Who Are the Millennials?

Who are the Millennials, and what do we know about them?

The youngest adult generation in America is popularly known as the Millennials (some people call them Generation Y because the previous generation is known as Gen X).

The Millennial’s were born between 1980 and 2000. They are generally 15 to 35 years old. Other demographers would make them between the ages of 18 and 35.

What do we know about the Millennial’s? There are four very important benchmarks you need to know about the Millennial generation.

First, they are the children of divorce. They have a real understanding about terrorism. Many of them came of age during the September 11 attacks. They generally distrust authority.

Second, they are the most unchurched generation in American history. Their grandparents’ generation has a majority with church affiliation. The Millennials have as little as 15%. This generation will probably be a hard group to reach, but they are a large group to be touched by the Gospel.

Third, while they are the most unchurched, they are also the most unhappy (based on a Dartmouth University study).

Isn’t it striking for those of us in the church who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God that the Millennials are the most unchurched and also the most unhappy?

By the way, in no sense do I bash the Millennials.  Number four will tell you something even more startling about this generation.

Fourth, while they are the least churched, those in the generation who know Christ and follow Him may be the most faithful of any of the generations in America.

I find that statement so encouraging. The Millennial generation in my church fits our understanding of the Millennials. They go on short-term mission trips, and they are volunteering for lifetime mission work. They see the need of the world as Jesus saw it, as sheep without a shepherd.

Because of their own upbringing, they may see the world as it really is, as a people without hope and without God.

Let the church pray that our youngest adult generation will know Christ and follow Him. Let the church pray that God would bless this most faithful group in America and use them to take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

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