Fact: There are places around our world that have no access to clean water, therefore thousands of children die every week because of disease caused by unclean drinking water. Fact: There are more slaves today than at any point in human history. Fact: Sex trafficking has become a multi-billion dollar industry around the world and endangers the lives of countless young women, young men, and children. Those are the facts. No doubt, some troubling issues are at hand in our world. Millennials are asking, "What are we going to do … [Read more...]
Why Young Adults Desire Spiritual Depth
The conversation about the absence of Millennials in churches has been front and center recently. The largest generation to ever be alive in our country is not connecting to our churches the way previous generations have. The question remains…why not? In a previous post, I started the conversation concerning four markers that are important to young adults and college students (read that post HERE). For young adult ministry leaders, these are components we must consider if we genuinely desire to connect with the young adults in our … [Read more...]
4 Things to Consider When Seeking a Church
Usually by freshman year of college, church attendance is at a slow decline; especially when you don’t live at home. It's easy to prioritize your weekends around home games and the need to sleep in after a late Saturday night. It's even easier to skip church when you don’t have a parent standing beside your bed telling you to get up and shower, or you’ll be late for church. In this newfound freedom called young adulthood, we sometimes find ourselves outside a community of believers. Even when we do, we don’t always have a clear … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Foster Community with Young Adults
I've had countless conversations recently about what it looks like to do collegiate and young adult ministry in churches. Wouldn't it be nice if there was some amazing formula we could put into place and – PRESTO – young adults are showing up and involved ministry? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy. There have been a number of studies pointing toward the decline of Millennials being involved in churches. There are questions about who they are, what motivates them, and how they interact with the church. My own recent conversations … [Read more...]
3 Tips for Getting Your Life On Track
If you're feeling a bit lost about the direction you want to take in life, you're certainly not alone (though that may not make you feel any better about it)! When we're young, the world is our oyster, and the possibilities are limitless--and that may be part of the problem. There are so many directions you can go that it's common to suffer from a bit of analysis paralysis. But, there's hope. You just need to be willing to engage in a bit of self-reflection. 1. Decide What YOU Want and Value Far too often, people fall prey … [Read more...]
Why the “Hook-Up Culture” Affects You
The hook-up culture -- this "no strings attached" paradigm toward casual sexual encounters -- has become the new normal among many Christian collegiates in America. According to Relevant magazine, "Eighty percent of young, unmarried Christians have had sex. Two-thirds have been sexually active in the last year. Even though, according to a recent Gallup poll, 76 percent of evangelicals believe sex outside of marriage is morally wrong." Yes, college students are having sex at alarmingly high rates, but truth be told, everyone is not … [Read more...]
The Local Church: Do I Need It?
With multiple thriving college and young adult ministries to be a part of, often young adults don't settle into a local church. Even if they do attend church on Sundays, it's tempting to just show up for the hour or so of corporate worship. But local church involvement is so much more. CHOOSE List the traits you're looking for in a church body, visit a few, then choose a place to plug in. Keep in mind, every church has its flaws, but the most important thing is to find a church where you can grow spiritually, serve your community, … [Read more...]
3 Things to Remember When Sharing the Gospel
I’ve been in reflection mode after spending parts of the past three weeks in Panama City Beach, Fla. helping with Beach Reach 2014 (check out the Facebook page HERE). If you're not familiar with Beach Reach, here's a quick run down of what happens. College students from campus ministries and churches all over the country come to Panama City Beach (one of the hot spot destinations for college spring breakers) to provide free van rides, serve lots of pancakes every day, and genuinely share with the thousands of spring breakers that … [Read more...]