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Humans are constantly on the path of discovery. From the moment we are born, we are finding out brand new things about the world, the people around us, and especially about ourselves.
At one moment or another, we ultimately all seek to discover what it truly means to be human. We question things such as our purpose, the meaning of life, and how to be happy. (You didn’t expect a lesson in philosophy today did you!?)
As believers in God, we know that the answer to all of life’s biggest questions about value and existence eventually points us to Jesus.
He is the meaning of life because He is life
Our purpose is found in Him because He knows the beginning from the end
We can experience not just happiness but pure, fulfilling, abundant life in Him
These are the truths that those who profess Jesus as their Lord have come to believe through their journey of discovery. These truths, however, are not fully clear to many people in our world. Billions of people in this world are still searching for the right answers to their questions. We have the answer they are looking for.
The third level of digital engagement is where curiosity and passive involvement morph into something more real. It is where someone makes the conscious decision to understand and uncover who Jesus is, what faith looks like, and what part they have to play in God’s vast plan for humanity.
This level of engagement is also where we as churches and organizations cannot just stand idly by and merely share our content — we must be actively involved in the discovery process with those who are engaging. This is where we can walk alongside people by answering their questions and inviting them into something deeper.
Contrary to popular belief, Millennials and Generation Z are not mindless individuals who could care less about learning and discovery — they place great value on education. Here are a few statistics to consider:
We have to remember that Millennials and Generation Z especially have grown up with technology right at their fingertips. They can learn about any subject, from any source, with multiple resources, within a few minutes. However, they are selective on the things they learn about and which subjects they choose to dive deeper into.
In a study on millennials, Christy Price noted the following: “‘Relevance’ and ‘rationale’ behind the information is key to how millennials react to it. They value information that they can relate to and apply practically. Since millennials have shorter attention spans, micro-learning and nuggets form an integral part of their learning style. They prefer precise learning with bite-sized content instead of going through elaborate lessons.”
Millennials love to learn a lot of information, but they will do so in the most time-efficient way that is catered to their learning styles. The window is short, which is why if we seek to pique the interest of Millennials (and even Gen Z) we must create content that will encourage them to want to learn more.
The problem we can run into with meeting people on the path to discovery is the sheer number of paths there are. Everyone is trying to discover meaning and the world is offering many different methods to discover this meaning. People are trying to find meaning in their job, relationships, hobbies, and the list could go on and on. If we’re all completely honest, these things may add to the overall quality of life, but they are not life itself.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Just this statement alone tickles the ears of skeptics who doubt the claims and bearing of the Christian faith. But regardless of the criticism, this statement is the truth people are searching for.
The truth is that there are a lot of voices screaming for our attention that promise life and fulfillment, but if you listen closely enough, you can hear the still small voice of the Father inviting His children to just come home.
This is the voice we are called to point people to
This is the voice that we can showcase through a simple encouraging caption, compelling video, or uplifting graphic
This is the voice people are longing to desperately to hear
We can’t force people to discover, but we can point them in the right direction and walk alongside them on the journey.
When someone is learning about something brand new, they will invest time and energy into that thing. For example, say you want to learn how to play guitar. You will spend time researching different guitars to see which is the best for you. You may invest in some sort of video course or a personal guitar instructor. You will then spend countless hours learning about different techniques, music theory, and how to play certain songs.
Learning is a process that involves active participation and a commitment to grow and add to your understanding. This same process is true for someone seeking to discover who Jesus is and learning about what a life of following Him is truly like. It requires a hunger for more.
Small groups, one-on-one conversations with a person of faith, and participation in a Bible study are just a few ways someone can “go deeper.” This level of engagement is not quite discipleship (which we will talk about in the next blog), it is the baby steps that will hopefully lead to a life of following Jesus and becoming a disciple.
Think of it this way: discovery is the free trial, discipleship is the paid subscription. Discovery is where you try things out to see how you like them without any true concrete commitment — discipleship is where you go all in.
Our main objective as the church is to provide the means for discovery, mainly through content and conversation. If there are no pathways in the discovery process then the person will stop at their initial intrigue but have nowhere to go. It's similar to seeing a YouTube channel with one increible video and you want to consume more, but there isn't anything else. No other videos, no website, nothing. You were highly curious, but there was nothing else available to meet the need.
We can stifle people’s discovery process when we start and end at just a nice livestream service. There must be content and conversation available beyond just the weekly service. On a pursuit of discovery, many questions will come. And unfortunately, those questions cannot always be answered in a 1-hour service. That is why dialogue is so important and why we must make ourselves available to answer the seeker’s questions and have a real conversation with them.
Our content is equally important because it provides the person in the discovery process with more insight about faith and Jesus. Your content can include devotional videos, blog posts, encouraging captions and quotes, and even a way to interact with your church’s leadership through a live Q&A or something similar. The point here is to give them more ways to get to know Jesus and encourage them to go deeper.
Discovery is an integral part of our faith walk that differs for every single person. This level can make or break whether someone transitions from being merely a consumer and observer to a participant and disciple.
While our digital presence and content are extremely important, it must ultimately exist to lead others to know Jesus. When you create and post content, do it through the lens of encouraging others to go deeper in discovering Jesus and a life of following Him.
Our job is to meet people in their hunger and offer them the Bread of Life that always satisfies. We must do everything in our power to guide people on this journey because none of us can do it alone.
God has designed us for community and to walk alongside each other in our pain, doubting, joy, and wondering. He has designed us to ask the big questions in life and to walk alongside others as we seek and attempt to discover the meaning of life and faith.
We as churches and organizations have the opportunity to meet people on the path to discovery and invite them to talk the journey alongside us! Instead of dismissing their questions, we can give them t
The beauty of it all? That on the path of discovering who they are and what their purpose is, they may just find a loving Savior named Jesus who gives their life true meaning.
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