My friend Jason Smith sent me a link to a story that confirms something I have been seeing first-hand for a while.
If you’re going to do effective young adult ministry, you must be willing to help people fight through addictions and psychological issues head on.
One in five young adults ages 19 to 25 suffers from a personality disorder that affects everyday life and an even higher number is struggling with some sort of addiction, according to an article released by the Associated Press on Monday. Alcoholism and drug abuse are running rampant in this generation. Obsessive compulsive disorder and bi-polar disorder are being diagnosed in increasingly large numbers within this generation.
If you serve in young adult ministry, this probably makes sense to you. You are running into this head on.
A large group of people are moving into their adult years without the benefit of being loved and effectively guided by their parents and their minds and hearts are falling apart.
I am going to write more on this subject and its impact on the church next week, but I wanted to give everyone this information now.
This is the untold truth of young adult ministry. If you’re not willing to get messy with people and invest your lives in these folks who are hurting beyond belief, then you’re probably NOT going to be successful.The good news is, God can equip you for the tough ministry He has called you into.
