Young Adults

Last week I talked about why young adults are not really feeling church anymore and the issues they have with attending church as well as the issues they are dealing with personally that keep them from church.
This week, I want to suggest some possible elements that will help young adults find there way, first and foremost, back to God and then to the church. These are some helpful hints that I have found practical in my world that will help in this regard.  I realize that some of these are not readily accepted because they go against what some call: Traditional Church.  With some who embrace traditional church as the ONLY way to do or have church, what I am suggesting may be looked at as not of God, but hey, this is not about people who are already in church...its about those who aren't.  So here they are some practical, helpful hints on how to reclaim or get young adults back in the church.


1. When they come back please don't judge them; instead of judging them, take that energy and love on them!  They have been dealing with things that many of us have never dealt with and don't even understand.  So to judge where they have been, how they look, and why they are wearing what they are wearing as they come back to church is not the best place to start.

2. As they grow, allow them a place of service in the church.  Young adults, I believe perform best under responsibility.  If we allow them areas within the church to lead out, serve, help and function, I believe that they will not only come but bring others.

3. The worship service must change!  Before you crucify me, please understand that nowhere in the bible are we told how to have church on the weekend.  There are no instructions that you MUST have a call to worship, repeat an affirmation of faith, place a song here, and preach there...Its all either tradition OR opinion on how the community that worships together should worship.  However, with young adults "HIGH CHURCH" pushes them away.  They literally cannot understand the 'why of some of the elements in some of our services.  Most people will say things like: "We shouldn't change our service to fit a particular group of people".  However what makes that service holier than another when none of it is necessarily biblical prescribed?  Do you want young adults back?  Change the worship service...

4. Hold them accountable.  Believe it or not, young adults want to be held accountable, but they enjoy it more from people who they can trust and who they know genuinely care about them.  Generation X'ers can sniff people who they know don't really care about them.  But when you care, they want you to hold them accountable to what God expects from and of them.  Encourage, encourage, encourage...If you only see them once a month right now, let them know how much you have missed them, and that you have been praying for them (this means you have to pray for them...remember if you say you are, but aren't...they can tell...LOL)

These are not exhaustive, but just some tips in my world I know will help to reclaim young adults back to church...