The latest survey from the Barna Group shows “How Technology is Changing Millennial Faith.” This generation has been called “digital natives for good reason. They are the most technologically savvy generation in history. We should not be surprised that they are using technology as part of their faith experience.
Millennials are the most likely to check their phones as they wake up and before they go to sleep. Ask them the phone number of their friend. They haven’t memorized it. They grab their phones. Ask them a question; they will “Google” the answer. Those habits aren’t likely to change in their spiritual lives.
The Barna survey found that seven out of ten practicing Christian millennials read Scripture on a screen. A majority (54%) of them are heavy users of online videos that pertain to their faith.
About one-third of all millennials use an online search to scope out a church, temple or synagogue. This percentage increases to over half (56%) of practicing Christian millennials who do the same. The Barna Group concludes that this generation is likely “checking out a faith community online, from a safe distance” and this may be “a prerequisite for the commitment of showing up in person.”
They are also likely to check out spiritual content online. They already do this if they are curious about a restaurant, museum, or movie. It would make sense they would also do this in reference to spiritual content. Nearly six out of ten practicing Christians (56%) say they search spiritual content online. Other millennials are also doing this, suggesting a possible online outreach for churches and Christian ministries.
They are also fact checking. A percentage of millennials say they search to verify something a faith leader has said. Here’s a word to anyone who is teaching in church or a Bible study: millennials will double check what you teach.
The latest Barna survey reminds us that technology is changing the faith of millennials. Church leaders need to read the entire survey if they are to understand the impact it will have on their ministries. I’m Kerby Anderson, and that’s my point of view.