Here. There. And everywhere.

That pretty much sums up my whereabouts over the past two months. From Detroit to Colorado Springs to Seattle, I’ve enjoyed a series of adventures both personally and professionally. I apologize for my blogging negligence in the interim!



My trip to Michigan was extra special. I was blessed to celebrate my former Colorado roomie, aka: my best friend Amber’s wedding.

Congrats Josh and Amber Luongo!







The second wedding of the summer was a little closer to home. My beautiful little sister, Emily, married the love of her life. Allie and I got to stand by her side, and even gained a brother out of the deal. Score!




I love you Chris and Emily!

(Stay tuned for blogs on marriage trends)








Next on the agenda? A trip to my old stomping grounds in Colorado Springs. I had the great pleasure of speaking at the Navigators Headquarters and meeting new friends who have a passion for reaching 20-somethings for Christ.





























My purpose for going to Colorado was to gain insight into intergenerational ministry strategies from Dr. Chuck Stecker, President of ‘A Chosen Generation.’ I look forward to sharing what I learned. Great stuff!

Last but not least, I landed in beautiful Seattle, Washington to attend the Navigators’ 20-something ministry, called B2G’s, national gathering. We heard from awesome speakers, made new friends and roughed it on a cruise ship in Puget Sound.

In summary: It’s been an incredible 2 months. I’m grateful!

A little less talk a lot more listen

“What do you remember most about growing up?”

Their timeworn hands raised one after another.

“World War II….” “The Great Depression…” "Wearing hand-me-downs..." “My family…”

I listened intently as the seniors at First Baptist Church recounted the life-altering events that shaped their views of the world. I quickly realized the guest speaker, aka me, needed to talk less and listen more.

These beautiful men and women have so much wisdom to hand down. I desperately want to receive it. Do you? If so, I have a challenge. Actively seek out a senior member in your church, take him/her out for coffee and ask him/her to describe the world he/she grew up in. Sit back, sip on your latte and listen. I guarantee your heart will be touched and your priorites challenged. I know mine were.

Why are 20-somethings skipping out on Sundays? IV

I know; I know… it’s about time for a new topic. But, quite honestly, I’m captivated by this question. So please forgive my ramblings.

I love going to God’s house to worship, and to study His Word. It’s the fellowship part I struggle with most. One Sunday school door is labeled ‘college class.’ Its next-door neighbor is called ‘single and mingle.’ (Cringe, cringe, cringe!) Life after college is drastically different, as we all know. And single groups… well… if only I had time to share my horror stories involving hula skirts, 40-year-old men and fish. Need I say more?


As a single, 26-year-old woman, I feel like I’m an awkward fit in the church…and often life in general. I think many of my peers feel the same way. And so, when Sunday morning rolls around, it’s all too easy to hit the snooze button or to show up for the main service, and jet out the door after closing prayer.

Not all 20-somethings make it that far. Many quit going to church after high school, and want nothing to do with Christianity. In their new book unChristian, authors Dave Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons find 16-29 year-olds have a very bad impression of the Christian faith. When asked to describe it, here’s what my generation had to say:

#1 Anti-homosexual: 91% outsiders, 80% churchgoers

#2 Judgmental: 87% outsiders, 52% churchgoers

#3 Hypocritical: 85% outsiders, 47% churchgoers

#4 Old-fashioned: 78%outsiders, 36% churchgoers

Outsiders = those looking at the Christian faith from the outside. (Atheists, agnostics, those affiliated with a faith other than Christianity, and other un-churched who are not born-again Christians)

Other significant findings:

Nearly two out of every five young outsiders claim to have a “bad impression of present-day Christianity.”

Only one out of seven outsiders describes Christianity as something that seems genuine and real.

Just one-third believe that Christians show genuine interest in them.

FYI: there are about 24 million outsiders in this country who are 16-29.

In summary: many in my generation feel that Christians are more focused on converting them, than getting to know them as human beings.

What’s the take-away for your church, ministry or non-profit?

Provide a Christ-centered community for young adults.
(Remember we are often away from home, dislocated from structure, and making significant life decisions. We need your help.)

Build meaningful relationships with my generation.
(Meet us where we are, even if we have a tattoo or two!)

And, don’t forget…stick to the truth, mentor and pray.

Why are 20-somethings skipping out on Sundays? Tres.

The question has pierced the heart of the congregation at First Baptist Church in Bristol, Virginia. They formed a task force to start the most important step in reaching 20-somethings: PRAYER. I had the great pleasure of speaking to the group on Thursday.

(My fabulous Millennial intern, Lea!)

Most 20-somethings pledge an allegiance toChristianity: 78-percent, to be exact. But one peek at our Facebook profiles reveals the association is only words deep. Our actions, lifestyles and choices aren’t backing it up. What’s going on?

Consider the fact that we have no foundation on Biblical truth. The only truth we know is socially constructed. (We’re finding that version is flawed) We just missed the apologetics movement, and we don’t know how to intelligently articulate or defend our faith.

The natural progression is to make decisions based on what feels right, or causes the least amount of conflict. Faith in God fits half that bill. So we keep Him on an individualistic level, sacrificing the life-support that comes from being connected to a body of believers.

