Lifeway Young Adults

Why It’s Time to Overcome the Fear of Commitment

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More options exist for you today regarding education, career, relationships, and experiences than for any prior generation. You possess a burning desire to make your life significantly count, and you don’t want to get it wrong. You might be hesitant to committing to life’s decisions due to distrusting the future. You’re afraid of messing it up. Many people are fearful of making wrong decisions, thus distorting God’s entire plan for their lives. Some people—especially young adults—believe God has mapped out every twist and turn of … [Read more...]

3 Ways Churches Can Better Connect with Millennials

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Every church looks different when it gathers to worship. I’m not talking about whether a church uses pews or folding chairs; whether the lead instrument is an organ or a bass guitar ; or whether it’s casual dress or suit and tie. I’m talking about the vast difference in the ages represented in church congregations. Over the past few weeks, I've been interacting with the question of where are the college students and young adults in modern-day churches? Recent reports have indicated a steady decline in Millennials being present in … [Read more...]

Why Your Ministry Should Be a Model

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Are the ways I minister on a daily basis establishing an appropriate model for my college students? This is a question I've been pondering a lot recently. College ministry is both a wonderful privilege and a deeply heavy responsibility. We're doing our students a disservice when we model something that runs contrary to the gospel. What you do and don’t do, the way you carry yourself, and the time you spend says just as much as your words. The ways in which we minister to our students are a model for their life. Everything we do … [Read more...]

Why Social Responsibility Matters to Young Adults

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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

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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

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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

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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...]

A Cultural Timeline of the Incoming Class of 2018

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Reality check. This fall, the incoming class of 2018 will begin their freshman year of college. If that doesn’t make you feel old enough, here’s a look back at the timeline of cultural events they experienced along the way. Prepare to be fascinated.   1995-1996 - Born November 22, 1995 — Pixar released the first feature-length, computer-generated film, Toy Story.   1996-1997 - One July 27, 1996 —Two people died in a terrorist bombing in Centennial Olympic Park at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, … [Read more...]

3 Lies College Ministry Leaders Must Silence

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If you're attempting to make disciples among college students, you have an enemy who wants to discourage and distract you from the mission God has called you to. If he can get you crippled with doubts, fears, and excuses, the ministry will be hindered. Remember, this is a battle for the souls of students. We can’t afford to waste time with the mind games of the enemy. Here are just three of the many lies that I have fought regularly, along with some encouragement the Lord has given me related to each one. 1. “We don’t have … [Read more...]

3 Ways Churches Can Reverse the Absence of Millennials

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There’s been much buzz on the Internet recently about the absence of young adults in churches. Numerous blogs, research statistics, and denominational reports point toward this significant decline. There have been countless comments and conversations about the reasons Millennials are not connecting to church. But I’m not quite ready to say "the sky is falling" just yet. Why? Because I believe the Lord is going to use this generation significantly to proclaim the kingdom of God in a world that’s seeking for hope in something. There … [Read more...]