Churches are shrinking and aging. Young people 17% or population but 10% of churches.

The greatest hope for the future is the church.

10k hours of research in churches.

6 core commitments that help the church grow young. God is moving in all sizes, shapes, and styles of churches. The core of the church isn’t the faculty or how hip you are.

Relational warmth.
#1 phrase used was its like family.
When it comes to reaching young people warm is the new cool. They want us to be us.

Prioritize young people everywhere.
Don’t just say it, mean it.

Time in erodes awareness of. We breed insider thinking.

What is our website presence like and what does that communicate with young people? Social media? Worship service? Coffee?

Set out to learn: How churches change young people but found that young people change churches. More vitality. More creativity. Innovation. Passion. Life.

50 year olds want to rub shoulders with vibrant 20 year olds. If the church can reach 20 year olds they will also be reaching 59 year olds.

ChurchesGrowingYoung.com

@KPowellFYI #OT16

Reggie:
Reggie Skipping Sunday school story.
Church should never be bring. Fight for it.

Reggie Changed the Sunday school literature.
Church should never be superficial.

Reggie Preached his sermon as a young guy.
Church should never be irrelevant

Engaging
Authentic
Relevant.

The truth matters.
You must understand development and thinking for an child. Do your homework and study kids. Phase project.
If you want to maximize your influence and get parents to tap into their hours you raise your odds of influence.

Truth matters when the child knows they matter to us.

The truth matters when love matters.
Create a context where they know they belong.
“Some truths are only understood in the context of a relationship.”

Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

You can’t speak the truth in love if you don’t know who you are talking to.
Preposition. Some of us get so caught up in what is wrong that we miss the person. Love your neighbor as yourself not change your neighbor as yourself.

It’s easier to fight for truth then to fight for the heart. We are called to get messy.

It’s not love that compromises the truth, it’s anger.

Kids need to know they matter to you.

As a leader you are called to knock on doors.
Some are worried to knock because there might be someone who answers the door.

Kids need to know what matters to them matters to you.

You can’t change your town but you can start with one person.

You only have influence when you care enough to continue showing up.

Kids need to know they matter to you more than what you believe.

Empathy. The ability to press pause on your own thoughts and feelings long enough to explore someone else’s thoughts and feelings.

Two ways to develop empathy:
1. Pause to imagine
Everyone has a story. Why not assume the best possible reason for the worse behavior?
2. Pause to interact
Relational change in your pocket.
Get personal and messy at times.
Humility.

“Rather, in humility value others above yourselves…in your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”

Jesus was all powerful. He could have had influence because of this. All authority. All knowledge. But humbled himself.
Put on the mind of Christ.

Hebrews 4:15-16
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help us…”

Jesus wanted a different kind of relationship with us.

You are a safe place. What would happen to this generation if they felt so known that they knew they could run to the church as a safe place?

Non-Christians don’t like the church often because of how we treat them.

As leaders, it’s not going to matter who gets elected. Churches must pick up the mantel and set a different theme. We carry what can’t be solved politically. What will fix things is if the church demonstrates that we care.

One one generation has failed to do the next generation can do. Set a new course that cares for people the way that Jesus cares. Show kids that they matter.

@reggiejoiner