Discipleship

THE SNOWBIRD PHENOMENON

BY A. ALLAN MARTIN

Most of my childhood was spent in Florida, affectionately known as the Sunshine State. As a kid, I was always amazed at our clothing during winter. We locals would don layers upon layers while visitors would be in shorts and flip flops; some would even be up for enjoying the beach or swimming in a pool, in January! Fifty-degrees is cold for a Floridian!

I came to understand that these folks often came from up north where it was bitterly cold, and many had come south to escape the frigid temperatures and harsh conditions. I later learned they’d be called snowbirds because of how they migrate to places of warmth and sunshine. Leave the cold and go where it’s warm. Smart move, snowbirds.

Escaping the cold brought to mind life today in the church, and how our faith communities can sometimes be exceedingly chilly. Recently, I posted a comment on social media which got a lot of people talking. It read, “‘What I love about that church is that it’s so cold and condescending,’ said no one ever.”

The departure of both our young people and people of all ages from relationally cold churches has been welldocumented in research. It seems like common sense for warm-blooded humans. “I don’t like the cold, so I’ll go where it’s warm.”

Could a change of interpersonal temperature be a key to not only keeping, but attracting young people into local church life?

Authors Kara Powell, Brad Griffin, and Jake Mulder in their book Growing Young, researched more than 250 congregations who were drawing young people into church. In speaking to more than 1,300 young churchgoers, ages 15 to 29, the authors discovered that next generations longed for authenticity and connection. In a word, warmth.

The Growing Young authors analyzed the terms that young adults used to describe the churches or faith communities that they chose, and noticed repeated words like welcoming, accepting, belonging, authentic, hospitable and caring. The authors began to call this finding the “warmth cluster.”

My friend and mentor, Dr. Roger Dudley, once said, “I concluded that while there are many factors in retention, I really think that the congregational climate is perhaps the most important thing of all. Young people, when they think about Seventh-day Adventists, don’t think about the denomination as a whole. To them, it’s that congregation. If that congregation is a warm, accepting place, then Seventhday Adventism must be a good thing. If that congregation is a place that is struggling, then they wonder, ‘What’s the matter with Adventists?’ Adults do that too, but young people do it particularly.”

When I think back to the reasons I have remained in love with the Seventh-day Adventist Church, my first impulse has rarely been to point to a belief, doctrine, policy, or cultural practice. It is just as rare I will point to a building, location, or region. Rather, when I identify what has adhered me to the faith, it is almost always a fond memory of a person who embodied the “warmth cluster,” someone who exemplified Jesus to me. Especially from my teen years through young adulthood, I can point to people who showed belief in me, interest, and warmth. I can name wonderful Christ-followers who made it hard for me to imagine being anywhere other than the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

As an adult, and having lived at times where winters can be brutal, I identify with the snowbirds who are drawn to where the sun shines brightest and the climate is warm. Like young people, I tend to migrate to spiritual spaces where people are kind and the relationship temperature is inviting. So, the next time a snowbird flutters over to your faith community, what will the temperature be? My prayer is that they will see in you a person who is welcoming, accepting, authentic, hospitable, caring, and warm. For ideas about fueling warm relationships, go to GrowingYoungAdventists.com.

Here are some simple suggestions to fuel warm community in your local church. Greeting: Introduce yourself to individuals you are not familiar with. Having some intentionality to your approach is important so that you don’t awkwardly stumble in your attempt, like saying “Hi, you’re new here,” only to find out they have been attending for some time. Using a phrase like, “Hi, you’re new to me, my name is _______” allows you to meet new faces at church, work, or school.

Food: It used to be customary to invite new people over for lunch after church, but this practice has faded over time. However, meals are typically a great way to get to know people and, for young people, food is always attractive. Consider reviving this lost art.

Service: Community service gives all generations the opportunity to work alongside each other to help those in need. It also serves as a great time to forge friendships and meet people with whom you might not otherwise interact. Be intentional to serve regularly and look to build relationships with those around you.