10 September 2010

Church leaders in Brighton share ideas on mission to “missing generation”

Fifty church leaders have come together to discuss the vital issue of the "missing generation" of 18-30s in our churches, in the first of a number of regional symposiums the Evangelical Alliance is hosting across the country in the next six months.

Mike Pilavachi, founder of Soul Survivor, gave the main address at the event in Gloucester Place Baptist Church, Brighton, drawing on his considerable experience working with young people and young adults.

Recent statistics have shown that seven percent of the UK population attend church regularly, but among the 18-30s it is nearly half at only three percent. From 1985 to 2005, the number attending church amongst this age group dropped by 62 percent.

Statistics such as these were some of the reasons why, in September 2009, the Evangelical Alliance Council gathered with a number of invited guests to ask important questions that would start a discussion leading to strategic and unified action. One of the outcomes of the Council meeting was a desire to listen, serve and equip 18-30s, allowing them to seriously influence and shape the priorities of both churches and agencies. But the Council also saw a need to see the Evangelical Alliance and its networks across the UK facilitate discussion regionally, bringing church leaders together in a local setting to talk through these issues.

Since then, the Evangelical Alliance has gathered young adults from across the UK, talking and listening to the 18-30s group; culminating in a 24-hour retreat for young adult leaders from more than 20 organisations and denominations.

The event on 9 September in Brighton was the first regional symposium for church leaders.

Mike Pilavachi shared about his heart for the 20somethings and highlighted three issues that he believes are relevant to this age group that needed to be addressed, namely consumerism, individualism and a culture of entitlement. Three local churches leaders then shared their experience of mission to 18-30s which led into group discussion and feedback from the whole group.

In the evening, 30 young adult leaders from across Brighton gathered again with Mike as well as Krish Kandiah, the Alliance's Executive Director of Churches in Mission. Krish and Mike listened intently to different experiences of doing church and mission with 18-30s and how a united Church might be better equipped for more effective mission.

"This is a vital conversation," said Krish. "We must work out how to help 18-30s to engage with church and to help the church listen to this rising generation."

The next symposiums will be in Liverpool on the 11 November and Bristol on the 17^th November. For more information, contact the coordinator Alistair Stevenson, a.stevenson@eauk.org .

Read the papers from last year's Council meeting