Millenials...what do we do with them?

I hear this all the time...ALL THE TIME!! It is either this thought or the thought comes through that they are spoiled and entitled, usually together.

"These millennial's have no idea what work really is. How is the world going to function with them in society?"

The church leaders that I have come in contact with use these same words. So we are not immune to the negative cat calls that we are throwing out at a whole generation of young adults.


Are there people in the millennial generation that are entitled, of course, however to be fair this is with every generation. Unfortunately we look at our own generation with rose colored glasses, we do not see what was really there because the generation after us is the worst of all time, THEY did not have to deal with what I went through.

Mennenials are not entitled they are impatient.- Dr. Carl Stevens

I really love this thought from Dr. Stevens. Looking at this idea it comes off in two ways. 1. The generation that is here chomping at the bit, and is ready to impact the community where they live and work. 2. What will we as a church do to help impact this generation that wants to make a huge  impact?


Looking around there is a generation of people that are seeing the world through different lenses that I may. They can see people and their communities in a way that I would not have thought of yet, and they are really, I mean REALLY talented. Most of this generation that I have worked with or had meals with are passionate about something greater than themselves. They are looking for a place to use their talents and energy into something that is beyond themselves. This can seem that they are entitled because they want to take down the top of the mountain before taking the first step.


In college I remember being that way. Wanting to do was to preach and teach. Wanting to find a church that would take a risk on me and walking through sermon prep and guide me as I used what God had given me. There are always a few churches, usually small ones that were willing to allow people to test out our skills and passions on them. Those poor churches never stood a chance with pastors like this. Looking back I wonder what they thought of all those "young" preachers coming through, nervous and shaking, unsure of who they are and what they were doing. Bless them for allowing these "entitled" preachers to want to be in the pulpit.


Restore has been finding more and more "entitled impatient millennials" coming through the doors each week. Seeing the passion in their lives, seeing that they are so impatient to use what they have. If we do not capture this passion and amazing abilities, they are going to go somewhere else to find someone that will see their impatience and throw it into something greater for their communities.


At Restore our theme is that " We are a church for the rest of us", what does this mean for OUR millennial generation that has come to us. That has placed themselves at Restore and want to be used. At Restore we want to help ALL people find what God has gifted them with and place it in an area that will impact Marshalltown.


At Restore:

• We are gospel Catalyst
• We Worship Passionately
• We Celebrate Kids
• We LOVE Marshalltown

We believe that God has something great for all of us. This post is calling out only ONE generation, however I am doing that because so many people ALL over pull this generation down. I am calling out to the millennials that are in my community. We want to help you become Gospel Catalyst and love your city. Letting God work in you and through you. YOU are not an entitled generation, it drives me crazy to have the click bait or the media drive the nails into your coffin without giving you a fair shake.


Churches send us your millennial generation, if you do not want to build into them. Leaders, we need to STOP, throwing this generation under the bus.


This millennial generation is so talented, they see things that I cannot see right way. They want the whole mountain, and they want it now. The mountain they want? Is to impact the community that they are in. Using as many people that we can to impact OUR community. Millennials included. We at Restore love Marshalltown.