your church.

4. Apply for all financial assistance available

There are resources and funds available for churches. Do your research. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) website is an excellent place to start. The SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to help businesses, and some churches may qualify.

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  • Avoid going out and isolate yourself if you have a fever, cough or shortness of breath and or any other symptoms of an illness
  • Wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of and no less than twenty seconds 
  •  Use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol in the active ingredients
  • Cover coughs and sneezes using a tissue or the inside of your elbow
  • Have proper cleaning technique in place for all the surfaces that are frequently touched
  • Greet each other with gestures other than hand gestures and if it does occur to practice the correct procedures such as hand washing or using a hand sanitizer again with an emphasis on the hand sanitizer containing
  • Surfaces that are dirty must be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water before disinfection with bleach. Once soap and water is used, diluted bleach solutions can be used
  • Alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol and other most EPA-registered household disinfectants are effective
  • You can prepare a bleach solution by mixing five tablespoons of bleach with one gallon of water or four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water and never mix bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser

First, let us talk a little about the virus and its origin and some background information, which will help explain the transmission ways and help us tackle the question of how we can help prevent the spread of the virus and suggest prevention tips for churches. The Coronavirus is also abbreviated as COVID-19 but is a combination of two viruses consisting of SARS and CoV-2. The coronavirus was first discovered in Wuhan, China, and now in more than 100 locations all over the world, including the United States. Health and Human Services Secretary announced the outbreak of a public health emergency, and now we need to consider to decrease the chances of transmission of the virus from one person to another. The COVID-19 virus is transmitted through respiratory droplets, so an essential factor is to avoid people who are infected with the virus to prevent the viral droplets in the air, especially when there are many people in the church. Education and safety precautions should be stressed to people who plan on attending the services, especially if they have any symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath.

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Bible Classes for the Worship Pastor can mean church growth
Being a worship leader or worship pastor is no longer about being a great singer or musician.

It goes without saying that the worship and praise aspect of a church service is highly important; it’s supposed to help create an ambiance that ushers in God’s presence. With that being said, it necessitates that worship leaders be highly sensitive to the Holy Spirit. This allows for the worship team to be more in-tuned with what God wants to do in a service. 

However, just being spiritually sensitive isn’t going to help transition from the beginning of the service to the preaching of God’s word effectively. Anointed worship leaders and worship pastors are aware that there are ‘in between’ moments between songs, where the right word from the worship leader can shift the service. If the worship pastor says something led by the Holy Ghost, he or she can create a moment for lives to be changed.

Intentional Growth in Music Ministry

This doesn’t happen by chance. This comes from studying the word, spending time in prayer, and of course, heavy preparation. Some senior pastors have decided that the worship pastor should take Bible Courses in order to make sure their worship pastors and leaders are giving their best spiritually. Sending a worship leader for Bible college courses is definitely an investment for your church. If your worship leader is on staff, it is no different than if a mid-level manager was sent for professional development courses. 

Christian colleges offer various courses that could be beneficial to a worship leader who wants to be anointed and theologically sound in what they say as they usher in God’s presence. Here are some courses offered by Harbor Genesis Christian College that will not only enhance the worship pastor’s time in front of the congregation, but also help his personal life as well. 

Some may even find that they have a calling to beyond worship leading and take steps towards other aspects of pastorship. Taking courses with an online Biblical college will help students take courses on their own time, which is especially helpful when they have hectic schedules. Consider this investment in your music ministry as an investment in your church growth. 

Top Four Classes for Music Leaders

  1. Introduction to Public Speaking
    While this course seems trivial, or even secular, being someone who is comfortable in front of large crowds is important. While some worship leaders are naturally able to do this, taking a course that helps individuals develop this ability is important to helping them connect to new individuals visiting the church where they lead worship.

  2. Music and Worship
    This is vastly different than a traditional music course, where music theory for all genres of music is discussed. This type of course allows students to learn why certain religions and denominations use certain styles of worship. The worship pastor and lead pastor can then collaborate, and determine what types of music they can introduce into their services to grow their church demographics. Understanding why a young person likes the music they do will help a worship leader incorporate more than just what they personally like to sing; they will be able to reach generations.

  3. Administration
    Any time a leader has to delegate authority, he or she should have a firm grasp of what a good administrator looks like. A worship pastor has various departments under their care — singers, musicians, technicians — and they need to be able to have each group feel heard, needed, and appreciated. By learning how to administer people’s gifts, the worship leader will have a happy, thriving team.

