authentage

Mr. Ed Bahler of the Aspen Group has, apparently, been filtering through six and a half Google pages of articles about the recent LifeWay study about church architecture. He points us, via lengthy quote, to one by a Benson Hines - a young man on a mission to explore college ministry.

As an expert on young adult ministry, Hines was not surprised by what LifeWay found. Emerging Church and New Monastic movements are both pronounced examples of young people moving back to a "vintage" faith. His analysis combined with his experience make for a great read, especially for anyone who may be struggling to come to grips with the uncertainty LifeWay has managed to expose.

My favorite part, though, was his use of the term "authentage." I don't know if he made that up, but I like it. And I quote:

"These stats certainly continue to confirm the appreciation for 'vintage' among many in our culture. An old church building is true vintage; it’s even more 'rooted' than candles put on a stage to manufacture a vintage environment. I continue to believe that some ministries could find great success by taking advantage of vintage elements they already possess.

"But vintage best connects with this generation when it’s paired with authenticity. Traditional building plus a 'traditionalist' congregation isn’t a good draw. But historic building plus alive and real congregation can be mighty attractive to somebody who’s into 'vintage' and 'authentic.' I like the term authentage myself. This generation loves authentage."

So how do we build authentage? First, I think we keep in mind the adjectives that the unchurched agreed should describe a church building: beautiful, simple, reverent, and traditional. Second, I think we keep doing what we've been doing for years: discover what God has called your congregation to, and design a building that will be your greatest ministry tool yet.

what's in a building?

Churches should leave their doors open throughout the week, making use of their facilities for more than just Sunday worship, the Archbishop of Wales says.

Dr. Barry Morgan is scheduled to speak to church delegates Monday at the Transforming Communities and Congregations conference in Llandudno, North Wales, to encourage them to "think creatively" about how their buildings are used.

An article in the Christian Post this morning reveals that the Church in Europe may be having the same re-think-about-how-we-use-our-buildings discussion as many local churches on this side of the pond.

"A church that is closed Monday to Friday is the worst possible advertisement for Christianity," he said, according to BBC News.

Making the most of church buildings includes opening it up for use as conference facilities, for school groups and for counseling services, among other things.

Conference attendees will be introduced to Church in Wales churches that are already adapting, including St. Hywyn's at Aberdaron, Gwynedd, which has been renovated to serve pilgrims making their way to Bardsey Island, as well as local visitors. St. Maelog's at Llanfaelog, Anglesey, built a meeting room above the church for wood and glasswork by local artists, and hosts concerts and classes, as well as worship, as reported by BBC News. And at St. John's in Llangollen, Clwyd, pews were taken out to create a flexible space for intimate or contemporary services.

The idea takes on a slightly different flavor in Europe, it seems, where churches meet in centuries-old feats of architecture. It's more difficult to remove pews or create multi-purpose space in that setting.

But still, the conversation continues: In our increasingly post-Christian, isolated societies, what should a church building be?

seth godin knows

Seth Godin gave a great interview on the Catalyst podcast here. Allow me to reflect some of his thoughts through the lens of church architecture:

"People don't buy products, they buy stories."
Ed Bahler talked about the power of story at the Chicago Cornerstone Conference last September, and it's probably something a church should revisit once or twice a year. What is the story of your church? Is it an exciting story? Is it on your website? Are there "family" pictures from years of ministry on the walls of your living room/third place?

On social networking:
"Friends are not a fad."
Facebook won't look the same in three years, but people like people. This is a plug for your third place space, and for your church's Facebook group. Social networking may seem like a silly teenager fad right now, but those teenagers are growing up with it. Every company and organization has a website, but are you on Facebook? MySpace? Twitter? Squidoo?

