Weekly Insights
What church leaders need to know about young people and family time during the holidays.
Stat of the Day:
73% of Americans rank “spending time with family” as one of the most important things to them personally, more than double any other response category (Pew).
Dig Deeper:
Other possible responses to the poll include “practicing your religious faith” (which 32% ranked as one of the most important), “being physically active” (31%), “being outdoors and experiencing nature” (29%), and “being successful in your career” (23%).
What it means:
That family time ranked so highly might be expected, but it is not necessarily reflective of how much time respondents actually spend doing any of these activities. Rather, the survey focused on what people think of as being the most important to them, in other words, their personal priorities. Many of the more popular responses listed above could involve simultaneous activities. For example, a family picnic or hike at a local park combines three of the four most popular responses (physical activity, being in nature, and spending time with family). Many families also practice their faith together, so attending worship could be an assumed part of time spent with family.
Why it Matters:
Though many families struggle with grief, drama, controversy, and conflict during the holiday season, Americans on the whole and young Americans especially value spending time with family. In fact, 75% of young adults ages 18-29 said that it was important to live somewhere with family nearby.
With so many wanting to live near their family and prioritizing time spent with family, the church has many natural opportunities to minister to these families and involve them in ministry, opportunities most churches are already taking advantage of with their children’s church, Godly Play programs, and other initiatives.
Questions for Reflection:
Over the past few years, churches have adapted their programs and ministries to be more accessible from home in order to accommodate pandemic-related precautions. What if churches were to create programming that has religious and spiritual development at its core while also incorporating these other personal priorities? For example, a nature walk that includes a theological reflection or prayers at different points on the route and that is accessible for multiple generations of a family? Or maybe some kind of physical activity or sporting event at the church that is intergenerational and involves some kind of prayerful practice or liturgy? How can the church bring practices of Christian charity, love, and prayer into the lives and activities of its congregants? In a world where families and individuals are caught up with an over-abundance of activity and engagements, how can the church provide spaces that combine various personal priorities in a way that encourages and builds faith?
Let us know!
If you or your congregation has been doing work in these areas, or has some interesting ideas to share, let us know by emailing us (edward@trytank.org). We would love to learn more about what’s working and maybe even feature your story in this space in the future!