  4. Bible courses – as many as possible
    As aforementioned, having someone who truly understands the Bible is fundamental. Having a deeper understanding of all aspects of God’s Word will give a worship pastor the deeper understanding needed to connect music with God’s word for his people. For some, what the worship pastor says is the first thing they hear about God’s love; it makes sense that what the worship leader shares be something truly meaningful and based on God’s word.

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Today’s young people aren’t simply taking faith for granted. Many are looking for an opportunity to apply what they’ve heard about Christ, and see if what they’ve been taught truly can change their lives. For some churches, this can be frightening, because older teens, 20 year olds, and 30 year olds are asking the hard questions, leaving pastors going back to the Word for concrete answers.

Pastors need to be on their A-game to answer these questions, too. Young people who are left dissatisfied with what their Christian leaders have to offer are ready to walk away from their home church, or worse, Christianity altogether. A recent report covered by The Christian Post, 35 million young people raised in Christian families are expected to walk away from Christianity by the year 2050. The study also found that Christians will only take up 59 percent of the US population by 2050, as opposed to today’s 73 percent.

While these numbers are staggering, there are choices that pastors and their church teams can make to address these young people in their home churches. As each youth group/young people’s group has different dynamics, it’s important for pastors to carefully and prayerfully address their church’s needs before taking action.

Four Ways To Keep Your Young People Discipled

Develop a School of Discipleship

Gone are the days when high school and college aged kids were excited to play games and eat pizza at group. They’re looking for something more authentic and real, which they can turn around and take to school and work. For some, this might mean developing a school of discipleship, or pairing up with a Bible College that offers discipleship courses for young people to take a part of. If the youth group transforms into a place where young women and men can grow, they will happily show you what they can do with their new knowledge.

Discipleship courses don’t have to be anything high tech — if church staff is unable to teach, there are several teachers from Christian Bible Colleges that can proctor the classes through their college.

Staff a Generations Pastor

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you transform your pastoral team with a millennial. It does mean that you have someone who understands millennials, their culture, and their drive, though. This individual needs to be able to help high schoolers transition to college, and college students into the workforce without their faith being shaken. Small group leaders and teachers can take on this role, if given the opportunity. They just need to be allowed to do so.

Empower Young People to Change Their Culture

Greg Stier, who founded the national youth ministry organization Dare 2 Share, said churches need to be “fully onboard” when it comes to mobilizing and equipping youth to become missionaries on their campuses in order to reach their peers with the Gospel.

“Youth ministry needs to be re-engineered to be Gospel-advancing and disciple-multiplying,” said Stier in the Christian Post article. “It is not about meetings but about the mission. Young people are longing for a cause that matters. So they need to be equipped and youth leaders need to be equipped to equip them.”

With proper training, a high school or college student can bring in souls to their church. To have the right tools, though, they need training.

See This as an Opportunity for Revival

This information is not meant to be disheartening. For some pastors, this is an opportunity to see a great revival in their churches, but only if they’re willing to accept that youth ministry and young adult ministry need to be revamped. It can be that empowering these young people be the leading influence needed to transform their churches.

“Revival is something God brings about but it can change paths pretty quickly. The first Great Awakening happened when America was a pretty dark place before we were the United States,” said Stier. “Jonathan Edwards, his revival, had been chiefly among the young. So it was a student youth movement that prepared us to become the United States. What if it was a student youth movement that would bring us back to our roots and unite this nation and transform it from the inside out?”

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Back to school tips for success
Follow these tips to have a successful back to school experience

Summer fun is in full swing, but it’s soon going to be time to hit the books! With that in mind, Harbor Genesis Christian College wants to offer students some back to school tips as a way to help them get back into the swing of things. 

For students who are brand new to college, the experience can be very different than for those who have simply taken the summer off. And for folks who are going back to school for the first time in a while, the experience of being a student all over again can be daunting. However, by getting into the right mindset, students young and old can set themselves up for success as they enter the fall semester of college. 

