Reaching and Leading "Generation Exodus"

In ministry, one of the most difficult yet promising demographics to reach is 18-30 year olds. So many of them have been leaving the church that they have been labeled "generation exodus." So how do we keep those who we have and attract those who have left?

Kent Shaffer (www.churchrelevance.com) has offered this advise taken from consulting reports done earlier this year:

How to Reach the Millennial Generation

41% say participate in viral marketing and peer-to-peer recommendation sites
36% say sponsor or advertise in areas of interest to millennials(e.g., extreme sports, music
venues, chat rooms, social networking sites)
35% say deliver a great product at a great price
30% say focus on millennials’ key influencers(e.g., parents, peers)
28% say contribute to social causes that millennials support
21% say contribute to corporate or issue blogs
21% say message millennials through wireless text messaging
19% say exploit contests, promotions, and retail tie-ins
12% say develop online games for company website

Kent goes on to say, "In other words, if your church wants to reach the millennial generation, create a great church experience that is remarkable (creates word of mouth) and targets the key influencers and social catalysts of your local millennial community."

If you are a leader who is trying to reach and especially keep young professionals and twentysomethings, take careful note to what is being said here. Think about it...