LCMS Confirmands and Young Adults: Who Are They and What Do They Need?

I recently attended the 2018 LCMS Youth Ministry Symposium in St. Louis, MO. The symposium presented interested LCMS youth leaders with the results of a comprehensive study conducted by LCMS Youth Ministry and LCMS Research Services in 2017. The research included survey data from the LCMS Confirmation Survey and the LCMS Young Adults Survey. Over the course of two days, attendees heard the key findings of this research.

Some of the findings are quite interesting. For example, the LCMS has a retention rate of about 31% after confirmation for millennials. The 31% retention rate is similar to previous generations (Baby Boomer, Generation X, etc.).

However, the key difference is found in what happens to the remaining 69% of LCMS confirmands. In previous generations, those who left the LCMS were likely to at least remain “churched.” With our millennial confirmands, those who did not remain in the LCMS were more likely to be “unchurched” altogether.

Rather than dive too far in to the statistics, of which there are plenty, I’d like to highlight just one finding that I believe we can all do something about. The researchers found that “Young Adults need to feel that they can get plugged in. They need to be given roles and responsibilities.”

This should come as no surprise. Think about those things in your life in which you feel most connected to. Chances are that you have an active role or responsibility in whatever those things might be.

So, what are you doing about this in your church?

  1. Are you giving the young adults opportunities for leadership in the church?
  2. Have you specifically reached out to your young adults and asked them to take on a leadership role?

I certainly do not claim to have the answers to any of these questions. I would posit, though, that if we specifically ask and encourage our young adults to take on roles that come with responsibility, we would be more likely to retain them in our churches. How many young adults do you see:

Ushering?

Helping in Sunday School? VBS?

Lent/Advent Dinners?

Coaching?

I encourage you to seek out opportunities like these to get our young adults in positions of responsibility. Lutheran Youth Room is a great resource for our youth lay leaders – let’s share. How are you keeping young adults “plugged in?”

Chris Cody is the Education Executive for the South Wisconsin District – Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. In this position, he encourages, equips, and advocates for the district’s 53 elementary schools, 6 high schools, and 33 early childhood centers. Additionally, he supports the Youth and Family Ministry programs in the South Wisconsin District. Prior to accepting this position, he was the principal at Mt. Olive Lutheran School in Milwaukee. He is blessed to be married to his wife Megan, with whom he has two children, James (4) and June (2).

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