“It is lonely and hard. And it doesn’t have to be that way. It wasn’t intended to be that way.”
Many young people leaving the church because they’re failing to find someone who will invest in them spiritually; they are looking for mentorship. Cindy Berglund, Laura Ludvigson, and Stephanie Armstrong are passionate about calling millennials into an active faith walk.
40% of millennials have a mentor in the career world. With a whole generation being trained to advance in their employment, it is the church’s responsibility to train them in their faith. Cindy Berglund explains the desire younger generations have for relationship.
“They have a deep desire to be able to have a relationship and a deep relationship with somebody that’s older than them. They have a desire to want to study the Word and want to know what it means to live it out and they have a desire to pass it on to someone else!”
Mentorship starts with and is built on relationships. Laura explains,
“Jeff Myers has written a book called Grow Together and he says that when a young person has an adult in their life, he or she is twice as likely to stay in the church. When a young person has a mentor, she is three times as likely to stay in the church. We have a huge responsibility to these 78 million millennials.”
Only 15% of millennials claiming to be Christians, they are the ones to carry the faith on. It is the responsibility of older believers step in and invest in the faith journey of these millennials.
Mentor relationships are both intentional and relational. Cindy and Laura focus on 5 basic disciplines:
1. Being in the Word.
2. Praying.
3. Studying and memorizing Scripture.
4. Living under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
5. Learning to witness and tell others about your faith.
It’s not enough to have a solid curriculum – a solid relationship is key. Laura encourages others to step into this place of vulnerability and see what God will do. Believers can sharpen each other but it starts with a single step of faith.
“It’s exciting to have that intentional and relational piece come together and that’s what builds trust and vulnerability, honesty. And now you can get into accountability.”
Key Scriptures: Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 1:28; 2 Timothy 2:22
Featured Songs: Take Another Step by Steven Curtis Chapman; Sons and Daughters by North Point; Simplicity by Rend Collective