I don’t think there’s an ‘A+ B = C’ formula to get 20-somethings back in church, nor should there be. But, I do think we’re off to a great start. Remember…

PRAY. For wisdom, discernment and vision.

TRUTH. We’re searching for it. Don’t water it down. Let us dig deep.
‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ -1 John 8:32

TOGETHER. It takes you. And me.

More to come soon!

Happy Father's Day!

He was an All-American athlete (in 3 sports) in high school. He was equally successful in the classroom. He was a football star at Virginia Tech, and left behind a linebacker legacy at Lane Stadium. He married the love of his life… and traded in his jersey for Barbie dolls, curling irons and volleyball courts when the girls came. His resume includes prestigious titles like ‘President’ or ‘Founder,’ Sunday school teacher, deacon, and school board member. But it’s his faith that people really talk about.

This man is my hero. He’s also my dad: Mike Stollings.

Dad was there for all the bumps and bruises that accumulated the day I rode my first big girl bike. He cheered me on for 8 straight hours until I final peddled without training wheels! (He documented the whole thing on video, of course!)

Then there was the Saturday he cleared out our garage so I could practice my over-hand serve for Middle School volleyball tryouts. I made it! That meant Saturday practices at 8:00am. Not bad, except the gym was an hour away from home! Some of my fondest memories were those 6:30am commutes with dad. (‘film line!’)

Dad was at all my volleyball games through high school and college. Whether I made a play of the day, or got taken out of the game, his response was always the same. He would look at me, smile, and lift his pointer finger in the air. That was his way of reminding me to play for an audience of one.

Dad’s support of me went far beyond the court. He was at every one of my extra-curricular activities or award ceremonies. He was also there to hold me through life’s heart aches and tears.

I’ve grown up a little and moved from the court to the career. But what I’ve found is: I need my dad just the same.

Now he’s become my personal U-Haul driver and packer for three major moves. (One includes 24 hours with a 16-week-old, hyper-active puppy)

Then there was my latest drama: an unexpected back surgery. The sleepless nights and physical limitations that followed were a challenge. Whether 4pm, or 4am… dad never left my side.

He’s sacrificed a lot to help me pursue the dream God’s put on my heart. From filing papers to reserving domain names, once again… dad has been my rock.

And, although, I only live 15 minutes from my parents… dad always texts me to make sure I arrive home safely. I play it off as silly. But, deep down, I think it’s the sweetest thing ever!

My dad embodies a life dedicated to faith, family and FUN! He is the most genuine, Godly, humble, selfless and successful man I have ever met. I love him with all my heart.

Thank you, dad, for all you do for mom, me, Emily and Allie-Kate. We are blessed. Happy Father’s Day!

Lights, camera, action; a re:Generations photo shoot

These are my friends. They are teachers, social workers, editors... and the faces of re:Generations.

This image is just one of the many fabulous pictures my friend, Matthew John, captured behind the lens. (Thanks, MJ!) The pics will be used in re:Generations promotional materials, and you can check them out by clicking on the link below. Enjoy!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2189087&l=837f9&id=17021329

Ps- Are my friends good lookin' (insert east TN accent) or what?

Lea's Weekly Update- Week #1

Hello all! I am Lea Williams and I am new to the whole blogging experience, so bear with me. I started working with Jessica this week at re:Generations and think this information is super cool and interesting! Over the summer, I will be sharing this information with you by posting weekly blogs featuring Millennials in the news. It's what I have dubbed "Lea's Weekly Update." So here we go and I hope you enjoy...

Media bombardment is taking its toll

A Fox News report titled, Young Adults Hit by 'News Fatigue,' Study Finds discovers that over-played updates and breaking stories every minute, steps taken to capture the short attention span of Millennials, are having quite the opposite effect. It's wearing us out.

A key finding was that participants yearned for quality and in-depth reporting but had difficulty immediately accessing such content because they were bombarded by facts and updates in headlines and snippets of news.

"Our observations and analysis identified that consumers' news diets are out of balance due to the over-consumption of facts and headlines," said Robbie Blinkoff, co-founder and head anthropologist at Baltimore, Md.-based Context Research Group.

We're ready for depth. If you offer it... we will come. :)

And... Millennials are benevolent?

That's the case according to, "Study: Millennials just as willing to give,". The article, I found in the Western Michigan Business Review, reveals Millennials are willing to donate to organizations. The missing link is effective messaging.

"It's more of a communication issue," said Marie Gajewski, a researcher with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Grand Valley State University.

"Its like any other transition-- foundations and philanthropic organizations need to think about what issues are important to those donors and how they want to be communicated with and all of the other complexities that go into their fund raising," Gajewski said. "The needs of the market are changing. Organizations are having to adapt to that change and the way they raise funds."

That's great news for non-profits. Remember, effective communication is the key to reaching Millennials. Do you know my generation well enough to speak our language? It's a worthy cause...

"The Millennial generation is the next Great generation," [Grand Rapids Community Foundation Marketing Vice President Roberta] King said. "They are very engaged in doing things to make the world a better place, and they are very conscientious."

And that's your weekly update!

Now its your turn. Check out the articles (click the title of the article and it will bring you to the link) and leave me your thoughts...