SEPTEMBER 15 & 16, 2007
In today's installment of these Messages About Purpose and Strategy, I'll explain why you see me trying hard to meet young adults between services. I developed this habit intentionally - I've got a purpose in mind.
When the pastor search committee here was looking at me, they asked lots of questions. I remember one meeting before I was hired (it may have been with the elders, I can't remember) in which I went up to a white board in order to paint a picture of one of my whopper concerns.
I drew a conveyor belt and said it represents how newborns get on track at church and receive great care and guidance through their childhood and youth. The movement of that first conveyor belt represents the passing of 18 years. There is another conveyor belt, the adult ministries track. Adults get involved in churches and, as the years go by, the conveyor belt moves along. But the conveyor belts are not attached. In fact, they are not even close to one another. At many churches, there is a terrible gap between the two. Young people graduate out of the youth group and drop into nowhere land. Very few churches keep the early20-somethings. The adult belt usually picks up people in their 30's who feel like they may want to get back to church "for the sake of the kids."
How bad is the situation? Here's a excerpt from a Pastor to Pastor article:
"A new survey finds that Protestant churches are losing young adults in sobering numbers. Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to a survey by LifeWay Research."
This syndrome was a terrible concern to me before I came here and my passion for this age group has only grown. Unfortunately, the gap continues to grow as well.
In order to address the needs of the emerging generation, we will need to offer excellence in our programs that are designed specifically to meet their needs in their vernacular. I believe we will be situated to do this within a year. But more than mere programs, we need to individually demonstrate the love of God to everyone we can. That's why I particularly try to aim at the ones who are least likely to plug into church.
Fortunately, Dayspring is the kind of church that draws a fair number of visitors. Let's take advantage of this fact. Work the lobby. Come to minister by showing God's acceptance through your hospitality. And when you see someone you don't know, extend to them a welcoming handshake and smile, especially if they belong to this new absent generation. 22 year-olds need Jesus too.
When the pastor search committee here was looking at me, they asked lots of questions. I remember one meeting before I was hired (it may have been with the elders, I can't remember) in which I went up to a white board in order to paint a picture of one of my whopper concerns.
I drew a conveyor belt and said it represents how newborns get on track at church and receive great care and guidance through their childhood and youth. The movement of that first conveyor belt represents the passing of 18 years. There is another conveyor belt, the adult ministries track. Adults get involved in churches and, as the years go by, the conveyor belt moves along. But the conveyor belts are not attached. In fact, they are not even close to one another. At many churches, there is a terrible gap between the two. Young people graduate out of the youth group and drop into nowhere land. Very few churches keep the early20-somethings. The adult belt usually picks up people in their 30's who feel like they may want to get back to church "for the sake of the kids."
How bad is the situation? Here's a excerpt from a Pastor to Pastor article:
"A new survey finds that Protestant churches are losing young adults in sobering numbers. Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to a survey by LifeWay Research."
This syndrome was a terrible concern to me before I came here and my passion for this age group has only grown. Unfortunately, the gap continues to grow as well.
In order to address the needs of the emerging generation, we will need to offer excellence in our programs that are designed specifically to meet their needs in their vernacular. I believe we will be situated to do this within a year. But more than mere programs, we need to individually demonstrate the love of God to everyone we can. That's why I particularly try to aim at the ones who are least likely to plug into church.
Fortunately, Dayspring is the kind of church that draws a fair number of visitors. Let's take advantage of this fact. Work the lobby. Come to minister by showing God's acceptance through your hospitality. And when you see someone you don't know, extend to them a welcoming handshake and smile, especially if they belong to this new absent generation. 22 year-olds need Jesus too.
Comments