---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What millennials really want from the…"
description: "\"What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.\" — Rachel Held Evans"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/rachel-held-evans-2876_change_what-millennials-really-want-from-the-ch_2723779.png"
---

#  What millennials really want from the church is not a…

![“What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.” quote by Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/rachel-held-evans-2876_change_what-millennials-really-want-from-the-ch_2723779.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/rachel-held-evans-2876_change_what-millennials-really-want-from-the-ch_2723779.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/rachel-held-evans-2876_change_what-millennials-really-want-from-the-ch_2723779.png)

> “What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.”

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Millennials seek deeper substance in church, not just style changes.

**In simple terms:** They want meaningful change, not superficial updates.

Key Takeaway

Focus on substance over style.

Themes

faith generational values authenticity

Mood

thoughtful inspirational

Type

theological motivational

When to use this quote

- church programs
- sermons
- outreach
- leadership

Key Concepts

spiritual depth community building

Questions to Reflect On

- How can churches deepen their impact?
- What substance matters most to you?

A Different Perspective

Changing style alone may not engage younger members.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Church Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church-change-358148/) [Millennials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millennials/) [Millennials Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millennials-really-1034712/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Style](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style/) [Style Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/style-change-1098550/) [Substance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/substance/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-church-379852/)

## Related quotes

> [A lot of millennials really want a company that signs their paycheck, or whoever it is that signs their paycheck, to be an entity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-kander/a-lot-of-millennials-really-want-a-company-that-signs-their-paycheck/)

[Jason Kander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-kander/)

> [Millennials really don't perceive hierarchies. They either don't perceive them or don't like them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-pinsky/millennials-really-don-t-perceive-hierarchies-they-either-don-t/)

[Drew Pinsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-pinsky/)

> [Young African - millennials really love Barack Obama.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-malveaux/young-african-millennials-really-love-barack-obama/)

[Julianne Malveaux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-malveaux/)

> [Millennials really don't turn out in numbers that people expect and hope for. Speaking of global warming and climate change, you know all these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/millennials-really-don-t-turn-out-in-numbers-that-people-expect-and/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [From the beginning of church history, music, writing, literature, and the greatest works of art all came from the church. To change the culture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-heaton/from-the-beginning-of-church-history-music-writing-literature-and-the/)

[Patricia Heaton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-heaton/)

> [“Do you trust threats, judgment, shame, or social pressure (even in church!) to change people, or do you trust the Holy Spirit working in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-a-boyd/do-you-trust-threats-judgment-shame-or-social-pressure-even-in-church/)

[Gregory A. Boyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-a-boyd/)

> [“When exactly did this all change, and what were the social and theological factors that led to the change? The answer seems to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-witherington-iii/when-exactly-did-this-all-change-and-what-were-the-social-and/)

[Ben Witherington III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-witherington-iii/)

> [I can only say that I believe the Mormon Church is changing because the people inside the church are changing, particularly, the women. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-tempest-williams/i-can-only-say-that-i-believe-the-mormon-church-is-changing-because/)

[Terry Tempest Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-tempest-williams/)

> [One of the most popular current errors, and the one out of which springs most of the noisy, blustering religious activity in evangelical circles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/one-of-the-most-popular-current-errors-and-the-one-out-of-which/)

[Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/)

> [When the oldest batch of millennials really first began voting around the mid-2000s, they leaned a little toward the Democrats, looking a lot like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-soltis-anderson/when-the-oldest-batch-of-millennials-really-first-began-voting-around/)

[Kristen Soltis Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-soltis-anderson/)

> [My personal style is a continued evolution. I can see I've had a different style for every different age in the period of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-mastronardi/my-personal-style-is-a-continued-evolution-i-can-see-i-ve-had-a/)

[Alessandra Mastronardi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-mastronardi/)

> [Recruiters sometimes have their wires crossed when it comes to what Millennials really want at work. While fancy perks are great, many Millennials are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-minshew/recruiters-sometimes-have-their-wires-crossed-when-it-comes-to-what/)

[Kathryn Minshew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-minshew/)

> [I hear my own daughters talking about big companies polluting the environment, and then I realise they are talking about companies of which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indra-nooyi/i-hear-my-own-daughters-talking-about-big-companies-polluting-the/)

[Indra Nooyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indra-nooyi/)

> [Every day ma style change wid ma mood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shafeera-khan/every-day-ma-style-change-wid-ma-mood/)

[Shafeera Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shafeera-khan/)

> [I think millennials have really made it their vision and commitment into life to really find themselves, to focus on what matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-shetty/i-think-millennials-have-really-made-it-their-vision-and-commitment/)

[Jay Shetty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-shetty/)

