Many churches today face the crisis of not being able to effectively attract young people. Therefore, churches must actively explore and seek to establish a channel with young people.
In a recent interview with the Christian Times, a Chinese online Christian newspaper, Wang Zhenhai (pseudonym), a brother who serves in a city church in northern China, urges that if churches want to attract young people, they must adapt and change their youth ministry strategies according to the needs of young people.
First of all, Wang believes that in the future, it will be increasingly difficult for traditional churches to minister to young people as well as middle-aged and elderly people. This is because the ministry model of these churches has become entrenched, leaving little or no room for young people to grow. Therefore, while these churches may have verbally emphasized the importance of young people, to a large extent, it is the churches that are unwilling to "open the door" to young people rather than the younger generation who are reluctant to join the church.
Wang claimed that churches must come up with practical ways to effectively attract and minister to young people unless pastors and church co-workers decide to minister only to the middle-aged and elderly groups and not to young people. He points out that while the Word of God cannot be changed, some approaches to youth ministry can be adapted for young people because they will hardly come to churches if no adaptation is made, and even if they do come, they will not stay long.
"For example, young people are generally interested in music, so churches can attract them with music, pictures, and comics and build a relationship with them first before ministering to them."
"Our church's specific strategies are to first target the family members of our members, hoping to get the young people in their family to come to church, and then have them bring their friends. Today, because there is a great lack of trust among people, it is very difficult for us as a church to invite young people directly, but it is easier for them to bring their friends because they have already built trusting relationships among them," said Wang.
And when these young people come over, Wang added, they can learn to play musical instruments and paint for free with some experienced teachers. To attract and retain them, their church has also set up a fast-casual restaurant where young people can eat for free.
Wang pointed out that churches should find out why young people are unwilling to be part of the church and then solve the problem.
"Our church not only has a restaurant and a kitchen but also many musical instruments and popular exercise equipment. Before we preach the gospel to the young people, we want them to like the church by making them feel that they are loved here and that the church is different from the outside world."
"Man cannot do much, but God will be at work. We can't be sure if we will succeed, and it's normal that we can't do well because man's power is so limited. Even if our work isn't good, we can only reflect to find out why."
Churches may not succeed if they try, but if they do not even try, there is no chance for them to succeed, and they will only continue to decline and shrink.
- Translated by Joyce Leung
无法有效吸引年轻人是现在不少教会都面临的危机。教会必须要积极探索、寻求，最终建立一条教会和年轻人之间的通路。
近日，在北方一所城市教会服事的王振海弟兄（化名）接受了中国一网络基督教报纸基督时报的采访。 他说如果教会想要吸引年轻人的话，牧养策略就必须针对年轻人的特点专门进行调整和改变。
首先，王弟兄认为未来传统教会在年轻人和中老年人的牧养会变得越来越难。因为他们的牧养模式已经固化了，留给年轻人的成长空间很少甚至是几乎没有。因此，很大程度上不是年轻人不愿意进来，而是教会不愿意给年轻人“开门”，虽然这些教会口头上可能非常重视年轻人。
对于如何有效吸引和牧养年轻人，王弟兄认为教会必须要想出来切实可行的办法。除非教会牧者和同工打定主意，不要年轻人，专门牧养中老年人。他提到在年轻人的牧养上，真理当然是绝对不能够妥协的，但是一些具体的方式方法可以为年轻人调整。如果不调整那年轻人就进不来，即使进来了也留不下来。
“比如年轻人普遍都比较喜欢音乐，那我们就可以用音乐、绘画、漫画，吸引一些人。先跟他们建立关系，然后再牧养他们。”
“在具体的策略上，我们是先面向教会内部，让教会信徒的家庭成员中的年轻人先过来。然后再通过他们发动他们的朋友过来。今天这样一个时代，人与人之间非常缺乏信任。我们直接拉年轻人是很难拉的。但因为他们之间有关系，有信任，这样比较容易，”王弟兄如此说。
年轻人过来，可以在这里免费学习乐器，免费学习画画。王弟兄说他们有些有经验的老师负责教学。而且为了吸引年轻人，他们设计了一个休闲免费餐厅。
王说教会要把年轻人不愿意进入教会的原因找出来，然后解决问题。
“我们有餐厅，有厨房，还有很多乐器，常见的运动健身设施我们也都安装了。我们先不给年轻人传福音，而是先让他们喜欢上这里。让他们在这里能够感受到爱，让他们感受到这里跟外面社会上是完全不一样的。”
“人是无能为力，但是上帝会动工的。能不能做好我们也不知道，就算做不好也很正常，因为人实在是太有限了。就算最终效果不好，那我们再一次反思为什么没有做好。”尝试的话确实不一定就能成功，但是不尝试的话却一定无法成功，教会只能够不断衰退、萎缩。
北方一城市教会牧者：教会必须针对年轻人改变牧养策略
Many churches today face the crisis of not being able to effectively attract young people. Therefore, churches must actively explore and seek to establish a channel with young people.
In a recent interview with the Christian Times, a Chinese online Christian newspaper, Wang Zhenhai (pseudonym), a brother who serves in a city church in northern China, urges that if churches want to attract young people, they must adapt and change their youth ministry strategies according to the needs of young people.
First of all, Wang believes that in the future, it will be increasingly difficult for traditional churches to minister to young people as well as middle-aged and elderly people. This is because the ministry model of these churches has become entrenched, leaving little or no room for young people to grow. Therefore, while these churches may have verbally emphasized the importance of young people, to a large extent, it is the churches that are unwilling to "open the door" to young people rather than the younger generation who are reluctant to join the church.
Wang claimed that churches must come up with practical ways to effectively attract and minister to young people unless pastors and church co-workers decide to minister only to the middle-aged and elderly groups and not to young people. He points out that while the Word of God cannot be changed, some approaches to youth ministry can be adapted for young people because they will hardly come to churches if no adaptation is made, and even if they do come, they will not stay long.
"For example, young people are generally interested in music, so churches can attract them with music, pictures, and comics and build a relationship with them first before ministering to them."
"Our church's specific strategies are to first target the family members of our members, hoping to get the young people in their family to come to church, and then have them bring their friends. Today, because there is a great lack of trust among people, it is very difficult for us as a church to invite young people directly, but it is easier for them to bring their friends because they have already built trusting relationships among them," said Wang.
And when these young people come over, Wang added, they can learn to play musical instruments and paint for free with some experienced teachers. To attract and retain them, their church has also set up a fast-casual restaurant where young people can eat for free.
Wang pointed out that churches should find out why young people are unwilling to be part of the church and then solve the problem.
"Our church not only has a restaurant and a kitchen but also many musical instruments and popular exercise equipment. Before we preach the gospel to the young people, we want them to like the church by making them feel that they are loved here and that the church is different from the outside world."
"Man cannot do much, but God will be at work. We can't be sure if we will succeed, and it's normal that we can't do well because man's power is so limited. Even if our work isn't good, we can only reflect to find out why."
Churches may not succeed if they try, but if they do not even try, there is no chance for them to succeed, and they will only continue to decline and shrink.
- Translated by Joyce Leung
Urban Church Pastor: Churches Must Change Their Youth Ministry Strategies
