Difficulty in getting new young members

As a small faith community, getting new young members is not easy.

All too happy, we would have that our circle would also be allowed to expand to include young people. As our elderly are reaching an age where they can no longer attend synagogue, or even leave this life, there is a danger that our community is getting smaller and smaller. Several members may be deeply interested in increasing the attendance and membership of young people.

Jewish Young Professional (JYP) also seems to have had a Zoom meeting on a similar matter. He rightly raises the most important and difficult issue facing his and our kehillah. We are very aware that in Christendom, several churches are experiencing a decline in members and certainly in attendance during a church service. After all, people no longer go to church as often. Some even go only on certain high days or on certain important occasions, such as baptisms and funerals. Today, few people see the point of being religious or living religiously. Even in very large church communities, such as the Roman Catholic Church, we see that it is beginning to totter on its foundations and when one looks in several churches, one finds many empty or only a few present during a service.

Today not many people see the necessity to go to a meeting of fellow believers. People should be aware of the nourishment they can receive is such a gathering of fellow believers. Lots of people are not aware of how the Bore wants to see us together in our way of coping life. He also hopes that we shall be there to help others in their struggle we that we all share our commitment and engagement in living for Him. Our Creator does not want to see all indivudals who live on their own, not interested and not concerned about others.

The Elohim sees us as together and as Bnei Yisroel or People of God we should be united. We need each other and be prepared to have mutual submission, mutual support and care. Unity or togetherness should be shown to the outer world, as a sign of our commitment to God.

The problem today seems to be that young people do not seem to feel at home with the elderly. Rather, they have a great need to be with peers. Jewish Young Professional  writes:

The only thing that actually attracts young people are the presence of other young people because young people are totally incapable of being around anyone outside their age group. {Great Moments in Congregational Board Meetings}

But there we encounter problems because, over the last decade, many young families with their little children have already chosen to go to Israel to build their further lives over there. This means that the elderly who didn’t fancy moving or don’t have the money for it, have stayed here in Western Europe. On the other hand, the conservatism of some Jewish brethren puts them off because they do not want modern means of communication like radio, television, and mobile phone, in their homes, while many young people’s lives are co-driven by the smartphone and social media applications.

JYP thinks we shouldn’t bother trying to attract young people

because young people today are totally overrated and mostly useless when it comes to building, supporting, and sustaining a synagogue community. {Great Moments in Congregational Board Meetings}

However, we believe that they can provide the necessary new blood and because they are more aware of new resources, trends, as well as music, their contribution in that field, can provide not only continuity but also renewal and further growth into the future.
Likewise, such young people can vouch for help in the community, such as bringing meals to needy people or going to provide household help to those who are no longer able to keep everything tidy in the house.
Young people are the building blocks / future of the community.

Especially people living far from cities, it is very difficult to find kosher food in their area. Younger members often have easy means of transport to get around and go and deliver vegetables and fruits or meals to several members of the community.

However, we do want to let elderly people, who do not have kosher shops nearby, know that because of that impossibility (even for those who cannot afford it), it is permissible to avail themselves of the offerings stocked in the convenience store.

The older generation, of which the majority is not into the modern media, (sometimes) understands that youngsters with their activity on Facebook and Instagram could perhaps get others interested in our community. Such sharing by them on social media can perhaps open the doors to new people. Though the 65 plussers may not expect too much and certainly not blame those younger members for not being able to get more people interested in our community.

An other problem to keep people in an ecclesia is that the present generations are more mobile than the Boom children. Millennials, Gen Z, having grown up with access to the Internet and portable digital technology from a young age, are more mobile than previous generations, in part due to less job stability and their will to advance in life, taking every opportunity that is presented to them, no matter where the best job offer is presented to them in the world. Because so many of the newer generation focus more on their job-life instead of their religious life, we have difficulty to attract them to come regularly to the shul. Many of them do not find time to gather and as such a bet ha-kneset (“house of assembly”) does not realy attracts them much. Also for studying something different than what they need for their job is not in line with their thoughts. As such they do not feel much to go regularly to the bet ha-midrash (“house of study”). It would be great in case we could get more youngsters to our beth midrash, though even to get enough adults to the zal or Kingdom hall seems to have become more difficult, today several adults having to work so hard, somtimes even doing two jobs, to be able to pay all the bills.
Interestingly, now in this crisis period with the war in Ukraine, a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet, so they are looking for some extra work in addition to their main income to supplement that and thus keep the household budget in line. This does then result in less time for other activities. Many therefore complain that they are too tired to come to multiple meetings.

Several younger people say they do not mind to seek [knowledge], but time (shortage) keeps them from coming to the shul. That shortage of time makes that whenever they find some free time they want to be together because both having a job makes them not always seeing each other often. Millennials are marrying later, though often living together, but not going for kids straight away. Having children later, if at all, means also an emptiness in the community, on that level.

As elders, we admit that we have come to a time when we may need to start reviewing coming together to study the scriptures and pray together.

JYP writes

Based on my anecdotal experience, young people may be drawn less to organized religion and more to other less organized forms of spirituality, and also, young people may be drawn more to less traditional kehillot vs. traditional synagogues. I suspect this is partly due to high synagogue membership dues, but I also think this is in part a reflection of a disinterest in traditional institutions. This is also more likely the case outside of Orthodoxy. {On Young People and Jewish Community}

Here in Belgium, Holland, France and Great Britain, in our community and by the Christadelphians, membership dues cannot be a problem, as we do not ask for ‘tithes‘ or financial contributions like many Protestant churches do. We depend totally on free contributions, which does mean that we only have a very small income and everything is done on a voluntary basis, with members preparing a particular dish for meals (according to the agreement) and bringing it to the hall.

