creating a Thriving Young Adult Community Top 10 (+1) Tips On How to Do This in Your Congregation Young adults are an essential link in a growing, thriving church. Full of fresh ideas, ready to put down roots in the community, meet others and become involved, our young adults are a vital part of our parish life. But this population can also be difficult to grow, despite the fact that many young adults seek out a church during one of their many life changes: completing school, marrying or having a baby. St. Paul’s has had a ministry with young adults for several years, and, more recently, we have experienced notable growth in young adult visitors who become active, engaged parishioners. With God’s grace, this is how we did it:
1 2 3 4 5 22
Like attracts like- Young adults want to be at a church with other young adults.
So whether you have two or 10 in your congregation, make them visible. Our young adults serve as lectors, ushers and greeters on Sunday morning. In particular, those young adults who are trained greeters know to extend a welcome to any young adults who visit on Sunday and to ask for their e-mail addresses so that we can keep them updated on our young adult ministries and events (see #3).
Involve them first. Membership will follow.
Once a young adult visits and joins our e-mail list, and we’ve seen them perhaps one other time in church, we seek to involve them. Whether it’s through a phone call or e-mail, we take a moment to help them make connections with the choir, Outreach, Sunday School or whatever it is that they want to do. A few weeks later, we ask them to join the church. By then they’ve met several people and are involved in the church, so the answer is almost always, “Yes!”
Create an e-mail list and embrace social media.
Keep a running e-mail list for all young adults. The committee (see #4) can use this list for direct communication about young adult ministries. If you haven’t already, consider joining Facebook. I personally put it off for a long time but am grateful to be using it now, if for no other reason than to connect with parishioners. Our committee created a St. Paul’s Young Adults page that they update with parish events.
Create a committee or team.
When you have a handful of young adults, it’s time to think about officially organizing them. Be sure you have representation from single young adults, those married with and without children, and both men and women. Each will offer a different perspective when it’s time to decide what their mission will be and how they will fulfill that mission.
Co-Chair/Co-Lead/Collaborate.
Our young adults have a strong preference for co-chairing, collaborating, and working together on ministry opportunities. That way when one is not available or out of town, the other one can pitch in seamlessly.
The North Carolina Disciple | Fall 2011
Making Disciples, Making a Difference