He was your server at your favorite restaurant after church on Sunday. She was sitting next to you on your bus commute this morning. They get together as a group at your local coffee shop. They fill your local college campus from August until May every year. Who are they? They are young adults (a.k.a…Millennials or Generation Z or 20-somethings or college kids or young professionals or the list goes on). In our communities from the rural towns of Alabama to the major metropolitan cities of Seattle and Nashville, young adults are … [Read more...]
What’s the Deal with Young Adults and Church?
There is a great deal of interest in reaching young adults and engaging them in church. Additionally, churches are wrestling with the twenty-something generation dropping out of church. Lots of different things are being done to retain them, bring them back to active church involvement, or just reach them for the first time. There are no easy answers here or they would have already been discovered. Understanding a little of what is going on is beneficial to addressing any problem area. Here are some thoughts for … [Read more...]
2 Trees, 2 Roots, and 2 Lessons About Abiding in Christ
Let me tell you about two different kinds of trees. This is the last Tree of Tenere: The Ténéré wastelands of northeastern Niger were once populated by a forest of trees. By the 20th century, desertification had wiped out all but one solitary acacia. The Tree of Ténéré, as it came to be called, sat alone on the landscape for 400 kilometers in every direction. Its roots reached nearly 40 meters deep into the sand. That’s over 131 feet. Which is almost half the length of a football field. This is how one single tree has … [Read more...]
4 Tips for Keeping Young Adults Engaged in Your Church
I consistently get asked by church leaders the question, “How do we keep young adults involved in our church?” It may seem like a small word change, but the better question is, “How do we keep young adults engaged in our church?” Churches in communities from small towns to large cities desire to see young adults and young families engaged in the overall mission of the church. The excitement and perspective that young adults bring to a church can breathe fresh life into a congregation that seeks to be both relevant and gospel … [Read more...]
Is Jesus Really All You Need?
“All you need is Jesus.” Ever heard that phrase? In the evangelical world that I consider myself a part of, this phrase is constantly proclaimed as the very essence of the Christian faith. All I need is my personal relationship with Jesus. Everything else may be helpful, but not necessary to live out my Christian faith. I know I have preached the same message. I've offered that message as counsel. I've even lived this message in my Christian faith. But is that all that there is to it? I don’t think so. Radical … [Read more...]