May 2019
Millennials and the Church

Editor's Letter June 2019

Dear Friends,

Millennials are not all the same. From where we gather and what we seek, to how we give and what resonates with us, millennials are a wonderfully diverse group. What does bring us together is a deep longing for authenticity and community – that could be in church or not, but certainly where Christ is present. In this issue, we bring you another round of millennial-authored articles on a variety of topics that relate to our lives as disciples of Jesus.

What do millennials need from the church? In Intentional Community, Isaac Everett explores a very real crisis that many young people have been thrust into – the lack of affordable housing, and offers hope and ideas for what the Church can do to create meaningful community for young people.

What makes a good sermon? In Preach!, Megan Castellan explains why sermons need to change with the times to be effective, and emphasizes the importance of inclusive language and shared experiences. This article is available in English and Spanish.

Ever wondered what kind of music resonates with millennials? There isn’t one right answer. In What Do We Want? Ellis Montes reflects on the diverse tastes of this generation with a particular focus on worship and music, and shares why we need authentic conversation around this topic. This article is available in English and Spanish.

Curious about millennials and their charitable giving? In Millenial Giving: What Gives?, Sarah Townsend Leach offers data and statistics on why, how and where millennials give and what drives their stewardship practices.

What kind of ministries are millennials passionate about? In Fishing Together, Zack Nyein shares inspirational examples of what faithful action in response to the Gospel looks like in different contexts and situations.

ECF partners with congregations, dioceses, and other Episcopal faith communities, working with them to engage in strategic visioning and planning, developing effective lay and clergy leadership teams, and raising financial resources for ministry. This means we are able to share stories about congregations and communities we’ve worked with that are transformed and thriving in their important ministries. Click here to read these stories and learn more about how we work with Episcopal communities across the country through a variety of different programs.

For more millennial-authored writing, head over to ECF Vital Practices. In May and June this year, we are featuring numerous blogs by millennials. If you’re a millennial in the church and want to share your story, reach out to us.

To learn more about ECF and our programs, please visit our website.

Faithfully,

Charis Bhagianathan
Editor, ECF Vital Practices

This article is part of the May 2019 Vestry Papers issue on Millennials and the Church