On bloggers and social network-ers:
People who succeed offer goodness to people who want it, as opposed to those who push it on people because they think they have a right to.
For a generation with a digital, hyper-linked worldview, this principal extends beyond the internet. Are you offering the gospel or pushing it? In a society with so much being offered, is your offer relevant to people's lives? The emerging generation doesn't recognize the Church's "right" to speak into their lives like their grandparents did. We need to engage them.

unChristian

I've started reading through unChristian this week, by the Barna Research Group's very own David Kinnaman. He's going through the six most common points of skepticism that "outsiders" - anyone who's not a Christian, basically - hold against the Church.

Chapter 4 is about complaint #2: That Christians are too focused on getting converts, and we don't really care about people.

He gives some shocking testimony and provides startling numbers, all to explain that people think Christians just want them to be another notch on their Salvations belts. He discusses the frequency with which young people leave the Church after a try (or being forced into it by their parents), and how Christians have largely dumbed-down salvation to say-this-prayer-and-come-to-church. He continues with the transformation that the Church needs to make and he confesses this:

In the last two years, we have completely reengineered the Barna organization around this concept - that the church must become a catalyst, an environment for genuine and sustainable spiritual transformation.

(Emphasis mine.)

He goes on to explain that emerging generations are looking for process, and journey, so the kind of discipleship that Jesus modeled is actually quite appealing. What they're not interested in is say-this-prayer-and-come-to-church.

When people become Christians, we must describe appropriate expectations for them; engage them in significant, accountable relationships; and fashion environments where deep life change can take place.

(Emphasis mine.)

How do we fashion these environments? I'll let David explain,

We can create an environment in which relationships facilitate spiritual formation.

Relationships are key.

There is a resounding call for the Church to move back into mentorship and back into the art of making disciples - one at a time. Young people don't want to feel like a head to count, they want the people who are trying to tell them how to live their lives, to understand their lives. In the next chapter, David writes, "Our research demonstrates that conversations begin to open up avenues for spiritual influence."

How easy would it be to offer to buy a young visitor a cup of coffee if you both only had to walk across the lobby?

And part of this research is speaking to the need for the Church to be more relational in general. The Senior Pastor can't mentor every young adult that walks through the door, but a church family that is comfortable with themselves and acclimated to conversation can. Something else that will only happen in the correct environment.

why have a building?

The Future of Church Facilities has been a hot topic for conversation this week. Barna released and interesting study Tuesday with heavy implications for church space, and without mentioning the research, the topic came up at a staff meeting.

Yesterday, Brad made some interesting observations on the Church Marketing Sucks blog about a student ministry gathering. Apparently it's been in the works for quite a while, but they had a lower-than-expected turnout. He writes,

Gone are the days when event-goers were content with being captivated by the energy of crowds and connected with like-minded peers. It used to be that you could put on an event with awesome experiences (technical) and spectacular content (spiritual) and it would be a winning combination with little competition. These days, events are a dime-a-dozen with often little distinction between purpose, people or participants.

Take a big step back, and I think there's a pattern emerging (no pun intended).

Barna shows us that budding Christians - for whatever reason - don't think they need to attend a church to further their relationship with God. This idea has been festering for years, and what has the Church done? She's kept pace with the social order and turned worship into an experience. Way to engage.

Now it's becoming more and more evident that "events are a dime-a-dozen," and the next generation isn't coming out. They don't starve for social connection like their parents did when they were teenagers, because Twitter tracks their BFF's every move. So what is the Church doing?

It's a question that the western Church as a whole, and that your local church leadership, needs to seriously brainstorm on. Especially if you're in a building project. What is about to dawn that we need to prepare for, plan for, and build for?

Church Alternatives?

The Barna Group released a new study this morning: Americans Embrace Various Alternatives to Conventional Church Experience as Being Fully Biblical.

Those surveyed were asked if they think the following alternatives are "a complete and biblically valid way for someone who does NOT participate in the services or activities of a conventional church to experience and express their faith in God."

• 89% consider participating in faith activities at home with their families acceptable.
• 75% consider participating in a house church an acceptable/Biblical alternative.
• 69% think watching a religious television program is a legitimate alternative to church.
• 68% believe listening to a religious radio broadcast is a Biblical alternative to church.
• 68% consider participating in a special ministry event (a concert or community service activity) an acceptable church alternative.
• 54% think participating in a marketplace ministry is a Biblical alternative to conventional church.

