What are young people looking for
The news this week has drawn attention to the challenges facing young people in Britain. Nearly one million 16–24-year-olds are currently not in education, employment or training. Behind these statistics are young people seeking direction, purpose, belonging and hope. (The Guardian) Yet there is another story about young people that could easily go unnoticed. New research from Barna (an independent Christian research organisation) reports that 45% of young adults say prayer is a reason they attend church – the highest-rated spiritual reason identified in the research. Worshipping Jesus with other people came next, at 38%. (Barna Group)
Perhaps this should make us pause. The church can sometimes assume that reaching younger generations requires something new, impressive or technologically sophisticated. Barna’s research points towards something much simpler: young people are looking for God and want to pray. Young people may not be asking us for more programmes, they may simply be asking us to pray with them. This gives the church a wonderful opportunity; rather than merely creating programmes designed to attract young people, we can create communities where they are welcomed into genuine prayer, honest worship and relationship with Jesus.
Prayer is not an attempt to persuade a distant God to become interested in us. In Jesus, God has already turned towards humanity. Through the Holy Spirit, we are invited to participate in the Son’s relationship with the Father. Prayer is therefore participation in the life and love of the Triune God. The question is not, ‘How can we get young people into church?’ but ‘How can we help them discover the joy of participating with Jesus in prayer?’
When grace is received, it becomes love graciously given, and a praying church can become a place where a searching generation encounters that grace.
In Christian love,
Barry Robinson
About the Writer:
Barry Robinson is the Deputy National Ministry Leader for GCI in the UK and Ireland.