Two days ago, I had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion with Dr. George Barna and several other distinguished experts as we focused on the foreboding relational and mental health challenges faced by 78 million American millennials.
This discussion was triggered by a recent George Barna research report entitled “Millennials in America,” which was commissioned by Foundations of Freedom. You can read this comprehensive and insightful 120-page report here.
As you’ll see, this report highlights a wide range of serious challenges faced by America’s millennial generation (age 19-37). Large percentages of millennials are struggling to build meaningful relationships, overcome loneliness, fear and anxiety, find meaning and purpose, establish enduring marriages or pass on traditional biblical values to their children. Worst of all, they reject God’s truth and possess the lowest biblical worldview understanding of any generation in American history.
In one area after another, millennials are drifting further and further from the values of previous generations, which has foreboding implications for Christianity and the political future of our country.
As Dr. Barna pointed out during our panel discussion (and in even more detail on pages 64-80 of his report), however, there is still much that we can do to arrest this drifting and draw millennials back to the solid foundation of authentic Christianity.
I was encouraged to hear similar hopeful insights and suggestions from our discussion host, Dr. Len Munsil, President of Arizona Christian University, and my fellow panelists: Dr. John Townsend (founder of the Townsend Institute for Leadership and Counseling), Rev. Garry Ingraham (founder of Love & Truth Network) and Dr. JoAnna Dias (founder of Gracious Gift Ministries).
As you will hear me say during our discussion, one of the most effective things you and I can do to help this generation find a way out of their loneliness, confusion and brokenness is for us to learn and consistently model the relational and peacemaking principles God has given to us in his Word. As millennials see us build and enjoy deep, authentic and enduring relationships by living out the gospel in practical ways, their God-given hunger for real relationship can open the door for us to share how they too can find peace with God and one another through Jesus and his gospel.
But don’t take my word for this. Grab a cup of coffee and click on this link to watch a one-hour video of our discussion and, more importantly, to learn how you and your church can be part of God’s plan to bring the hope of the gospel, a biblical worldview and practical relational and peacemaking skills to the 78 million millennials who will be taking over the pulpits of our churches and the reins of our country in the years ahead.
~ Ken Sande
P.S. If you’d like to take a practical step in developing relational and peacemaking skills that would be appealing to the millennials in your life, start the new year by going through our online course, Discovering Relational Wisdom 3.0, or by leading a Sunday school class or small group study on relational wisdom in your home of office. You can find 15 other ways you can teach and model relational wisdom through this link. The more you model these principles in your life, the more likely the people around you are to see the kind of relationships that they hunger for in their lives.
P.S.S. This panel discussion will be followed by two more panels with other respected experts. Foundations of Freedom would welcome your participation in both of these events:
- Monday, Jan. 17, 2 pm MST: Millennials Searching for Meaning and Purpose (this is a link to the recording)
- Monday, Jan. 31, 2 pm MST: Millennials in Spiritual Crisis (Biblical Worldview)
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Copyright © 2021 Ken Sande
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