What’s your passion? To market themselves, churches need a product

I frequently get messages from church leaders who are wondering, “How can our church attract millennials?” It sounds a little like a fisherman asking an alleged angling expert what bait or technique will catch a prized but elusive fish.

The millennial generation comprises those born between the early 1980s and early 2000s—people between the ages of 15 and 35. It’s a generation mostly missing from Protestant churches.

Even more frequently, I see articles advising churches and their leaders on what it is that millennials really want. They want—the emphasis depends on the article—less traditional church but more ancient church, or fewer demands on their time but “more meaningful discipleship opportunities,” or music that speaks to the heart but not the schlocky praise music beloved by baby boomers. The search for the Holy Grail has been replaced by the quest for the elusive millennial.