What’s Changed: 20-Somethings at a Glance

The 20-somethings today belong to part of two overlapping generations, the iGen and Gen Y, and have many distinctions from young adults of the past. For the most part, these overlapping generational members were born in the 80s, raised in the 90s and educated around the turn of the century. In their lifetimes, the Internet boomed and everyone with disposable income started carrying cell phones and swigging lattes.

They’ve encountered high economic apogees, endured nagging recessions, overcome soaring college tuition costs and learned, most of all, to be career-minded. In the mid- to late-20th century, the American cultural expectation for young adults was to pursue education through high school or college and then to get a job, get married and start a family. Most churches were built with this expectation, as well. Today, if young adults marry, they usually marry a few years later – average age is 26, according to Rutgers University’s National Marriage Project – and divorce more. According to divorcerate.org and the Forest Institute of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Mo., the divorce rate for first marriages is around 41 percent.

“Communication opportunities (cell phone, texting, social networks, etc.) continue to explode, but do young people know how to talk to anyone but their peers?” asks Scott Stevens, director of student ministries for LifeWay Research. “As marriages and families continue to disintegrate, alienated teens and young adults continue to move “underground’.”

Additionally, young adults are struggling so mightily to make ends meet and to launch their careers in a lagging economy that even weekly worship attendance can feel like a burden. To succeed, young adults have adopted an individualist mindset, looking after their own best interests first. For many, that can mean working a second job that requires their attendance on a Sunday morning.

The individualist mindset doesn’t make young adults bad people or necessarily bad Christians, but it does reflect the intensified consumer society in which they’ve grown up. This is why young adults seek both a fulfilling and entertaining worship environment. To them, worshipping God is meant to be enjoyed. “Young people need and enjoy moving, Spirit-filled worship and need to have the opportunity to connect with God in such experiences,” Stevens explains. The LifeWay survey revealed that the No. 1 response young people gave when asked why they left the Church was, “I need a break from church.”

Based on this generation’s emotional whims, Stevens cites the importance of pastors and worship leaders maintaining a sense of humor and staying tuned-in to pop culture. “Humor is so great at breaking down barriers and can be used to communicate important truth in a way that provides handles for young people to grab hold of.” The 18- to 25-year-old demographic particularly embraces sarcasm, evident by their unyielding adoration for Comedy Central’s two political satire programs, “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.” ...