By Kayla DeKraker
Christian author and speaker Natalie Thomas Runion is noticing that some secular stars are practicing better mentorship than the church, and she hopes to change that.
In an Instagram post, Runion shared a clip from secular artist Gracie Abrams and 80’s singer Cyndi Lauper. In the clip, Abrams shares her uncertainty about what she’s going to write next.
“I’m really curious, now that the album cycle is over, the next album isn’t made. I don’t know what I want to say yet,” Abrams says. “Well take a breath, that’s it,” Lauper encourages the young singer.
In the post’s caption, Runion chimed in that churches need to mentor people with similar compassion.
“Studies are now showing our churches aren’t just being mostly attended by Millennials and GenZ. but they are also making up much of our church staff,” she said. “That means the majority of those making major decisions, leading our congregations and volunteer teams and being the visible faces on our platforms are under 45 years old.”
Runion continues, “I find it fascinating places like Hollywood and the secular music industry understand mentorship and discipleship better than the church- This simple exchange between @cyndilauper and @gracieabrams is exactly what a cup of coffee can look like between a young church staff member or leader and an experienced GenX or Baby Boomer- and it’s weird to see the world doing it better than the church.”
Commenters agreed with her analysis. “This feels like the conversations I have on the regular as I travel! We need this! Thx for highlighting this @raisedtostay,” pastor Lisa Bevere commented. Another person added, “What?! Actually love and disciple the ones who are doing the work of ministry instead of use and trample them?!! Stellar idea!”
Runion is correct in her statement that most people who attend church today are Gen Z and Millennials. A Barna study found just that. “The fact that young people are showing up more frequently than before is not a typical trend,” Barna VP Daniel Copeland said in a statement. “It’s typically older adults who are the most loyal churchgoers. This data represents good news for church leaders and adds to the picture that spiritual renewal is shaping Gen Z and Millennials today.”
The study found that Gen Z attends church 1.9 times per month, with Millennials attending 1.8 times.
With so many younger adults attending church, mentorship is definitely needed. Psalm 45:4 says, “One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”
In a separate study, Barna directly observed the need for mentorship in the church.
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In a post to Instagram, Barna said, “In research done in partnership with RightNow Media, Barna found that older generations are less engaged in mentorship and in mentoring relationships than Gen Z and Millennials. However, the need for mentorship is more prominent than ever.”
So what are we to do with this information? It is important that Gen Z and Millennials in the church seek mentorship from the older generations, and that the older generations lend their wisdom to those who came after them. Only then can we have a flourishing church that does mentorship better than the world.
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