It’s increasingly clear that the younger generation is a significant mission field. As we plan effective ministry in the coming years, we will have to address the unique traits of the millennials, people now thirty and younger. The “Millennials and the Bible” survey commissioned by American Bible Society and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, produced by Barna Group, keeps giving us important insights.

What does this generation think about the Bible? As you might expect, “Bible-engaged” millennials (those who believe it and read it often) were apt to call it “the inerrant, infallible word of God” or “the inspired word of God,” or they said, “The Bible is inspiring and should be read by everyone.” But three different answers rose to the top among non-Christian millennials.

“The Bible is a dangerous book of religious dogma used for centuries to oppress people” (32%)

“The Bible is a useful book of moral teachings” (26%)

“The Bible is an outdated book with no relevance for today” (22%)

You might say that unbelievers in this age group fall into three similar-sized categories: Nasty, Nice, and Not Into It.

The “dangerous” idea has gained traction in recent years. The problem is, it’s somewhat true. If we have to answer for all the misdeeds of Bible-believing Christians through the centuries, we have a lot of apologies to make. Is there a good way to answer this charge? Probably not with dogmatic pronouncements. But can we respond with humility, showing how God’s Word leads us to be hungry, merciful peacemakers (see Matthew 5:3-10)?

The “nice” view that the Bible is a “useful book of moral teachings” seems to be a holdover from previous generations (and previous centuries). There has long been a general respect for the Bible in American culture, even if it is now waning. But respect is not necessarily engagement. Our surveys show that overwhelming numbers of Americans own Bibles, even those who seldom read them. Can we turn respecters into readers by unpacking those “moral teachings,” showing how the biblical ideas of love and justice really are?

As for the Bible’s image as an “outdated” book, this may require more than just jazzing up our approach. You don’t establish relevance by saying how relevant you are. You show how the Bible connects with people’s real lives. And in the case of millennials, that might mean paying attention to their lives and offering insight from Scripture that challenges, inspires, instructs and comforts them in their day-to-day and relationships.

When our survey asked millennials to pick the words that would “best reflect your beliefs about the Christian Bible,” the top answer for non-Christians, selected by half of them, was “story.” Now when you compare this to words like “fact” and “historical”—selected by large numbers of the Bible-engaged millennials—it seems like “story” is a show of disbelief, along the lines of “mythology” and “fairy tale” (which were also highly popular responses among non-Christian millennials).

But there’s another way to look at this word. Stories are interesting, often packed with adventure. Each of us has a story, and we share stories with our friends. Stories make sense of things. Stories provide meaning.

For a long time we’ve been fighting to prove the truth of the Bible’s story. We believe it is “fact” and “historical.” But millennials seem to be asking different questions from those we’re answering. “Where does the story include me?” they wonder. “Is the Bible’s story also my story?”

As we address those questions, we will reveal the deep relevance of God’s powerful word in many individual lives.