Dear Church,

I am a millennial, and that is something that I did not choose. I could not help when I was born, nor can I help how the rest of my generation has acted. There is one thing I could choose though. When I was six years old, I chose to accept Christ as my Savior, and every day I choose to follow Him.

As a child, you were very helpful to me as I learned to walk with God. You offered me Sunday school, GA’s/RA’s, AWANA, choirs, and musical programs. These were so foundational to my faith. You taught me Bible stories about the love and forgiveness of God. You helped me memorize Bible verses that I can still quote today. You gave me songs to sing about everything I had learned. I have such fond memories of my childhood in the church.

Even when I got a bit older and moved up to the youth group, you were still so invested in me. You gave me great youth pastors that were invested in me personally. They wanted to take care of me and continue teaching me as my faith developed even more. You even offered me opportunities to become a leader. You gave me chances to lead small groups, sing in the youth band, and volunteer in the community. Again, these were so foundational to my faith.

But as soon as I graduated high school, you stopped caring about me. There was nowhere for me to go. I had not been a child for a long time, so that was not an option for me. I was not really a youth anymore because I was starting a new chapter of life. I was not yet an adult, and their lifestyles were not yet something I could relate to. You left me feeling very confused and forgotten about.

Now I am a junior in college, and I still have not found my place in you. The only places people are willing to put me are in positions to serve others, but never to be served. You have stopped investing in me, but still expect me to invest in you. This is not a Christ-like behavior, and THIS IS WHY MY GENERATION IS LEAVING YOU.

You do not care about millennials, therefore millennials have a hard time caring about you. You care more about the style of music, the money that is tithed, and even the color of paint on the walls than you care about me.

While the fault does not lie entirely with you, it is you who must make the first move to bring my generation back to you and back to God. We want to see that you care about us, that you really want us to be a part of you.

Your move, Church.

Sincerely,

A Millennial