We know nothing of the spiritual condition of the American adults surveyed. The report does not specify if people were asked anything about their faith or spiritual habits.

Some of the "alternative activities," I believe, many pastors/lay leaders would argue are not Biblical and/or acceptable substitutions for attending a church service. Others could probably inspire good debate. The bigger picture, at least in part, is that American adults largely believe they can be Christians and still avoid your church.

One more reason why your facility should be attractive, relevant, and functional. People - even people who may be interested in Christianity - are predisposed to believe they don't need what you have to offer, so offer something they want instead. An open gym two nights a week, a baseball diamond, a cozy café, preschool, a skate park, free wireless internet ...

bricks, mortar and learning (about Jesus)

USA Today published an article yesterday about how a building can recreate an environment. The story is one of an English teacher, and the change that occurred in his school when they decided to go all the way with a new building.

A church building is primarily a place of worship, but it is also a place of teaching. Right now many church buildings are filled with middle-aged conservatives who grew up in church. They are far from the rebellious, unruly crowds that fill public high schools, but probably not for long. The mission field that is beginning to overtake the western church is made up of "free-thinking" young people who don't know who Moses is. They are used to making their own rules, used to hating Christianity, and used to avoiding church.

So maybe this is more applicable than we'd like it to be.

Space. The school in question doubled the width of the hallways and made classrooms bigger. Adolescent behavior improves when they're not crammed into tight spaces. Imagine how much more comfortable new visitors will feel.

Lighting. We think natural lighting looks pretty, but it can increase learning rates by about 20%.

Improved security. Especially in your children's space.

Collegian cafeteria. The school added a better cafeteria, and stopped allowing students to leave campus for lunch. "To my amazement, few kids have complained, and the cafeteria has created a sense of unity in the student body." People come together over food. Your third place space should be immaculate.

High-tech teaching. "Even the most distracted students perk up when the LCD lights up." When ministering in a foreign mission field, you use the native language. The native language of the emerging generation is interactive, multi-media, and usually 140 characters or less. Don't make it a show, and don't compromise your message, just use their language.

talking to teenagers

I was invited to speak to a group of about 20 Christian high school students at 6:40 this morning. Ya, I said 6:40 in the morning and alluded to a large group of teenagers. I know I'm your hero.

The girl that called me (two days ago) asked me to talk about evangelism and why it's important to share your faith. Easy enough.

I did a little research to verify that the numbers swimming around in my head haven't gotten mixed up. Numbers like:

- 1 in 12 teenagers will attempt suicide this year.
- About 2000 of those teenagers will succeed.
- About 40% of teenagers have experimented with self-injury.
- About 48% of high school seniors are sexually active.
- 1 in 3 teen pregnancies is aborted.

Standing in front of them this morning, though, my answer to the "Why?" could suddenly only be, "Because the Church in America is not doing it."

I stood there with three years of experience in youth ministry, about a year's worth of research, and more statistics than I could have recited in 20 minutes, and pleaded with them to reach out to their peers because most local churches right now are struggling to keep up with the new society that is being birthed around them. The Church will catch up, as she always has in the past, but it's my fear that a generation will slip through the cracks in the meantime.

Now to you. How is your student ministry? What are you doing to keep on top of social trends and digital technology (because that's how they learn and how they communicate)? Are you speaking to Millennials/Digital Natives/an Emerging Generation? Is there space for them in your building, or are they using the leftovers?

Mark Beeson made a comment about their children's space at Granger Community Church at the 2007 Innovate conference. He spoke about how, when someone walks downstairs, no one needs to tell them this is a place that loves kids because that space is cool. It's obvious that a lot of time and money and planning and effort went into that because they love and value kids. What about teenagers? What about your church's facilities obviously took a lot of either time, money, planning or effort just because you love and value teenagers?

new from barna

Barna has released a new study titled What Teenagers Look for in a Church. You shouldn't even be reading this because you should have demolished the left key on your mouse trying to get to get to that study. But since you are still reading I'll oblige.

