Young adults and stewardship: What gives?

Does Christian stewardship look different for millennials who grew up in our increasingly post-Christian world replete with Facebook, Justin Bieber, and legalized marijuana? Is the sky blue? Is North Dakota cold in winter?

The good folks at Luther Seminary’s Center for Stewardship Leadership and I have been in some conversations recently about young adults and stewardship. I confess, I hadn’t thought much about this particular connection before they inquired. Though Roger Nishioka broached the theme in Presbyterians Today last year, and Carol Howard Merritt nibbles on the edges often in her insightful posts (e.g.), there isn’t a whole lot out there on the confluence of young adults and stewardship–at least, there’s not a fancy program you can buy and easily (with theological depth) make the cash fly. But, here’s the deal: that’s a good thing.

The same old church stewardship campaign will not connect with your average young adults, and that’s good news. The world is changing; the church must change with it and our old stewardship campaign wasn’t that good to begin with, certainly not good enough to speak compellingly to those outside the church.