Building tomorrow's Church today: Christian youth in UK

A landmark survey published by the Evangelical Alliance of UK, reveals that millennial Christians – those aged between 18 and 37 – are the philanthropic generation who consider giving their money to charity a top priority.

A combined total of almost half (47%) give away at least a tenth of their money. Black and Minority Ethnic Christians (BMEs) are markedly more generous – with 60% giving away at least a tenth of their income, compared to 44% of white British young adults.

Building tomorrow’s Church today: the views and experiences of young adults in the UK Church, was launched at a special event in London,and it affirms that almost three quarters of respondents stated faith as the most important factor in the decisions they make.

However, the research raises concerns that a quarter of young adults said that older people in their church struggle to relate with them and a fifth were thinking about leaving.

Bible-reading seems to be less popular with millennials than prayer. Around 63% of young adults surveyed are praying daily, while only a quarter are reading their Bibles every day.

The study, which also breaks down the statistics by gender, reveals that men are more likely to commit to a daily devotional than women (31% versus 23%). There are no significant differences in prayer habits by ethnicity.

The survey also reveals several frustrations: the Church seems to be doing less well in helping young adults to find a marriage partner and develop leadership skills.

LACK OF MENTORING

Additionally, almost a third of respondents said they don’t have a Christian mentor, or a group of friends they are honest and accountable to about their life and faith and a third said their church was not really helping them to live out their faith at work.

“Our research proves that not all young adults are leaving the Church in droves. They are passionate about prayer, sharing their faith and giving. However there is still work to be done. It is concerning that millennials lack suitable mentors”, Steve Clifford, general director of the Evangelical Alliance, explained.

“Mentoring is the most effective tool we have in undoing past mistakes the Church has made and transferring wisdom gained over a lifetime. It is a privilege. Within each Christian leader is the potential for limitless reproduction. We can do this.”

The report shows that less than half, (49%), said that the teaching most beneficial for them is teaching from their church – meaning leaders cannot assume that it is their preaching that most influences millennials in their congregations.

It illustrates that other channels such as podcasts, online blogs and social media benefit them in their pursuit towards a closer relationship with God.

DOUBT AND PEER PRESSURE

Doubt was another topic discussed, with the research finding that 30 per cent have frequent or continual doubt, although their faith is strong enough to cope.

Ben Doggett from Jubilee Church, Maidstone, reflected on how young adults hate taboos, meaning that when churches sweep issues under the carpet they are often doing more harm than good.

“Peer pressure is a huge reality for Christian millennials who can sometimes feel compelled to behave a certain way in order to fit in to student or work life”, Yemi Adedeji, director of the One People Commission of the Evangelical Alliance commented

As church leaders we have a mandate to use the results of this survey to examine how we are engaging with young people and to consider how we can listen to the next generation and position them for success in every area of their lives”, he added.