While doing some calendar planning, I wanted to know if my son and his wife were thinking about going to NY for Christmas to visit her parents and, if so, when. So I sent each of them a text. Texting is the best way to communicate with them. It’s been that way for some time. They rarely answer a phone call. If I email, they might see the message in a few days. But if I text, I usually get a response.

That’s not unusual for their generation. A recent study of Millennials (ages 18-32) found that 75% use their smart phone in bed before going to sleep and 90% check them again first thing in the morning. Half use them while eating and a third use them in the bathroom. A third check them every half hour. Another fifth check them every ten minutes. A quarter of them check them so frequently that they lose count.

I’ve even noticed some changes in how I get information. We have a PC at home, but I can’t remember the last time I turned it on. I use my lap top mostly for work. For news or surfing the web, I mostly use my iPhone or Monieca’s iPad. I seldom pick up a newspaper…instead I pick up my smart phone – and I’m 55 years old. And yes, I read sports and news on my smartphone in bed at night. I also use it for my alarm clock, calendar, to do list, tracking my calorie intake, GPS, Skype, music, camera, flashlight, writing notes and keeping lists, checking emails, and much more. Just imagine all the ways young adults use their smartphones.

All of this has implications for how we communicate and connect with young adults as a church. The challenge is that most of our systems for doing this are based on methods that younger generations don’t pay much attention to anymore. It even has implications for giving. A recent study discovered that 62% of Millennials are likely to give by smartphone. They tend to be checkless and cashless.

All of this also means that investing in apps and processes to more effectively connect and communicate with young adults would be a smart investment. So as a parent, I’ll keep texting. As a church, there are some things we need to do as well.

Pastor Steve Hogg