Millennials Are Hungry for Authentic Faith, says Calvin College Chaplain

Rev. Mary Hulst, chaplain at Calvin College, opened the Calvin College 2018 January Series by presenting some data showing that the popular belief that “millennials are leaving the church isn’t necessarily true.”

The data shows, she said, that the percentage of young adults regularly attending church today has not changed over the last 40 years, while the number of young adults who say they have no or simply a passing affiliation with a church has gone up.

“It is out there in the ether that millennials aren’t going to church. But the data shows millenials are not leaving the church in droves,” she said.

At the same time, though, there are differences in the millennial generation and what they are looking for.

For instance, there are churches and faith communities that are drawing millennials, men and women born after 1980, because these churches offer this group what many of them see as a more authentic worship experience. This doesn’t necessarily mean a watered-down experience, but one that focuses clearly on the message of Scripture and Christ.

These churches are also attracting those young adults who have not attended churches.

“There some important things that millenials are looking for from a church, and there are important things they can give the church,” said Hulst, who has served as the Calvin College Chaplain since 2009, integrating her love for Scripture with her love for college students. She preaches for students weekly on Sunday evenings at the Calvin LOFT (Living Our Faith Together) services.

Running from today through Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, the January Series is offering attendees to the Calvin Covenant Fine Arts Center, or to those watching from remote sites worldwide, a wide range of experts known for leading some of the nation’s and the world’s most pivotal and timely discussions.

Including Hulst, the 15 speakers will provide insight on issues like race in America, technology and national security, biowaste and global poverty, among many others.

A few of the featured presenters: Katherine Boo, a staff writer for The New Yorker whose work has been honored by a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant and Pulitzer Prize; Jeremy McCarter, coauthor of Hamilton: The Revolution, who witnessed the Broadway show’s journey from concept to cultural phenomenon; and Kevin Olusola, who is best known as the beatboxing member of the Grammy-winning vocal quintet Pentatonix.

Kristi Potter, director of the January Series, said she believed it was important, given all of the controversy and conflict that has been in the news over the past year, “to bring positive and encouraging stories” to the 2018 series.

“As always, we will hear from speakers on a number of difficult topics like poverty, racism, pollution, restorative justice, and dementia, but we will also hear stories of how we can make a difference in the world with our influence, our power, our money, or even our mindset,” she said.

The series runs from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST Monday through Friday in the Covenant Fine Arts Center on Calvin’s campus. The series is also available for viewing in more than 50 cities throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. In 2017, nearly 70,000 people watched the series on-campus and at remote sites via livestream. Live audiostreaming is also available.

“I think this year’s lineup reminds us to have hope that God is in control and that there are good things happening in the world and good people leading this work,” said Potter. “And we can be a part of it.”

In her presentation, titled “Why Millennials Are the Hope for the Church,” Hulst described generational differences exhibited by millennials, what has sent them away from traditional church settings, and what draws them and keeps them coming back.

Above all, she said, it is important to realize there is a deep hunger in this group for spiritual connection — and solid preaching.

“What they need from their preachers is the gospel. Millennials want sermons that name the pain that they come into church with,” she said.

“They want to hear how Jesus can meet them in that pain…..They want to hear sermons that talk about the things that are out there in the world. Are we preaching about the Rohingyas, about the climate, about issues of justice?”

Hulst spoke about the millennials being part of a generation that puts a high value on tolerance and on justice. Many of them see church, and hence worship, as a place to go for safety and comfort, not as a Sunday place where the goal is to come out smiling and feeling positive.

“These are people who grew up with 24/7 news and so they have 24/7 pain and they want to do something about it,” she said. “They also have many serious questions — why is there a heaven and a hell, why do we baptize as we do, how are we different from people of other religions?

“They know the world is a messy place and they want to know how their faith fits in with this,” said Hulst.

For more information about the January Series, contact Kristi Potter at [email protected] or at 616-526-7018. For a full schedule of speakers, photos, remote sites, and more, visit www.calvin.edu/january.