Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Collins' Column

Home
General Christian
Careers, Workplace and Religion
How Your Church Can Appeal to a Younger Demographic: 10 Tips

How Your Church Can Appeal to a Younger Demographic: 10 Tips

Last updated on: August 18, 2022 at 10:19 am by Oscar Collins

How Your Church Can Appeal to a Younger Demographic: 10 Tips 2022-08-18T10:19:26-04:00 Oscar Collins

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Adults often look to their church families for inclusion, love and growth, but what do their teens get from their Sunday experiences? Sometimes leadership members accidentally leave young people out, preventing them from the spiritual growth they would otherwise enjoy from being actively involved.

This guide explains how your church can appeal to a younger demographic in 10 easy steps.

1. Give Them Free Food

Everyone enjoys free stuff, especially when that gift is delicious. Any church leadership team looking to start or improve their youth group should include a free dinner with each meeting.

Fresh pizza, spaghetti and meatballs or another crowd-pleasing recipe will make every young person feel happier and more at home in the church.

2. Tailor Messages to Younger Audiences

Consider what people hear when they sit down for Sunday sermons. The topics likely center around adult themes like marriage or raising families. Teens don’t care about those same things, so tailor youth group or sermon topics to what matters most to them.

They’ll care more about coming to church when they learn how to handle troubled friendships, self-doubt and other situations where religious convictions can guide them in turbulent times.

3. Schedule Free Time

Young people have so many commitments to juggle. They’re in school for most of the day, then they have to divide their free time between homework, jobs, family and friends.

They’ll appreciate free time before or after youth group to hang out with their friends. It gives them space to be themselves and take a breath from their busy lives outside the church.

4. Make a Game Room

Any church building with an extra room could turn it into a game room. Video game consoles and tabletop games are great ways to start conversations and help teens make friends. Just plan the renovation before starting. Every detail matters.

The average game table is three to five feet long, so plan for that kind of space if you’ll invest in ping pong or air hockey tables. You’ll need extra electrical outlets for multiple consoles and controls for multiplayer games.

5. Focus on Athletics

It’s challenging for young people to feel welcomed in their church when their church doesn’t reach beyond the parking lot. Many teenagers are involved in athletics, so reach them through their favorite hobbies. Leadership teams can sponsor local high school teams and offer the church grounds for practices.

Even if church members let their teenagers meet to train for a marathon with their friends from youth group, the young people will feel more seen and appreciated. Take a survey of which sports your church’s teens play to pick the most relevant sports to their lives.

6. Establish an Online Presence

Given that 84% of U.S. teens use Instagram, social media is an easy way for your church to appeal to a younger demographic. Post daily or weekly encouragement along with recommended scripture readings. The teens who want to follow the church’s accounts will get more from their involvement and feel more connected.

7. Upgrade Your Technology

Young people are very familiar with technology, so they have little patience for outdated machines, software or videos. Every leadership team should ensure that their technology is up-to-date. Grainy pictures or slow software will only make teenagers take the church less seriously.

8. Find Community Service Opportunities

Young people might pick free pizza over working at food banks, but providing community service opportunities is crucial for reaching teenagers. Serving others allows them to have more time with their friends and builds their resumes for college applications.

Look for local roles that are right for their age and provide a few options so everyone can pick something they like. More time with their friends, build their resumes for college applications

9. Plan Outreach Trips

Youth leaders also help their teens give back by planning outreach trips. Traveling across the country or worldwide to serve impoverished communities puts Christian principles into action and gives young people another way to make their college applications stand out from the rest.

10. Let Everyone Get Involved

Allow teenagers in the church to enter leadership roles to take ownership of their church involvement and spiritual lives. They could become worship team members, people who serve food at dinner or put together slideshows for worship song lyrics. They’ll gain the independence and experience that young people desire without as much pressure as a part-time job.

Start Reaching a Younger Demographic

Now that you’ve read about how your church can appeal to a younger demographic, consider using these tips to make your community more welcoming to young people. Ideas like providing free food, preaching on relevant topics and even making space to play games will make the church more appealing to them than traditional Sunday services.

Careers, Workplace and Religion

Uncategorized

Previous Post

May 18, 2022

When Will In-Person Bible Studies Be Safe Again?

Next Post

May 19, 2022 Planning a Birthday Party for a Church Member: 5 Pointers

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who built an ark to survive a great flood?

Select your answer to see how you score.

David Noah Abraham Moses