## More by Rachel Held Evans

> [“So what did God say to me in the silence that morning? I’m not sure, but I think God said something like, Don’t try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/so-what-did-god-say-to-me-in-the-silence-that-morning-i-m-not-sure/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [I'm a Christian because Christianity names and addresses sin. It acknowledges the reality that the evil we observe in the world is also present…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-m-a-christian-because-christianity-names-and-addresses-sin-it/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“Some rabbis say that, at birth, we are each tied to God with a string, and that every time we sin, the string breaks.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/some-rabbis-say-that-at-birth-we-are-each-tied-to-god-with-a-string/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [One of the most destructive mistakes we Christians make is to prioritize shared beliefs over shared relationship, which is deeply ironic considering we worship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/one-of-the-most-destructive-mistakes-we-christians-make-is-to/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“My robust lexicon notwithstanding, I struggle to find the right words to describe just how much I despise, hate, abhor, revile, detest and categorically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/my-robust-lexicon-notwithstanding-i-struggle-to-find-the-right-words/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [This is what God's kingdom is like: a bunch of outcasts and oddballs gathered at a table, not because they are rich or worthy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/this-is-what-god-s-kingdom-is-like-a-bunch-of-outcasts-and-oddballs/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“I don’t know for sure, but I think maybe God was trying to tell me that gentleness begins with strength, quietness with security. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-don-t-know-for-sure-but-i-think-maybe-god-was-trying-to-tell-me/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [Whenever we show others the goodness of God, whenever we follow our Teacher by imitating His posture of humble and ready service, our actions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/whenever-we-show-others-the-goodness-of-god-whenever-we-follow-our/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [Faith isn't about having everything figured out ahead of time; faith is about following the quiet voice of God without having everything figured out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/faith-isn-t-about-having-everything-figured-out-ahead-of-time-faith/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [Christianity isn't meant to simply be believed; it's meant to be lived, shared, eaten, spoken, and enacted in the presence of other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/christianity-isn-t-meant-to-simply-be-believed-it-s-meant-to-be-lived/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“In the years preceding the Civil War in America, Christian ministers wrote nearly half of all defenses of slavery.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/in-the-years-preceding-the-civil-war-in-america-christian-ministers/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“Cynicism may seem a mild transgression, but it is a patient predator that suffocates hope, slowly, over many years,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/cynicism-may-seem-a-mild-transgression-but-it-is-a-patient-predator/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“I suppose that the moral of this story is that trying to copy another woman, even a woman from the Bible, is almost always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-suppose-that-the-moral-of-this-story-is-that-trying-to-copy-another/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“I played my role as the good Christian girl and spared everyone the drama of an argument. But that decision to remain silent split…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/i-played-my-role-as-the-good-christian-girl-and-spared-everyone-the/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

> [“Madeleine L’Engle said, “the great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” 58 I think the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/madeleine-l-engle-said-the-great-thing-about-getting-older-is-that/)

[Rachel Held Evans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

[Explore all 147 Rachel Held Evans quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/)

## More Change quotes

> [Only within yourself exists the other reality for which you long. I can give you nothing that has not already its being within yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/only-within-yourself-exists-the-other-reality-for-which-you-long-i/)

[Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/)

[Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/)

> [“…progress isn't necessarily about change but about things turning out as we want them to”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-hogan/progress-isn-t-necessarily-about-change-but-about-things-turning-out/)

[Phil Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-hogan/)

> [Nobody can tell me that no changes are necessary in Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-weld/nobody-can-tell-me-that-no-changes-are-necessary-in-washington/)

[William Weld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-weld/)

> [If my campaign is not in the debate, we will not be talking about how we really fix this problem of endless and expanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/if-my-campaign-is-not-in-the-debate-we-will-not-be-talking-about-how/)

[Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/)

> [When you walk down the street of Kabul your values for life changes, they do change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-pierre-white/when-you-walk-down-the-street-of-kabul-your-values-for-life-changes/)

[Marco Pierre White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-pierre-white/)

> [Your world will change whether or not you choose to change, but you have the power to choose it's direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/your-world-will-change-whether-or-not-you-choose-to-change-but-you/)

[Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/)

> [I hope I continue to evolve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/i-hope-i-continue-to-evolve/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [“Stay focused on bringing people together and more on positive messaging so that you can be the change you wish to see in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/stay-focused-on-bringing-people-together-and-more-on-positive/)

[Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/)

> [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/)

[Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/)

> [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [You practice mindfulness, on the one hand, to be calm and peaceful. On the other hand, as you practice mindfulness and live a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-practice-mindfulness-on-the-one-hand-to-be-calm-and-peaceful-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Irish research will contribute to global progress and have the potential to help all countries realise the potential of their land sectors in addressing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/enda-kenny/irish-research-will-contribute-to-global-progress-and-have-the/)

[Enda Kenny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/enda-kenny/)

> [No man can change himself into anything from sheer reason; he can only change into what he potentially is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/no-man-can-change-himself-into-anything-from-sheer-reason-he-can-only/)

[Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/)

[Browse all 33,920 Change quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Rachel Held Evans"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/what-millennials-really-want-from-the-church-is-not-a-change-in-style/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Change"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/what-millennials-really-want-from-the-church-is-not-a-change-in-style/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/rachel-held-evans-2876_change_what-millennials-really-want-from-the-ch_2723779.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/rachel-held-evans-2876_change_what-millennials-really-want-from-the-ch_2723779.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e3d/rachel-held-evans-2876_change_what-millennials-really-want-from-the-ch_2723779.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.” — Rachel Held Evans",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Rachel Held Evans",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-held-evans/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "What millennials really want from the...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/what-millennials-really-want-from-the-church-is-not-a-change-in-style/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-held-evans/what-millennials-really-want-from-the-church-is-not-a-change-in-style/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