Encouragement:
"The (second) most common activity (among teenagers) is attending a worship service at a church. ... Compared to American adults, teenagers are more likely to report engagement in corporate forms of worship and spiritual expression."

Kick in the pants:
"However, the research raises caution that teenagers' prodigious appetites for spiritual activity may be waning."

Wake-up call:
"One out of every four teenagers (26%) had learned something about their faith or spirituality online in the last six months. ... Furthermore, one-sixth of teenagers (16%) and one-quarter of born again teens (25%) said they had 'a spiritual experience' online where they worshipped or connected with God." (Emphasis mine.)

Direction for designing youth space:
"The most common elements sought by young people were 'to worship or make a connection with God' (45% described this as very important) and 'to better understand what I believe' (42%)."

We know that for unchurched teenagers and young adults, the most important part of your facility is third place space. It's not lost on those teenagers who regularly attend worship services, either; the new Barna report goes on to reveal that about one-third of them say they want to spend time with close friends at church.

For those teenagers who are coming regularly, your student ministry space needs to be a place they can connect with God and learn about their faith. Sharing worship space with a traditional adult congregation won't inspire them, and sharing classroom or teaching space with the children's ministry will not keep them focused.

options for growing churches

Is your church growing? (If it is, you're doing better than 70 to 80% of the churches in America.) If so, what are you planning to do about it?

The auto-pilot response is, "Build." Expand the worship space, add-on and renovate, or ditch the existing facility and start all over. All good ideas, but a new one is beginning to take hold: broadcast.

Currently, seven of the top ten fastest-growing churches, according to Outreach Magazine's latest report, are multi-site campuses. Some stretch across town, others stretch across the country.

For the present, going multi-site may be a good solution for small churches that are growing quickly and may not have all the funds for a new or dramatically expanded facility. You only have to give your current worship space a face lift, add better lighting and video capabilities, and establish other campuses. These campuses can be partnering churches, coffee houses, or homes. They can support live worship, or broadcast yours. It seems to be working ... for the present.

I'd be interested to see demographics on people who attend satellite campuses. If anyone knows where that report is, please let me know. I'm guessing it's mostly people who are 30 or older, or in their 20's with a Christian background. I'm guessing, that is, that there are not a lot of millennials taking a keen interest.

Dr. Ed Stetzer, director of research for LifeWay, considers multi-sites "the new normal," according to a Christian Post article. I wonder.

Because we know that the emerging generation, the millennials, the digital natives, etc. are bored to death with broadcast. They haven't been raised on teevee like most of those attending multi-site campuses; they have been raising each other on the Web. They don't trust superstar personalities, they're not interested in being passive spectators, and they already don't like church/Christians. Can you imagine taking one of these kids to a satellite campus? I'm guessing she'd make some comment like, "I can do this at home, except my couch is more comfortable and I don't have to deal with these people."

The Church needs to look forward. Right now teenagers are difficult to understand and next to impossible to work with, but they're taking over. You are going to have to hand off the torch at some point. Your ministry is going to depend on their offerings. Your church will be trying to reach into their community and into their culture.

Multi-site campuses are working for now, and that's great. Keep them running as long as they're bringing people to Christ. Be watching the horizon, though, so when this generation finally swallows yours whole the Church can be ready to move into interactive, relationship-based meetings.

new from Barna

Pause on the CKN Conference notes for the latest release from Barna: A New Generation Expresses its Skepticism and Frustration with Christianity. The generals are nothing most of us didn't already know: teenagers and young adults don't like Christians. Some of the actual numbers, though, are worse than I thought.

(These are 16 to 29 year-olds)
- 16% have a "good impression" of Christianity.
- 3% express favorable views of evangelicals.
- 87% believe present-day Christianity is judgmental.
- 85% believe present-day Christianity is hypocritical.
- Half of young church-goers agree with the previous two.

