Who are the Millennials?
The largest generation born between 1982-2002
- High risk behavior is down from past generations
- They are optimistic
Technology Generation
- Very tech savvy
- Have to deal with a new phenomenon of cyber bullying
Parents and other relationships
- Parents are older than past generations
- Have helicopter parents
- They are the most watched and supervised generation
- Family and friends are very important
- They have a group mentality
- They value diversity
- most ethnically diverse generation
High Achievers
- They have more things to do than there is time in a day
- One of their major concerns is getting into a good college
- They are highly scheduled having grown up being shuttled between practices, games and church activities like Religious education
- They are somewhat immune from the idea of Catholic guilt
- Change is constant in their lives
- They have always been awarded for effort, not only for excellence.
Spirituality
- non-linear thinkers
- embrace traditional spirituality
- embrace spiritual experiences
- postmodern and relativistic
- searching for truth
What we can offer as a Church
- We can offer a place to belong
- Church can be a place where they can feel free just to be who they are and feel safe
- The Church needs to be a place where there is not only good youth ministry but the youth desire to belong to a strong parish.
- Offer a sense of meaning to their lives (who am I? Why am I here?)
- Help them to become responsible, successful adults who are active in their faith.
Works Cited
http://dg-web.dcgary.org/youth/ym/articles/changingfaceofym.pdf
The Millennial Generation, Postmodernism & the Changing Face of Catholic Youth Ministry
by Frank Mercadante
http://genmin.gci.org/Web%20Documents/millennials.pdf
Ministry to Millennials: Understanding & Reaching the Next Generation (born 1982-2002)
by Kent Julian, National Director of Alliance Youth.
http://www.cultivationministries.com/home/tag/millennials/
This is a link to a few articles from Cultivation Ministries that have been tagged “Millennials.” All the articles are insightful and worth reading.
We also have some additional hard copy resources here at the diocese:
Creasy Dean, K. (2010). Almost Christian: What the faith of our children is telling the American church
New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Clark, C. (2004). Hurt: Inside the world of today’s teenagers (Youth, family, and culture).
Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic
Eaton, T. (Producer), & Eaton, M. (Director). (2010). Soul searching [Documentary].
United States: Revelation Studios.
Rice, B. (2010) Engaging youth culture [Audio-CD]. Steubenville, OH: Franciscan University Press
Smith, C., & M. Lundquist Denton. (2009) Soul searching. New York, NY: Oxford University Press
Finally if you would like more information and insight into the current youth ministry population I will be more than happy to come to your parish to speak to whomever about youth ministry.
Gregory Coogan
Office of Lifelong Faith Formation
Director of Youth Ministries
Phone: 856 583-6122
E-mail: gregory.coogan@camdendiocese.org