One of the most popular questions we hear from church leaders is: What outreach ideas do you have for reaching young adults?
Let’s cut right to the ideas, but keep in mind that a healthy and balanced young adult ministry plan should have one or more of Threads’ four markers of ministry—Community, Depth, Responsibility, and Connection—at its core.
Hold a community sports event.
Since it’s March Madness time, we feel obliged to start with the idea of creating a basketball tournament in your community. It’s a great way to impact our sports-oriented culture and attract young men and women. If you do it right—making sure your church really bonds with the idea of putting on a great tournament and building strong relationships with the participants—you’ll have a great experience.
You don’t have to limit it to basketball, though. Create and sponsor a flag football or softball league just for this purpose. Whatever your community resonates with, create it.
Connect 3 on 3 Ministries is one group that does a great job helping churches create weekend basketball tournaments for the unchurched.
Find a problem in your community and solve it.
Is there a family in your community who has been victimized by cancer? Does a park in your city need cleaning up? Is there a poverty crisis your church can solve through a food distribution center or by rehabilitating or building new homes?
If your church decides to rally around any of these ideas or others like them, you have a wonderful blueprint for a young adult outreach idea. Many young adults are drawn to making a difference in the lives of others, and when your church steps up and helps solve problems like these, young adults will show up to help. You just have to let them know you need their help to make the impact.
This is not a new idea. It’s called missions. Show us a missions-minded church that makes an impact in its community, and we’ll show you a church that reaches young adults.
Start a young adult Bible study in your community.
This isn’t an earth-shattering idea, but it’s one that works. The majority of the time, when you start a new Bible study and your existing group of young adults takes seriously the idea of inviting their unchurched friends, it works! Threads offers a wide selection of Bible study curriculum options. Click here to browse.
What ideas do you have for reaching young adults? Share with us and other ministry leaders in the comment section below.