Top tips for students going back to school this fall

  1. Use technology discounts available to students
    There are many stores offering back to school shopping discounts with obvious items, such as notebooks, pens, pencils, and the like. However, many students don’t realize that they have the chance to purchase more expensive items, like laptops and tablets, at a discounted rate. For instance, Apple offers student discounts on its laptops and desktop computers. Depending on when the laptop is purchased, students may even get additional items, such as headphones, for free. It’s virtually impossible to take classes at college without a functioning computer, so investing in a good laptop is crucial. Research various options to see which discount works best.

  2. Create a routine
    For students who are taking online courses for college, it’s important to make sure that a set schedule with a routine with plenty of study time is created. Going back to school does cause a change in living habits, so it’s important to make sure that dedicated time for classwork is created. This is especially the case for online students. While there are many benefits to taking online courses, leaving assignments to the last minute can be problematic. What tends to happen is that students end up turning in subpar work, which leads to lower grades that do not necessarily reflect the student’s ability. By scheduling out dedicated work time throughout the week, students find they are more likely to get assignments done without cramming.

  3. Plan out your life, not just your classes
    Many students fret about school starting because they feel that they miss out on life when they are taking classes. However, it is possible to have a full school schedule and still have an active personal life. People do not need to cut back on birthdays, family outings and work if they plan out their large life events. Use a planner, but not just for academic deadlines. Students who are taking online courses can adjust their class load to fit the busy seasons of their lives. For instance, if a student is a pastor, or involved in ministry, there are times of the year that are very busy, such as Christmas-time. By acknowledging that season is busy, the student can take less classes to accommodate the heavier workload. This allows the student to continue moving forward academically without overly stressing themselves with work. Once the busy season slows back down, the student can pick up more classes again.

  4. Find the ideal study spots.
    Not every student does well studying in a crowded coffee shop. While the caffeine buzz may keep the student awake, conversation and distraction may make it nearly impossible to focus. For others, stuffy libraries might be deafening with their silence. Some may find that their kitchen table after their family is asleep is the best spot for writing essays. Find the ideal study spot for your study style, and stick to what works.

  5. Take the right kind of classes.
    More and more students have found that traditional college classes don’t work for them anymore, as they have to calculate drive times, wait lists, and specific class times into their routine. For many working individuals, this simply doesn’t work anymore. Students like these need more flexibility, which is why online courses may be a better choice. The classes are not just something they have to go to; it becomes an option that they can incorporate to their life. If this is something that you’re considering, you can check out the options available from the HGCC course catalog. Staff would love to share options available to you today. 
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homeschooling parents

Homeschooling is slowing gaining more traction, as more and more parents want to advocate for their children, their children’s rights, and their personal beliefs. According to a recent Forbes magazine, homeschooling isn’t just growing in the United States. The article stated that the Office of Schools Adjudicator saw a 40-70 percent increase in parents electing to homeschool. 

This increase in studies is not just happening abroad. In Southern Utah, home school programs are expanding to meet the needs of parents. The article states that within a decade, the population of those involved in home education in Utah increased by about 1,000 students. In the last four years, however, the population almost doubled in size. 

Just under 9,000 students in Utah were being homeschooled during the 2012-2013 school year, but the latest numbers from 2016 show homeschooling has grown to over 16,000 students.

Why are parents turning to Home School Programs as a viable option?

There are many reasons why a parent wants to take an active role in their child’s education. Homeschool programs do not necessarily have to be religious. As a matter of fact, wanting to have a say in what their children learn is of the largest reasons why parents opt to use a homeschooling curriculum. 

People feel empowered to choose how and when a child learns about a topic, as opposed to following a state mandated timeline. Some children are able to grasp topics rapidly, and need the additional time to expand their learning, while others need more time to build upon foundations. In a traditional classroom, these children are either sitting bored, waiting for others to catch up to them, or are left behind as they struggle to keep up. 

Other parents are exhausted by standardized curriculum and testing, and the push to perform instead of learn. They want their children to enjoy their school years, and look for homeschooling programs that promote a more holistic learning experience. 

Medical concerns and bullying can also be reasons parents want to keep their children out of a public school district, as there is not necessarily support for children who cannot defend themselves, either emotionally or physically.  

How to find the perfect homeschooling curriculum

There is no ‘perfect’ curriculum for all students. It can actually take parents a long time to find the perfect material that’s best suited for their children. Some parents who are homeschooling high school students may use newer, online homeschooling programs. Others choose to dual enroll their students with a college to offer them more challenging courses and electives. 

