GROWING

After graduating high school, I got promoted from the youth group to our college Sunday school class at church. It was called collegiate ministry, but really just felt like “youth group for young taxpayers.” The teaching didn’t deepen, there were no new opportunities, and I still felt like a kid.

Halfway through my freshman year in college I transitioned to a church focused on young adult ministry. It included both those in college and those who’d entered the workforce. The main leader engaged members of the class as assistant teachers. Various ministries plugged those young adults into ministries, and some even gave testimonies and preached in worship services. There I learned an important lesson for my future of serving young adults in ministry:

Young adult ministry is one that both ministers to young adults and allows them to minister. Most churches I’ve been around struggle to engage this demographic, so how do we build a young adult ministry?

1. Look at mirrors, not windows

Leadership guru Jim Collins writes in his book Good to Great that strong organizations spend more time looking at mirrors instead of windows. Collins shares that good organizations “look in the mirror to take responsibility when things are going poorly.” Bad organizations “look out the window for something or someone outside themselves to blame for poor results.”

Churches must take more time looking in the mirror.

Lifeway Research released a study in January 2019 on the loss of young adults in the church. They found two-thirds of graduated seniors dropped out of church for at least a year between ages 18 and 22, and only one-third returned to stay.

Two particular factors stand out for our conversation: 24% said they missed due to work and 29% said they didn’t feel connected to their church. That means the majority of formerly attending students are still around, but not attending. They don’t see opportunities for work or connection in their church, and that’s on us.

If someone’s missing from the church, the church must examine its own efforts before judging the efforts of others. We must look at mirrors of introspection and not windows of blame.

2. Start where you are

While we should have a heart for unchurched young adults, it’s important to first build on the future young adults of our churches. How do we allow elementary and teenage students to feel part of the work and family of the church right now?

There are some simple opportunities to do this regardless of church size. Allow elementary student ministries such as Sunday school, missions teams, and AWANA regular opportunities to provide an element for worship services. We can encourage churchwide ministries to invite middle and high school students to serve as greeters, tech team, praise team, VBS assistant teachers, property and grounds, etc.

There will be bumpy moments as they learn, but if we wait until they’re “ready,” we miss opportu- nities for the church of tomorrow to also be the church of today. We shouldn’t worry if there are only a couple of young adults at the beginning. When I began a young adult class at our current church, many weeks it was just myself and one guy. We studied the Bible together and kept the space alive for more to join, and they did over time–from both inside and outside of the church.

3. Create a large tent

For churches with a college and career ministry, perhaps it should be refined as young adult ministry. This means we’re not defining people by what they do, but by a season of life that is often still a time of discovery.

Changing terminology requires commitment. Don’t give up when people continue to use the old designators out of habit. Help them to understand we’re creating a bigger tent for the potential young adults inside and outside of the church. We want our ministry designations to be as simple and selfexplanatory as possible. I spent about two years praying that God would help us to do this well at our church before we saw real results. But stick to it. Your church will see results too.

Heath Tibbetts is pastor of First Baptist Church of Machesney Park. He is also serving as IBSA President.

Learning curve recommendaTions

Everyday Victory for Everyday People

First Place Bible Studies

This study may appear to only be about weight loss, but it is so much more. The spiritual impact is far beyond the difficulty level or the amount of time spent. I can’t recommend this program enough for a well-rounded Christian: body, mind, and soul.

MacArthur Bible Studies

John MacArthur

This series includes a study on each book of the Bible. While it provides historical context and goes deep into the interpretation of the text, it also provides reflection questions that focus on my personal walk with God. It even provides space to answer the questions and take other notes directly in the book.

My Utmost for His Highest Oswald Chambers

This daily devotion book has been used in our home for over 20 years and continues to challenge me in new ways. The compiled works of Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest is filled with simple, profound nuggets of wisdom while pointing the reader back to Scripture. A quote from the January 1 devotion sums it up well: “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for his highest–my best for his glory.”

Churches face legal issues all the time, so they need to be prepared. And when an issue arises, churches need trusted counsel.

With over 24 years of service, at all court levels, Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has seen the cultural and legal trends clearly shift against the Church.

We can help your church prepare itself for these changes.

IBSA covers half of your church’s cost for the first year of membership.

Training provided by Bruce Kugler

The Blood of Jesus Christ

Generational Sins

Removing Demonic Strongholds bruce.kugler@BKuglerMinistries.org

Member of the Conference of Southern Baptist Evangelists (217) 891-8145

“My friend Bruce Kugler has prepared perhaps the best presentation of Spiritual Warfare I have seen in many years. It is not only theologically accurate but is very practical. I am enlisting Bruce to teach these truths to our pastors in India. I strongly encourage every pastor to invite Bruce to share this teaching in your church. We have a host of our people struggling with the world, the flesh, and the devil, and they urgently need help. These truths will set them free.”

– Dr. Ron Herrod, President R.H.E.M.A. International, Former First Vice President, Southern Baptist Convention

Begins: February 20th

Sunday Evenings: 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm

Length: 13 week class

$30 $50 (couple) Training Manual Included