Missional, Understanding Context, Young Adults
Finding, Keeping, and Developing Young Adults
As I look around the Church of the Brethren, I don’t see many active young adults. Something seems to happen to our youth as they go off to college. What’s your experience? How do you reach out to and attract young adults?
Today, I ran across this article on reasearch that’s been done:
LifeWay Research Uncovers Reasons 18 to 22 Year Olds Drop Out of Church
Written by Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn.—A new study from LifeWay Research reveals that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend a Protestant church for at least a year in high school will stop attending church regularly for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22.
To read more of the article, please go to: http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D165949%252526M%25253D200906%2C00.html?
I’d love to hear of your experiences of working with young adults!
Jeff
10 Aug 2007 Jeff Glass
Our new ministry center is located just 5 blocks from Salisbury University. We are on a major thoroughfare for walkers, skaters, and bikers to get to SU from the homes they live in… so, we are looking for ways to interact and engage the students…. first we set up a booth at the “Arrival Survival” event that the university held for Freshmen move in day. Several of us took off work and from 8 -2:30 handed out free bottles of iced cold water with connect cards. We had a banner with our church logo and web address present, but mostly we were just wanting to say “welcome”. We gave away 458 waters and about 750 connect cards (that is a story unto itself… one of our youth would smile and respond to all “no’s” with a “would you like a card?” and the response was always “yes”.
In addition to this (separate from the ministry of our church and yet connected due to it being done by members) Just 3 blocks from our ministry center a group of 4 guys (2 from our church) are opening up a fairtrade coffee shop. I expect this to be my office and to be a major well for us to make relationships with our community, especially the students.
We also put out a sign saying “Welcome Students” at our ministry center… the Chamber of Commerce makes these available to local businesses each year when the students return.
We are also planning an edgy Saturday nigth worship gathering in the future.
What are some of the rest of you doing to engage young adults?