The most frequent, unprompted impressions of Christianity reflected the themes, "Christianity is changed from what it used to be," and "Christianity in today's society no longer looks like Jesus." That's from Christian and non-Christian young people.

Researcher David Kinnaman commented,

Going into this three-year project, I assumed that people's perceptions were generally soft, based on misinformation, and would gradually morph into more traditional views. But then, as we probed why young people had come to such conclusions, I was surprised how much their perceptions were rooted in specific stories and personal interactions with Christians and in churches.

Of course, your ministry needs to teach Biblical truth, no matter how much it conflicts with a young person's worldview. Teaching, though, requires communication, and in the digital age communication is at least two-way. In the emerging worldview, there is no such thing as the "gospel truth," accepted without question. Relationship is more important than position, and authenticity speaks louder than a white collar or robe. You will preach a better post-modern sermon with one to three young people around a café table than you will from the front of your worship space.

Wait, does your building have a café table?

new wineskins

Mark 2:22//And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.

That's New King James. In today's vernacular it goes, "Just be real." No one understands this principal better than the emerging generation.

Don pulled up the vague empty chair next to me yesterday and asked why, despite all the cool spaces designed for post-moderns, he always sees them hanging out at Taco Bell and White Castle.

"Because it's cheaper than Panera," I answered, "and all of their friends are already there."

Teenagers and young adults appreciate well-designed spaces, probably more than you think. We notice the colors you choose for the walls, and how the layout of the room affects traffic flow. Decor is discussed, just in terms you may not understand. At the end of the day, though, the principals of third place rule.

Chapter two of Oldenburg's The Great Good Place is called "The Character of Third Place Spaces." He discusses eight principals. Below are the ones that especially hit home with teenagers and young adults, as demonstrated by a little pizza place in my home town:

1. The Leveling effect. Everyone's a teenager who likes getting a huge slice of pizza and as much pop as they can drink for $3. Social strata fade into the background because the place is cool. Walking in the door earns you cool-points.

2. Conversation is the main activity. The $3 also buys you a table for as long as you want it.

3. Accessibility and accommodation. This is especially key for teenagers who can't drive yet. It needs to be within walking/biking distance or it needs to have enough entertainment value to justify being dropped off for most of the day.

4. Regulars. When this pizzeria opened, they first earned the favor of a few. Most of their staff now is high school kids, they cultivate a culture of fierce loyalty (easier because they're right next door to a Pizza Hut), and they let delivery drivers sit at tables to smoke or play arcade games between runs. Anyone knows they can go in any time and meet someone they know, or wait a few minutes until he gets back from a delivery.

5. A low profile. This is going to mess with you, but the building is pretty drab. People know they can put their feet up on the seat across from them, sit on the table, or stand on a chair to change the channel on the wall-mounted TV if they don't want to watch sports. It's comfortable.

6. Playful mood. I already mentioned the arcade games (the owner has the high score on Street Fighter), the TVs, and the conversation ...

7. Home away from home. Those who frequent this pizza place know that it belongs to them. When the owner found out one of his regulars had become vegan, and would no longer be eating pizza, he hauled out his food catalog to find alternatives and ordered things just for her that never even made it to the menu. (And can I also say, if you've never had a pickle breaded and deep-fried, you haven't lived.)

Everyone needs a third place space, but if you're planning one for your student/young adult ministry it needs to be different. They are new wine, and they will tear asunder an old wineskin. It needs to be real.

branding and teen ministry 3 (of 3)

One more thing I want to point out about Brandweek's article on some summer research:

>> Music most defines them, according to 44% of teens, followed by family (39%) and moral values (38%).

How's the sound system in your youth ministry space? Is it the left-over, or old equipment from the main church facility; or is it new, designed specifically for your space? What about the lighting and visual equipment that enhance the worship experience? What about their fellowship/social space? Do you have a CD player in the corner, or a central sound system?

