Young Adult Ministry (part 3): That Was Then

We are half way through a series I am doing on ministry to young adults. This series is being offered on both this blog as well as the young adult ministry blog of my church. While online comments have been sparse, this series has sparked quite a bit of conversation offline. This post is a response to many of the questions and comments I have received in person.

To clarify, I am not saying there was “NO” young adult ministry taking place. As I noted in an earlier post, there was a young adult ministry in place at the church I was serving in 2006, but my point was that it was poorly attended. Some churches offered a “College & Career” group, but these groups were often organized by one or two young adults with little guidance provided by the church.

I’d also like to restate that my findings were not “official” research rather information that was gathered first hand through targeted conversations with young adults living in the Baltimore, MD area in the mid 2000’s. As such, they may or may not be indicative of your particular area and this current time.

Speaking of time, there was also a distinct lack of resources for someone, like myself, looking to reach young adults. My first attempt to minister to young adults came when I taught a Bible study out of my home in 1996. In 2004 I assisted a church plant that targeted young adults. Then, in 2006 I determined to forge a path for this type of ministry. I looked around and saw plenty of Christian conferences and resources for Pastors, teens, men, women, and married couples, but very little was available for young adult ministry.

Today men like Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer have written books like Lost and Found and Essential Church that chronicle young adult research and assist churches in re-capturing those who have left the church. Jason Hayes and Lifeway have developed a great curriculum for young adult ministry called Threads. They also host several conferences that target young adults. Brian Mosley started the Right Now Campaign with the mission of challenging young adults to trade in the “American dream” in order to serve God and spread the gospel. Authors like Renee Johnson, and Kary Oberbrunner have emerged to speak directly to this generation of young adults. This list is not exhaustive but shows that there is a new effort afoot to empower young adult believers.

However, in 1996, 2004, and even in 2006 these people, their ministries, and their resources were not available. I was on my own! The first two posts in this series reflect my journey to understand and minister to young adults during a time when there were scant resources. Upcoming posts will be reflective of what I have found to be true and effective in the current state of young adult ministry.

So come along for the ride and feel free to comment over the next two weeks as we will explore current misconceptions about young adults and I announce a great new resource for young adults and those who minister to them.