A Barna survey of the preferences of “Millennials” concerning the “ideal” church (their perceptions of churches, church buildings, and worship environments) had some interesting results. Some of the categories asked (considered in pairs) were the following:
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- Community, 78% was selected over Privacy, 22%
- Sanctuary, 77% (Auditorium, 23%)
- Classic, 67% (Trendy, 33%)
- Quiet, 65% (Loud, 35%)
- Casual, 64% (Dignified, 36%)
- Modern, 60% (Traditional, 40%)
What was interesting to the researchers was the fact that items such as Community, Sanctuary, Quiet are normally descriptive of the more traditional church experience. Yet there was a preference for the idea of a Modern over Traditional church. In other words, many of the young adults interviewed “aspire to a more traditional church experience, in a beautiful building steeped in history and religious symbolism, but they are more at ease in a modern space that feels more familiar than mysterious.”
Here is a situation what is called “cognitive dissonance.” This is defined as “the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes, especially as relating to behavioral decisions and attitude change.” In this particular instance, it appears that there is a desire for the unknown or mysterious (traditional) but also asense of unwillingness to venture outside of what is comfortable (modern). The problem lies in the situation where one is unaware of the dissonance or inconsistency.
I am not about to advocate for either side of the discussion. But the matter of cognitive dissonance caught my attention. There have been occasions when “outsiders” try to dictate to “insiders” how a group should define or conduct itself. And, for “insiders,” the pressure to conform to the demands of “outsiders” could easily lead to cognitive dissonance.
I am thinking, for example, of the policy of some schools demanding that on-campus Christian student organizations must allow persons who do not share the Christian belief or value to have leadership positions in the group. Now this may be a more obvious case of dissonance. But I wonder how those of us who claim to be followers of Christ may hold on to ideas and practices that actually contradict our commitment to Christ. Here’s the challenge: be diligent in growing toward maturity in our understanding of our faith. We must seek to diminish cognitive dissonance, and build a healthy, cohesive faith.
—Keith Y. Jainga