As a community seeing that our older members are dying and not as many youngsters joining us, we also feel that we are always the ones who go out and give, which at moments become frustrating. We, in a certain way, run dry and become empty. Everything in the community always coming to the same people, falling on their shoulders, they become exhausted.

For the next generations we want them to know it is importatn to invest in God and the love for Him. We urge them to be zealous for the Living God. We also want to let them know that the way they live, the way they are an example to their children is important also for them later. We want them to know that what they value, their children also will value. When the children notice their parents investing time in ecclesial life, they shall also go to appreciate such time. What their parents love, they will love.

As a community, we offer Bible studies and opportunities to glory and praise God together. We are convinced that such an experience together in honour and glory of God will enrich everyone in a way that no man can.

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Preceding

Fish vs. Pond Size – Jewish Community Edition

Jewish millennials between 2013 and 2017

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Additional reading

1. Congregation – Congregatie
2. Meeting – Vergadering
3. Contribution – Contributie, bijdrage
4. Integrity of the fellowship
5. Church indeed critical in faith development
6. Discipleship to look at
7. Compassion and Discipline
8. A world with or without religion
9. Being Christian in Western Europe at the beginning of the 21st century #1
10. The post-Christian world
11. The Field is the World #4 Many who leave the church
12. Why the church keeps losing it’s grounds.
13. Today’s Thought “Friendship with the world …” (June 09)
14. Creation of the earth and man #4 Of the Sabbath day #2 Days 1,7,8 and 50
15. Jerusalem and a son’s kingdom
16. Has Bible Engagement during Coronavirus Increased or Decreased?
17. The Big Conversation
18. The Big Conversation follow up
19. Being in isolation #1 Baptists making an important choice
20. Keeping an ecclesia in modern times
21. Where our life journey begins and inheritance of offices of parents
22. Being religious has benefits even in this life
23. Main churches losing population share
24. Unhappy people in empty churches
25. Where are the church-members gone
26. Germinating small seeds, pebble-stones, small and mega churches and faith
27. 500 Years of Reformation Divisions Have Lost Much of Their Potency
28. The focus of multiculturalism in Europe on Muslims and Jews
29. Less Americans interested in praying
30. Christians close to falling below 50pc in England
31. The decline of religion in the US continues unabated
32. After 2,000 UK Church Buildings Close, New Church Plants Get Creative
33. How to Save the American Church
34. Christians are increasingly mixing and matching their faith in unexpected ways
35. Reasons why Christianity is declining rapidly in America
36. Are you having such days?
37. My perspective: Virtual v Physical church attendance
38. Being in isolation #7 Mission work
39. Being in isolation #8 Those isolating themselves and those being isolated by others
40. Should church members question preachers about the doctrine that is not in the Holy Bible?
41. Decrease in church attendance not only a recent feature #5 Necessity of attendance
42. To find ways of Godly understanding
43. Would you run
44. Social Distanced but Spiritually Close
45. The post-Christian world
46. What sort people of faith do we want to be
47. Be an Encourager
48. United people under Christ
49. Brothers and sisters in Christ, united by the bond of the spirit
50. Priorities for our Christadelphian community and for the spreading of Good News
51. Small churches of the few Christadelphians (Some View on the World) = Small churches of the few Christadelphians (Our World)
52. Daring to speak in multicultural environment
53. Preaching as Public Speaking
54. Learn how to go out into the world and proclaim the Good News of the coming Kingdom

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Related

1. {Great Moments in Congregational Board Meetings
2. Worship
3. Thinking Through Sundays (Is Sunday the Sabbath Day?)
4. Missing Church? — Intentional Faith
5. Shadows of New Jerusalem, Psalms 145-150
6. God Manifested in the Church Meetings
7. Where are the Jews in redemptive history? Exactly where they have been predestined to be
8. “Ebb and Flow”; Beth A. Faeth, Aug. 20, 2017
9. The Church’s First Unity Test
10. Church and Faithfulness
11. I Don’t Go to Church
12. An Inspired Appeal To Assemble
13. Church Assembly And Worship
14. Ten Reasons To Go To Church
15. Church attendance – Part 1
16. Church attendance – Part 2
17. Christ-Follower, Church-Goer
18. Church attendance – Part 3
19. Come to church!
20. Reasons to Attend Church
21. Motivation For Attending Church Services
22. Why Take Children to Church?
23. The seeker- and the shikker-driven church
24. Routine or genuine concern?
25. What Are Appropriate Reasons For Missing Church?
26. Growing the post-pandemic church & Adding online worship options is preferred by 57% of people 55 and under. Here is a chart that shows how the harvest fields have moved.
27. How on-line-worship calls out to me
28. Words of Life: Fellowship
29. Church members matter . .
30. What do congregations really need?
31. When church chairs are a matter of rejoicing
32. Grace in the News – Red Paint Painted Over and an Evolving Journey of Truth, Healing and Reconciliation
33. the nail bar as church
34. 10/19/22 – Grouping Call
35. There’s nowhere like it!
36. The Church Is a Big Deal!
37. First Monday in November