While there is a struggle at the beginning of the home school process, parents like that there is the flexibility to change their minds. In a St. George News article, Nina Wolf, Utah Home Education Association chairman, shared how she was able to find the perfect curriculum for her daughter. 

“Kids are not cookie-cutter models,” said Wolf. “Every child is different, their learning styles are different and their strengths and weaknesses are different.”

Wolf chose to create her own colorful, fun curriculum to learn grammar. However, her 7-year-old daughter let her know that it was too distracting. Wolf went out the next day to find a more straightforward curriculum and found her daughter understood the content better. 

This would not have happened if Wolf’s daughter were enrolled in public school, she shared in the article.

“Because I was homeschooling, I had the freedom to take what was happening and change it and find a way to make it work for her,” she said. “If she had been in school and that was just the curriculum, there’s not much I could do about it.”

With that freedom, though, comes a cost — financially and emotionally — on a family who chooses to home educate. 

“There are significant sacrifices involved,” said Wolf. 

Still, parents feeling led to have home schooled children can find support. Home Education associations like the Christian Home Educators Association (CHEA) of California, support groups, and co-ops can give valuable aid to parents learning the home school process. Online college classes for dual enrolled students can ease the busy schedule parents may find themselves in. There is even a home school legal defense association, to help parents understand what their rights are.

Regardless, there are plenty of choices parents can make, freely, as homeschooling parents. It’s up to them to learn what their rights are, and determine if this is the right education choice for them. Since the sacrifice is for their children, parents find that the payoff of home schooling is well worth the investment.

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Going back to School is also for pastors

We may be in the middle of summer, but some individuals are considering their academic futures. For some high school students, starting college right after graduating high school is the plan. For others, they plan to take a gap year, then will consider their options for college. However, a large portion of individuals are going back to school as an adult. 

This does not necessarily mean that they are going back to college because they want a career change. As a matter of fact, many adults going back to school are looking for a degree that matches the work experience they have already. This happens regularly in the professional workforce, so why should it be a surprise that many pastors are also finding themselves going back to school after 10 years, if not more?

Why is it that pastors, who seemingly have an already established career path, would want to go back to school? In a recent interview with Christianity Today, Pastor James Meeks, who leads Salem Baptist Church in Chicago, shared why he felt the need to go back for a master’s degree.

“In all honesty, the master’s was always something that I thought I would quickly get back to, and 40 years later I happened to look up and discover that I had never gotten back to it,” said Meeks. “I knew right then that this was the right time and a good time to start that pilgrimage again.”

When Meeks began pastoring, he had recently gotten married and had a baby. He felt that by going back to school, he was adding on too much pressure to his already busy life. 

“I couldn’t drop any of the responsibilities I had on my plate and that meant school had to be the thing to go,” he said.

The benefit of going back to school as an adult

While some might find the act of going back to college to be an embarrassing thing, it can huge benefits. Adults going back to school have a completely different mindset than a teen or young adult, and that mind shift can help with academic success. 

“Once you’ve already lived your way through a large chunk of life, you are much more aware of how high or how far you’re going to go,” said Meeks in the interview. “Right now, as an adult learner, I’m mostly focusing on improving the knowledge and abilities that I already have.”

For some, the opportunity of going back to school online or in person jumpstarts the passion they used to have in ministry. 

“To be pushed and pulled at 45, after 20 years of giving myself to learning, gets me really excited,” said Pastor Matt Chandler in another interview with Christianity Today. “I’m actually eager to hear what’s out there and to see what good is in there that I might be able to consider. It might further and form what I already believe even as I look at it from a different perspective.”

Chandler found that taking courses with other pastors and Christian leaders from different denominations has helped him expand his understanding of how leadership can work. 

“Whether I agree with everything or don’t agree with anything, I can talk about it,” said Chandler. “I can critique it, apply it, take it apart, and put it back together. Now I get to interact with different ideas than my predominant stream, and that’s a plus.”

For a chance to see how going back to school can work for you, check out the academic programs, classes for pastors and other pastoral training options that are available with Harbor Genesis. 

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Harbor Genesis Christian University Logo

A new agreement between Harbor Genesis Christian College and Hope International University will give HGCC transfer students the opportunity to obtain an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from Hope International University. 

HGCC President Jeffry Caballero and HIU President Dr. Paul Alexander signed the articulation agreement (MOU) on June 28, 2019.

