From Fuller Youth Institute, my go-to resource and think-tank for youth ministry.

By Andy Jung

“It’s a little much.”

Over lunch, the young adult couple who’ve recently been attending my midtown, steepled, traditional church were describing their experience of our later service. 

I’ve noticed a trend over the last couple of years at my church: Young adults in their 20s have walked into our early Sunday morning worship service without any connection to the church. This is especially interesting because our earlier service is the “stripped-down” version of the later service, which often features an orchestra, organ, piano, and 100-voice choir. When talking with the young adults attending the earlier service, a common theme emerges: their desire for quiet in a chaotic world. They seek intentional time to quiet their minds, get in touch with their hearts, and listen for God’s voice in their lives. 

In a digital age of 24/7 outrage and social media’s algorithmic noise, the church’s greatest asset is its ability to provide quiet spaces to find meaning and purpose. Young adults are showing up to liturgical or traditional spaces, as evidenced by the recent rise in attendance in Catholic and Orthodox churches—not for the “show,” but for the silences, ritual, and rootedness of ancient practices that help them find their place in God’s story.

This trend is backed up by our Growing Young research. One key finding was that young people seek warm communities more than high-production worship, trendy aesthetics, and professional polish. For many, warmth isn’t a vague feeling. When describing their church, young people consistently used words like welcoming, accepting, belonging, authentic, and hospitable. Young people are much more likely to stay in a church because of intergenerational relationships than because of the latest worship band or sermon trend. That’s why we often say warm is the new cool. 

Help young people experience the Holy Spirit in today’s noisy world

More young people are seeking meaning and purpose in “new” ways by turning to what has stood the test of time. To create a quiet space that resonates with a generation searching for rootedness, churches must move beyond just lowering the volume in worship. It’s about creating moments of quietness where the ancient practices of our faith meet the modern struggle for identity, belonging, and purpose. 

Here are a couple of ways you can help young people experience the Holy Spirit in today’s noisy world. 

1. Reclaim silence as a faith ritual.

In most churches, silence happens when there’s an unintentional pause or a technical difficulty. Silence isn’t often utilized as a way to help ground young people. We can help them by reframing silence as an active, ancient practice. 

At your next worship service or gathering, try integrating intentional, timed periods of silence. Start with 60 seconds after reading Scripture. Encourage people to breathe, listen to their heartbeat, and allow the passage to sit with them. At first, one minute might feel like an eternity. But over time, consistently creating moments of silence will lead young people to lean into them because they hunger for quiet in their lives. 

2. Engage all five senses.

Craft teaching and experiences that nurture an embodied understanding of the gospel. Encourage experiential learning by engaging all five senses whenever you can. For example, instead of using a video, try reflecting on a piece of sacred art. Use natural light (like candles) when possible. In addition to communion, connect food with your lesson or message to bring in the senses of taste and smell. Provide a small cross or smooth stones for young people to hold as they reflect on Scripture. Many ways of engaging the senses can help them experience the message of the gospel. 

Creating the connection today’s young people are longing for 

Many young people are seeking more in their faith journey. They’re longing for places that can be a quiet center in their noisy world. They’re looking for ways to go deeper. They’re hungry for warm relationships. 

In many churches, reaching today’s young people will call for more than just programmatic changes. A cultural shift throughout the church may be required to meet young people where they are and to earnestly listen to their needs without making assumptions. 

This work isn’t easy.

That’s why the Fuller Youth Institute’s consultants are ready to journey with you and your church as you navigate this cultural shift. Our consulting process will help you develop contextualized plans to reach younger generations. We’ll help you to choose substance over style and warmth over flash. The future of the church isn’t found in better programs, but in the spiritual practices that have sustained the faithful for two millennia.