Family Ministry Blog

What's Next at Church for My Young Adult?

by Ben Holden on March 11, 2019

Over the last few years, I have repeatedly been asked the same question, “What is there for my child who is now a young adult at the church?”

I get it. Parents desperately want to see their child, who has recently begun life after high school, stay engaged in the church and with friends who hold to a faith in Jesus. What parent wouldn’t want to see this? Their child was probably engaged at some level in the church’s youth group and had found a community they wanted to be engaged in. After high school, it was harder to find community, their “spot” in the church.

I have seen the issue, I have heard about it, and I have felt it. Almost a year ago at Berean, we began the process to tackle this, which led to the formation of our Young Adult ministry for adults ages 18-29.

What People Want

The transition from being a high school student to a young adult is not an easy one. Old disciplines and routines are gone and new ones must be formed. Whether it is figuring out life in a college setting, a work setting, or something else, for the first time these young adults have to create their own instead of things being dictated for them.

One of the areas young adults most struggle with is their faith and their relationship to the church.

For years they have been involved in a youth group that has a dedicated pastor who knows them, and adult volunteers have helped them walk through their faith journey. So much of it is couched in a fun environment with fun people, doing fun things. This isn’t a bad thing, but it is a stark contrast to what is available after high school.

When I talk with young adults or their parents, most of them have questions about how to fit into the life of the church. They want to know what the church has for “them." I’ve learned this is a bit of a loaded question. Really what they are asking is for the place in the building that they are able to go to be with people just like them and given a structure to grow in their faith. And I have an answer for them: “We have that for you, it is called the church”.

What Young Adults Need

Now I don’t mean my answer to be snarky, cute, or dismissive. What I want to help young adults (and their parents) to understand is that just because they have had a group/place/community that intensely focused on them in middle and high school doesn’t mean that it is the best model for them now as adults. And yes, that is what they are, adults. I want to help them understand what the church is and how they can and should engage in the community of believers as an adult.

At the same time, I understand the need and benefits of engaging in community with others that are walking the same stage of the journey as you. This is helpful for singles, young married couples, new parents, young families, empty nesters, senior adults, etc. There is something special and helpful about being in a relationship with and doing life with those who can relate to exactly what you are experiencing in your life.

However, this shouldn’t take place in isolation from others in the faith family. There is so much to be gained through the mixing of generations and life stages. It is also critical to the church that we don’t separate ourselves. We need to be one community growing together, encouraging each other, ministering to one another, and on mission together.

So as a young adult, what is next at the church for you?

Engage in all aspects of the church as an adult. Join with people from all ages in gathering together, in growing in your faith, in giving of your time and gifts, and going to our community and our world to care for those in need and taking the message of the gospel to them. Instead of looking for where to go to be with others just like you, be a part of the body of Christ and immerse yourself in the whole faith family.

What would this look like at Berean?

  •  Worship on weekends with the body of believers.
  • Attend a men's or women's Bible study to grow and develop a deeper faith in Christ.
  • Join a small group to be on a mission with a small, tight-knit group of people you can do life with.
  • Find somewhere in the church to serve. There are all kinds of opportunities!

Young Adult Ministry

So does this mean that there is no need in the church for a ministry specifically for young adults? At Berean, we felt like we could strategically start a ministry that helped connect young adults to each other, help them grow in their faith, and be on mission together, but not pull them away from being a part of the church as a whole.

We have developed a structure where we gather together as a group four times a year for a time of worship and four times a year to do something fun and simply connect. The backbone of the ministry is our Young Adult small groups. These groups meet weekly to study God’s Word and to be on mission in the community. With this structure, we are creating a way for young adults to connect with each other and do life together within the normal structure of the church with plenty of room (and encouragement) to gather, grow, give, and go alongside the rest of the faith family. So far it has proven to be fruitful on all fronts and we are excited to see how God continues to bless the ministry and the church through this strategy and mindset.

Tags: small group, single, college age, young adults, missional community, 20 somethings, young married, berean baptist church, ben holden

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