Hope International University is one of the top Christian universities in Southern California. HIU is regionally accredited and offers bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, certificate programs, and credential programs to more than 2,000 students world-wide.

As part of the transfer agreement, HIU will provide students transferring from Harbor Genesis Christian College with academic guidance through the assignment of a HIU Academic Coach.

“HGCC students who transfer to HIU and graduate from HIU can potentially use their regionally accredited degree to apply for admission to fully accredited law schools, business schools, and other professional graduate schools or opt for obtaining a teaching credential in the State of California,” said Caballero. “Currently, the State of California requires teachers in K-12 schools to hold a regionally accredited degree to receive a teaching credential.”

According to the MOU, 

  • HGCC students enrolled in the school’s online degree programs will follow a Completion Plan matching either the Associates or Bachelors degree offered by HIU.
  • HIU agrees to accept up to 42 transferable units from each HGCC transferring student towards an Associate of Arts Degree.
  • HIU agrees to accept up to 69 transferable units from each HGCC transferring student towards a Bachelors of Arts Degree.   
  • Students graduating from HGCC with a Bachelor’s Degree will be given a 25 percent discount and provisional acceptance into the HIU Master’s program. 
  • Students transferring into HIU from HGCC may be offered an option to take classes in person and live on campus.

“This will allow students who want a high quality, Christian education a chance to obtain a degree from one of the top rated Christian universities in the US,” said Director of Admissions Andrea Estrada. “Students no longer have to go to a lower priced public university because the cost of Christian education is too high.”

By studying at Harbor Genesis Christian College, students can save themselves thousands, then transfer to HIU to finish their studies, said Estrada. 

“Our goal is to make Christian education accessible and affordable for everyone, regardless of where they live,” continued Estrada. “We are happy to have this agreement add further options and opportunities for our students.”

For more information about the new articulation agreement with Hope International University, contact Harbor Genesis Christian College at info@harborgenesiscc.org. For further news about HGCC, go to the HGCC news page.

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youth pastor
Youth Pastors are in great need across America. But where are they?

When a family looks for a church to become its home base, one of the main qualifications is a dynamic youth program. Parents want to know that their junior high, high school, and college aged children are going to feel engaged. This can be done through Sunday services, age-specific events, and youth group. The anchor to such a program, of course, is the youth pastor.

The youth pastor job description can vary, depending on the size of the church. The youth pastor, traditionally, coordinates fun, Christ-centered activities for youth, but also bonds with young people while helping them build a solid relationship with Christ. 

Because of this, churches seeking youth pastor candidates need to make sure they do not select anyone for the position — this individual can be a key asset to keeping college aged folks from leaving church. 

As important as this role is, many churches are having a hard time filling that position. It would appear that youth pastors looking for jobs should flock to posted positions, but that’s not the case. In a recent article, Thom S. Rainer, founder of Church Answers, posed the question: Where have all the student pastors gone?

Top reasons youth pastor jobs aren’t filled

  1. Budgeting for youth pastors has dropped significantly
    When a church has to tighten its budget, one of the first positions go to is the youth pastor. Some churches combine this position with family pastor, giving the individual the task of nurturing children, youth and young adults, instead of focusing on just one age group. While this saves money, but can also be detrimental to the much-needed relationship building time a pastor needs to put in with youth. The family pastor cannot focus on the unique needs of teens when they’re also trying to juggle the needs of children and young adults, too.

  2. The call to pastorship doesn’t include youth pastors
    Many churchgoers have the belief that a call to be a pastor means a call to lead pastor or part of the teaching staff at a church. They do not see the youth pastor as an actual pastor because all they do is ‘hang out with kids.’ However, a high quality youth pastor who loves his or her students is just as important as a senior pastor. If the youth pastor takes their job seriously, they work hard to establish strong relationships with their students. That leads to open discussion and, hopefully, drawing nearer to God for students during one of the most stressful times in their lives. They literally pastor a young person towards a relationship with God.

  3. Youth pastors aren’t taken seriously, even in their role
    When someone is given the title youth pastor, they are immediately pigeon-holed into a ministry stereotype. The stereotype paints a picture of an immature person who doesn’t take God and faith seriously, and who goofs off before giving a lackluster 10 minute message that’s Christian-adjacent. For those who take youth ministry and their teens seriously, this can be an offensive stereotype that discourages them from picking up the role. They would much rather be known for their time in prayerful study and focused planning meant to draw young people closer to God.

