Dear Friends,
As we sit together here in Manchester for the General Synod, surrounded by structural ordinances and heavy agendas, a moment from our floor discussions stands out as the true compass for our future. A lay delegate—a dedicated woman in her seventies—stood up and asked our bishop nominees a direct, heartfelt question: What specific program would you recommend to bring people back to our church?
It was a beautiful, honest question that cuts right through all our administrative bureaucracy and committee jargon. But if we are completely honest with ourselves, new "programs" aren't going to save a dying denomination. National research from groups like the Barna Group reveals that young adults (Gen Z and Millennials) are actually returning to church in surprising numbers right now—but they aren't looking for superficial entertainment, slick marketing, or a parish fish fry. They are looking for authenticity, tangible justice, and deep spiritual practice.
If we want the PNCC to do more than just survive—if we want it to truly thrive for coming generations—we have to roll up our sleeves, look at what young families are struggling with every day, and adopt these three specific behaviors:
- First, we must shift from
institutional defense to fierce, hands-on solidarity with our margins.
Data shows that young people leave when they see Christianity as a social performance rather than a life-changing faith. To them, a church that preaches Jesus must act like Jesus. Today, pastors like Fr. Erick in Las Vegas and Fr. Robert in San Antonio are watching their Hispanic parish families live in constant fear of discrimination and deportation. We need to honor our 1890s roots—when the PNCC was founded to protect Polish immigrants from prejudice—by standing firmly with our Hispanic brothers and sisters now. That means rolling up our sleeves to establish real legal clinics, turning our church properties into safe sanctuary spaces, and building emergency support funds for families whose breadwinners are detained. - Second, we must replace rigid
perfectionism with flexible, family-focused liturgy.
Young parents today face intense daily performance pressure and exhaustion. The last thing they need is to feel judged or anxious when their toddlers make noise in the pews. Research shows that young adults deeply value traditional elements like prayer and the beauty of the liturgy, but they choose churches where their actual lifestyle and daily realities are understood. We need to adapt our rigid parish schedules to match the chaotic reality of modern work weeks. We must create flexible, shorter, family-friendly liturgies, and stop treating ancient administrative rules like they are more important than welcoming a stressed-out parent. - Third, we must offer authentic,
shared leadership instead of passive maintenance.
National studies show that the top spiritual reason young adults attend church is a desire for deep prayer, alongside an explicit wish to learn from mentors who have survived real-life struggles. They do not want to "wait their turn" in a hierarchy. We need to turn our parishes into active community spaces that tackle daily struggles head-on—offering practical marriage and family counseling, affordable after-school care, and parent peer-support groups. When young people see that the church is a place where they can directly lead service projects, ask raw questions, and find real-life support systems, they stay.
Let’s carry that lay delegate's question with us through the rest of this Synod. Let's stop talking in committee language, step out from behind the safety of the rectory doors, and start acting like a church that isn't afraid to labor in the vineyard.
Warmly,
Father Matt Kawiak
