On Sunday morning, the sun shines through the curtains on the bed, and the screen of the phone is constantly presenting social media notifications. For many young people, this is a normal weekend. They can choose to sleep in, watch videos, meet friends, or participate in an online game. For the church, however, it is a quiet morning. There are now only a few people on the once-crowded benches. What is driving young people away from the church? Is it the loss of faith, or the change of times? In this context, the growing distance between contemporary youth and the church is worth exploring in depth.
Young people have grown up in the Internet era, so their way of thinking and values have something to do with the Internet. Fragmented access to information, timely social interaction, and diversified values are deconstructing traditional belief patterns. In the virtual world constructed by social media, truth is no longer absolute, but relative. Faith is no longer the only choice, but optional. Young people are more likely to seek their own answers in a diversity of information rather than accept a single doctrine.
Moreover, the rise of postmodernism further intensifies this trend. Young people are more likely to accept multiple values, respect different views, and believe that "what is rational is actual and what is actual is rational." This mindset is in stark contrast to Christianity's emphasis on absolute truth, making traditional teachings less appealing among young people. They pursue personal freedom, resist the bondage of authority, and desire to find the possibility of self-realization in faith.
In addition, the fast pace of life and diversified entertainment also squeeze the time and energy of young people to participate in church activities. After busy work and study, young people prefer to relax and have fun rather than attend church meetings. Christianity is no longer their first choice for spiritual ballast.
In the face of these challenges, the church's traditional pastoral model is stretched thin in the digital age. The traditional preaching method, the fixed gathering form, and the dogmatic contents of preaching are unable to meet the diverse spiritual needs of young people. The loss of church members after the pandemic and the reluctance of young people to participate in church activities are concrete manifestations of this kind of inadaptation.
Some pastors began to reflect on the impact of the current era on the traditional church. In the face of changes and unchanged things, how to pastor the young people of this era?
"Change means life; unchanged means death," said Pastor Chen, who has worked in the church for nearly 30 years. She believes the church must keep up with the times in order to attract young people. Chen, who has been involved in youth ministry since graduating from the seminar, is no longer young, but she knows that each era has its own unique way of pastoring. Today, she puts youth ministry in the hands of young people and encourages them to be more aware of the needs of young people, to care for them, to organize diverse activities, and to relate to them in their own way.
Barbecues, ball games, and topic exchanges have become the preferred mode of gathering for many youth ministries. The church has also moved from the traditional model to the model appealing to young people. Instagram photo points are arranged in the church yards. Designer toys, Chinese-style photography, comic art exhibitions, and other activities close to young people have also begun to be implemented.
Pastor Wu is working in a church in a first-tier city. Although he is no longer young, he likes to be with young people. Young people also like to hang out with him, because he not only understands what they are talking about, but also wants to discuss it with them. About AI, art, and culture, he always engages with young people with a humble heart of learning. "We have to talk to them, and we can't ignore their problems," Pastor Wu said.
In addition, some churches have found that praise and worship is an effective way to connect with young people. Music evokes emotional resonance, while hymns speak directly to the heart. Although young people face the impact of various concepts every day and often feel confused when a hymn full of vitality sounds, inner irritability, and unease can often be comforted, and chaotic emotions can also be calmed.
- Edited by Karen Luo, translated by Nicolas Cao
