From left, The Rev. David Carl Olson, Rabbi Ilana Schachter and the Rev. Jenn Pilat. Credit: Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock; Kris Rogers Photography; Newsday/Steve Pfost
Published by Newsday, June 11, 2023 Contributed by Jim Merritt, Journalist
Millennials (those born between 1981 and 1996) are currently the largest generational group, and they are also among the least religious Americans, with almost a third reporting they are religiously unaffiliated, according to a recent survey. This week’s clergy discuss how they seek to engage the generation currently aged 27 through 42.
The Rev. David Carl Olson Associate minister for Congregational Life, Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock, Manhasset
Millennials value community, cooperation and service. Our Lifespan Religious Education program welcomes young families who pursue the spiritual but not religious path to find community. We recently held a series of workshops in walking the labyrinth and reflecting on the personal and shared meanings each found in the task. One Sunday morning workshop was centered on young families; a second staffed by young adults was held around a simple evening meal; and a final workshop took place at an all-congregation retreat where individuals, over the course of a day, were invited to engage the same walk. Pastoral care was offered in all these settings. We offer care in ways that are sensitive to LGBT people and to the people of color who find their ways to our multicultural services of worship. A strong music and arts program offers a place for creative people to connect. Direct service is offered in our relationship with the Roosevelt Community Garden where volunteers of all ages assist in whatever is needed. This hands-on engagement helps young adults and young families connect to their own sense of our inter-relatedness with the earth and all her creatures.