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Learning Session Recap: Reaching the next generation
May 23, 2025 / By UNY Communications / .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
On Friday, May 23, 2025, during the Upper New York Annual Conference, the Rev. Kris Sledge and the Rev. Rachel Gilmore led a compelling learning session on why younger generations are distancing themselves from the church. Drawing from their new book, Followers Under 40, the session explored the trends behind this shift and offered insights into how faith communities can be reimagined to meet Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha where they are.
“This conversation isn’t about chasing trends,” explained Rev. Sledge. “It’s about reimagining what it means to follow Jesus in a way that actually connects with those under 40—and rethinking how the church can become a place worth staying in, again.”
The duo, both experienced church planters and pastors in young, diverse communities, shared hard truths alongside a message of hope. Rev. Sledge is the founding and lead pastor of The Journey Church, an urban, multi-ethnic United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, PA. Rev. Gilmore is the Director of New & Vital Faith in the Desert Southwest Annual Conference.
Their research and experiences revealed that the church’s traditional models are failing to resonate with younger generations—not due to a lack of faith, but because of a lack of relevance, trust, and authenticity.
Rev. Gilmore emphasized, “We’re not here to save your church. We’re here to invite the church to listen, to change, and to embody the Good News in a way that is healing, hopeful, and actually worth following.”
Key Highlights from the Session
The Church Is Aging—and Shrinking
Statistical trends show a dramatic generational shift in leadership and membership. Since 2019, clergy under age 35 have decreased by 32%, with only 6% of clergy in that age bracket. Meanwhile, seminary enrollment continues to decline, and more young adults are leaving both rural and urban churches.
Young Adults Are Spiritual—but Not in Our Pews
Rev. Sledge explained that Gen Z and Millennials aren’t rejecting God—they’re rejecting an institution that feels disconnected. “They’ve walked away from performance, from hierarchy, and from gatekeeping religion,” he said. “But they haven’t walked away from God.”
In fact, many young people are spiritually active through nature, art, activism, and mindfulness rather than through church membership. The concept of “unbundled faith,” where individuals craft spirituality from diverse sources, resonated strongly throughout the session.
Values Matter More Than Programs
Young adults are justice-oriented. They want spiritual communities that speak out on racial equity, climate change, mental health, and inclusion. Rev. Gilmore noted, “If churches aren’t speaking to these real concerns, we become irrelevant. They care too much to waste time on abstractions.”
Distrust of religious institutions is also high—only one in ten young adults trusts them. To respond, Rev. Gilmore urged the Church to prioritize integrity, transparency, and real relationships over programming and preservation.
A Call to Let Go
In perhaps the most challenging part of the session, Rev. Sledge and Rev. Gilmore invited leaders to consider what must “die” for resurrection to take place. From long-standing programs like VBS and Sunday School to the survival-focused mindset of many congregations, they asked, “What are we willing to let go of for the sake of reaching someone new?”
“Sometimes we’re holding funerals for the wrong things,” said Rev. Sledge. “We’re grieving choirs and bulletins, while a whole generation is wondering if the church even sees them.”
Resurrection Is Possible
Drawing from the story of Lazarus in John 11, Rev. Gilmore proclaimed, “Healthy things grow. We are not healthy—but resurrection is still possible.” The session concluded with an invitation to embrace transformation, however painful, as a holy and faithful response to God’s ongoing work in the world.
“Resurrection doesn’t come without a cross,” explained Rev. Gilmore. “Letting go might just be the most faithful, hope-filled act we can offer the next generation.”
The session left many attendees with a renewed sense of urgency and possibility. With honesty and hope, Rev. Sledge and Rev. Gilmore called on the Church to shed nostalgia and embrace innovation—grounded not in trendiness, but in love, justice, and the radical hospitality of Christ.
What are you willing to let go of to reach someone new?
Click here to watch the recording from the livestream of the learning session.