  4. Youth are looking for a more genuine experience
    Studies have found that less high school and junior high students are attending church. With that in mind, those in church want to feel they have a true connection with a real, relatable person. So if a person who’s not fully invested is filling in the role as youth pastor, hoping for a chance to move on to another pastor position from there, they aren’t going to connect. They want someone who truly wants to be there as youth pastor, not someone there for a season. 

  5. Less schools offer youth ministry programs
    Churches tend to pull from their own ministers and leaders to fill in as youth pastor. These individuals might have a theology degree, but not necessarily youth pastor or leadership experience. Because of this, more Christian college programs have stopped offering youth ministry courses, or have very few to pick from. This leaves young people who might be interested in developing that ministry with few educational options. 

This doesn’t mean that churches should give up hope on their youth pastor search. Church leaders may have to invest in their own leaders, finding the person who truly has a heart for serving those who need God most: youth. Once they find someone with the passion, nurturing that drive to serve can be done by sending them for youth ministry study at a Christian College, and giving them the opportunity to grow the group the way God leads them. 

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Millennial Church Attendance continues to be a concern
Millennials and young adults in college continue to be a missing element in churches across the country

Sunday church services are usually bustling with families — young children, senior citizens, singles, and parents. However, there’s a definite lack of one demographic — young, college aged adults.

Gone are the days that growing up in the church means that an individual will continue going to church as an adult. Earlier this year, Lifeway Research found that “Two-thirds (66 percent) of American young adults who attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they also dropped out for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22.”

These individuals may have been actively involved in junior high and youth groups. They may have even been leaders in their congregation. However, once they entered college, they found themselves no longer interested in regular church attendance.

As they age, these individuals tend to stay away from their churches. Less than half of these individuals — 39 percent of young adults aged 23 through 30 — would call themselves “devout Christians with a strong faith in God.”

An ongoing trend in declining attendance

“The good news for Christian leaders is that churches don’t seem to be losing more students than they were 10 years ago. However, the difference in millennial church attendance rates now and then is not large enough statistically to say it has actually improved,” said Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research.

Very few of those young people give people as a reason for their decision to walk away from church. As a matter of fact, an overwhelming 96 percent say that a new job, going to a new school, and an overall change of lifestyle was the cause.

This does not mean that individuals in the church were not a reason as well. According to the article, other reasons for no longer attending church included the church or pastor (73 percent); religious, ethical or political beliefs (70 percent); or the student ministry (63 percent).

But one of the largest reasons that millennial church attendance has dropped was they no longer felt connected to their home church. As a way to address this, churches across the nation are looking for ways to draw back these prodigals.

Transitioning our focus to retain millennials

This may mean breaking with old customs, which can rustle feathers with folks who want to stick with time-honored tradition. For pastors who are interested in new ways to develop a strong young-people culture in their church, the following are some options to consider.

  1. Empower young people to head programs
    This does not mean that a young person is in charge of the finance committee. However, it could mean that a 20-something has a voice in the curriculum used during small groups. This could also be reflected in younger people giving a sermon during midweek service, or having a say in the music played during worship.
  2. Give permission for peer led support
    Ministering to millennials and young people needs to be done by individuals who understand them best. Having young adults in this demographic — with support and guidance from more mature ministers and church leaders — has two benefits. First, folks looking for a sympathetic ear will have a chance to talk with someone who truly relates to them before giving them spiritual support. In addition, those serving in supporting roles feel that they have an important position in church, anchoring them.

    “We should help them identify the gifts given to them by God and use them, deploy them, unleash them in the church,” said Jonathan “J.P.” Pokluda, a former teaching pastor at Watermark in a recent article about innovative ministries.
  3. Cultivate collaboration
    Research finds that millennials and younger generations need to feel that their input matters. When it comes to special services, new ministries, and outreach events, these individuals want to feel like their opinions and voices are being heard. Giving credence to their opinions, and actually taking their input in the development of events will go a long way in making these individuals feel like they matter.
  4. Authentically embrace returning millennials
    Word spreads fast when a church offers uniquely tailored options for young adults and millennials. This can be a special outreach, services, or just youth-driven Bible Studies. But when millennial church attendance sees a spike, and they do start to come and see what your church offers, embrace them with love. Do not make them feel chagrined for their time apart, but excited about the time they have left to give back to the Kingdom.