These are numbers that a youth ministry can embrace, rather than fight. If music most defines teenagers, music should perhaps most define the space you create for them.

branding and teen ministry 2 (of 3)

Another interesting observation from the research highlighted by Brandweek earlier this summer:

>> Despite being wired 24/7 with mobile devices and online communities, they feel the word "chill" best describes them (according to 40% of those surveyed).

Reporter Kenneth Hein reveals his age as he alludes to an interesting note about teenage/young adult culture. Hein begins with "despite" as though being wired and being relaxed were contradictory ideas, but teenagers don't seem to think so.

(Pause for a moment for those of you who may be scratching your heads at "chill." Adj. "cool, calm, relaxed, etc." V. "hang out, relax, slow down, etc.")

So what about your youth ministry space?

First of all, you need a place where students can "chill" before or after your worship service. Again, this should be a place set aside for them. Props if your church facility already has a third place space, but your youth ministry needs one of its own. See the three insights from yesterday.

Secondly, it needs to be chill according to their standards, not yours. They can be innundated with electronics and noise and still be chill, but they probably don't want you to organize mandatory group games for them. Go ahead and play loud music with the TVs on and the video game/internet station running all at the same time. You might feel over-stimulated, but they're used to it - more than that: they're comfortable in it.

branding and teen ministry 1 (of 3)

Open Mind Research and OTX joined forces to survey 1000 teenagers this summer on branding. Not something a youth ministry may be interested in initially, but when Brandweek highlighted the study, they titled their article, "How to Reach Teens? It's All About the Brand." What youth ministry isn't always looking for better ways to "reach teens?"

Some interesting observations:

>> Of the 47 brands tested, the iPod came out on top as the brand "absolutely essential to teens."

Why? Irma Zandl, principal of The Zandl Group, mused, "They respond to brands that reflect their lifestyle and offer innovation, creativity and a high degree of style." Similarly, the study found that,

>> Nineteen percent will swap brands due to boredom.

The implications herein for youth ministry are endless, and one facet of those implications speaks to youth ministry space.

First of all, this should drive home the idea (if you're not already convinced) that a youth ministry needs a unique space. It's not enough to take over your church's main worship space when the adults are not around.

Zandl's insight is ... insightful. That the iPod is "absolutely essential" tells us three things about what is important to teenagers:

1. Reflect their culture

Youth ministry space should look, feel, and sound (maybe not "smell") like their favorite hang-out. Where do teenagers and young adults in your community hang out? Starbucks? Build out a third place space. Skatepark? Get some ramps, helmets and permission slips. Bedrooms? Make it comfortable, malleable, and accessible.

2. Be innovative/creative

Keep the space simple. There was a time when youth ministry spaces were themed, but it may be time to leave that for the children's ministry. Your space should be flexible: from hang out to open mic night to movie screening to Summer Kick-Off party.

3. Be stylish

Your space can be simple and stylish at the same time. Look at the iPod commericals that have catapulted their product to "absolutely essential:" simple and stylish. All it takes is good color, clever lighting, and some hip furniture.

young adults

We know from a myriad of previous reports and studies that young adults (ages 18 to 23 or 30, depending on the research group) are the least likely to attend church, and the most likely to feel unwanted. The Barna Group reports that three in four will drop out of church after high school. LifeWay Research recently took the research one step further to answer the "Why?"

According to a new report, the most common reason young adults give for leaving church is, "I simply wanted a break from church."

Among those young adults who did not drop out of church, most said, "Church was a vital part of my relationship with God." A close second-place reason was, "I wanted the church to help guide my decisions in everyday life." The third and fourth reasons given also spoke of the church's relevance to the young people's lives.

Scott McConnell, the associate director of LifeWay Research, commented, "The vitality and everyday relevance these young people experienced in church is a stark contrast to church dropouts who wanted a break from church and felt unconnected." You can read the whole report here.

