Reaching the “Churchless”

Examining the daily news cycle, it’s not hard to recognize that there has been an undeniable cultural shift in the last 20-30 years. Obvious examples of this shift can be seen in the pop culture. These trends are important to recognize and adapt to, however, I believe that there is something much more significant occurring in the background.

Generational trend analyses indicate that, on average, young people are putting an increasing distance between themselves and “the church”. The church isn’t necessarily characterized by a brick-and-mortar building, but in these studies people are separating themselves from traditional faith-based religions. They seem to be shifting toward secular beliefs such as Atheism, Agnosticism, etc. Among Christian communities, this majority has come to bear the nickname of “churchless”. This name was adopted due to their disassociation with a church. The group consists of individuals who have either never had and never pursued association with a religious group or was once associated with a belief but has since renounced that faith.

As a Christian, I’ve been tasked with the opportunity and responsibility to make disciples of all nations. All nations includes all ages. The problem of reaching this group, the “churchless”, is very complex. Approaching this issue requires thoughtful contemplation because when speaking on the topic of religion it’s almost second nature for the majority of society to respond with hostility or defensive behavior. Religion has actually been labelled by many as “topics to avoid in the workplace”.

So how do Christians go about talking about the one thing the world tells us not to talk about? As I continuously search for a possible answer to this question, my trained entrepreneurial tendencies are almost impossible to ignore.

Recognizing that many young people have a general aptness to desire independence and are more likely to lean toward unique education paths, creating a potential market to tap into. A service designed for late high-school to college aged individuals that offers a mentoring program, I believe, could provide a solution. This mentoring service would be designed for both Christians and non-Christians. As young adults begin to move into a career path, there’s an immense need for guidance in developing a professional skills in order to reach their full potential. This service could connect these young adults to mentors who would all be  experienced professionals who also are mature Christians. The focus of this program would be to provide the potentially “churchless” and Christian alike with high-quality professional mentoring grounded in biblical truth.

This solution would give Christians the opportunity to connect with the “churchless” in a way that is exceedingly personal and effective. Developing a personal connection while sharing genuine wisdom about how to live productive and proactive lives will give these mentors the ideal opportunity to share the reason for the hope they have, the gospel.