The tables in the fellowship hall quickly filled as people arrived at the Pastors, Staff and Wives Banquet held Feb. 25 in conjunction with the 2019 Alabama Baptist State Evangelism Conference at Dawson Memorial Baptist Church, Birmingham.
The topic of discussion this year: strategies for reaching millennials. Alex McFarland, speaker, writer and advocate for Christian apologetics, was the guest speaker for the banquet.
“Everyone wants to know ‘How do we reach millennials?’” McFarland began. “One of the strategies I see working is mentorship. They are very, very relational.”
It’s important to remember effective evangelism is about investing the time, McFarland said. “Evangelism in the 21st century is spelled relationships.”
McFarland discussed the idea of “tribe mentality” in millennials.
“Millennials can be raised in the church and make a profession of faith, and yet go to college and begin to doubt biblical commands and standards.”
And why do they do this? According to McFarland, because they are looking for acceptance, significance and security, and “they aren’t going to do anything that will set them against the tribe.”
Breaking down those barriers may seem like a tall task, but it must be done.
‘True and living God’
“We don’t need to change the message,” McFarland said. “We don’t need to improve on perfection. We just need to recommit ourselves to the family and the family of God.”
So invest time and build relationships, he said. “The great thing about the Church is that the true and living God is living within us.” To watch videos from this year’s conference visit alsbom.org/event/state-evangelism-conference-2019. To see photos go to https://bit.ly/2EFqgv4.
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