This past weekend, I had the privilege of presenting a paper to the 2018 Southeast Regional Evangelical Missiological Society meeting. What a great time interacting with thinkers from several states on the topic of “Mission in a Secularizing World”!

My topic was “The Immigrant/Millennial Link: Demographic Keys for Effective Church Multiplication in a Secular Age.”

Though I can’t publish the paper in its entirety on the blog due to possible inclusion in a compendium later in the year, I CAN share the powerpoint that I used at the presentation, which includes key points and suggestions.

If you’re involved with a church in any way, may these ideas provide encouragement and research-backed inspiration for reaching two of the most strategic groups of our time at the same time: immigrants and Millennials.

“If the American Church is to thrive in a time of increasing secularization, she must not ignore demographic trends, which include the growth of immigrant and Millennial populations. Christians should not play into the current narrative that evangelicals are uncompassionate and uncaring towards the vulnerable. To allow this stereotype to stand is to forgo our very DNA as followers of Jesus….Developing a compassion-orientation which is recognizable and valuable to secular society today is not about kowtowing to the culture; it’s about reclaiming and reemphasizing what has always at the heart of our faith—a compassionate, welcoming Savior who bids us to follow in his steps. There is no downside to growing in compassion as a church—and there is everything to be gained” (p. 10).

Here’s the powerpoint. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Immigrant/Millennial Link by Jessica Udall (ppt) 

And if you’d like more encouragement and practical ideas for welcoming immigrants, you can check out my book:

Loving the Stranger: Welcoming Immigrants in the Name of Jesus