Motivating the Next Generation in the U.S. to Missions

Abstract

While motivating the next generation in the U.S. to Missions, is not really a new concern for missiology (every generation has had its challenges); the context today is unique. As a college professor of missions, along with shifts in the type of students who are taking missions classes; I am also concerned as I am also seeing far less interest in studying missions that 20 years ago. In light of these changes, this paper surveys a variety of reasons that seem to push younger generations away from global missions’ engagement. It will explore the reality of changes in demographics as the younger generation in the US is increasingly diverse in culture, ethnicity, and other factors. Rather than throwing our collective hands up in despair, we are called to understand the challenge before us from which we are educating and recruiting for missions. Thus, the focal question of this paper is “What challenges and opportunities are present in motivating younger generations to career service in Missions?” And “What positives can be found amongst the younger generations?”