The study of teens and young adult Christians has been an important area of research for Barna over the last few years.
Perspectives of young believers change across the decades, challenging pastors to stay informed when it comes to reaching younger generations. In light of this, today’s article takes a look at data from The Future of Missions, highlighting the way different age groups talk about missions and why teens and young adults lean away from certain terminology when discussing global ministry.
Data show that Millennials and Gen Z teens are more cautious about the words they use to describe the goals and reasons behind sharing their faith with others, something older generations are less apt to do. So what words should church leaders and parents use when discussing missions with younger believers?
When it comes to preparing young adults and teens for missional work, whether global or in their hometown, it’s important to stay informed. Trends shift over the decades, and Barna has continued to track the perspectives of faith, ministry and mission that are continuing to change as Millennials and Gen Z take their place alongside other generations in leading the Church.
In the last year alone, Barna has published numerous reports offering data on Millennials and Gen Z, including Gen Z, The Connected Generation, Faith for Exiles, Guiding Children and The Future of Missions. While these studies are available for purchase in our store, they’re also now available on Barna Access Plus—our new premium subscription service—conveniently housed in the Next Generation channel, a list specifically curated to help church leaders gain insights on how best to connect with and disciple younger generations.
Continue reading the full article here.
The full article was first published August 12, 2020 by the Barna group. Excerpt used with permission.
About Barna
Barna research is a private, non-partisan, for-profit organization under the umbrella of the Issachar Companies. Located in Ventura, California, Barna Group has been conducting and analyzing primary research to understand cultural trends related to values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors since 1984.