Is your ministry speaking to young adults? Is there space in your facility that reflects and serves their culture? Where they can feel at home? Remember, the Rainer Research Group reported earlier this year that inviting social space is the most important part of a church facility to those between the ages of 18 and 24. How are you connecting with them?

College-Level Faith Part 2

On Monday we reported the increase in Christian activity on college campuses all over the country. Today, we bring you a LifeWay Research report that shows young adults (18 - 34) are falling away from the church. Consider:

In 1980, more than 100,000 young adults were baptized on Southern Baptist churches. In 2005, that number dropped to just over 60,000. That's huge when you consider the population growth in America at the same time.

Do the studies contradict one another? Not at all.

First of all, the Christian Post article from our Monday meeting only looked at college students. LifeWay is reporting on people as old as 34. If the numbers are up for 18 to 22 year-olds, and down for 18 to 34 year-olds it's not hard to determine where the drop-off is. What is happening to Christian college students in the later years, or immediately after college?

Second, and possibly in answer to our own question, the Rainer Research quoted Monday showed that Third Place space is most important to people between the ages of 18 and 24. LifeWay concurs,

Seventy-three percent of church members and 47 percent of non-affiliated young adults inidcated that community with other young adults is extremely important in their lives.

The lack of opportunity for connection within the church proves to be a frustration point for young adults. One study participant said, "After graduation they give you a pat on the back and say, 'When you start a family, we'll be here for you.'"

Connection - or the lack thereof - is the number one reason young adults don't find church relevant to their lives.

So if social/Third Place space is the number one thing young adults are looking for in Christian communities - and if attendance is on the rise at college, and falling in local churches - that tells us they are connecting with their peers at college, but not at home.

The question remains: Is your ministry ready for the college students coming home in the next few days and weeks? Where will they meet friends? Will they be comfortable in your church building, or will it feel like their parents' institution?

College-Level Faith

Faith is in on college campuses across America, according to a recent Christian Post article. Some of the largest campus ministry groups have expanded dramatically in the past two years, and even seminaries are seeing record enrollment numbers.

Harvard University’s preacher told the New York Times, “There is probably more active religious life now than there has been in 100 years.”

Terry Erickson, the director of evangelism for InterVarsity commented that, “In the last two school years we have seen exciting growth in the number of students who have come to faith in Jesus Christ.” The group reported that over 1000 college students came to faith in Jesus Christ through their ministry events during the 06-07 school year.

A 2004 UCLA study found that nearly half of university freshman say they are seeking opportunities to grow spiritually.

But summer is nearly upon us, and many of these baby Christians will be returning home for three to four months to meet old friends, work part-time jobs, and either encourage or forget their new faith.

How many will return to your town? Does your church have a ministry that speaks to the culture of college students? Is there space in your facility where they will feel comfortable and at home?

With half of those returning home from their first year of college, “seeking opportunities to grow spiritually,” your ministry may not need to emphasize outreach – they’ll come to you. But will they return? Will your ministry be able to encourage and strengthen their faith before they return to the mission field that is the American college campus?

A Rainer Research Group report conducted for the Cornerstone Knowledge Network earlier this year found that comfortable worship space and inviting social (third place) spaces are the two most important areas of a church facility to the formerly unchurched. That third place space is most important to those between the ages of 18 and 24. How well will your facility be serving your community this summer?

digital fasting

In case you're not clear on the role digital networking plays in the lives of an emerging generation - or if you're still holding fast to the idea that our communication medium does not affect our worldview - check this out.

It's an article published on CNN last week that discusses a new kind of sacrifice Catholic young people are making: fasting from MySpace.

"Some of my friends think it's silly, since people usually give up food," said 16-year-old Emily Montgomery, who says she's given up her access to MySpace. "I wanted to give up something that's really hard for me."

Not only is this a fresh perspective on how central networking tools like MySpace and Facebook are in the lives of a digital generation (MySpace attracted 64.4 million unique visitors in February alone), it's a glimpse of culture a couple decades down the road.