Subscribe to the NetworkFrom the “horses mouth”
I’m sitting down at Ava for my weekly hang out time with Trent. If you aren’t familiar with Trent, he’s a college-age guy in my church and we hang out once a week…and recently started posting a blog each time we hang out. So, today I asked him a question:
“If you could tell pastors/leaders in the church one thing about people your age, what would it be?” He replied…
“No matter how “cool” people our age might act or seem, we want to be a part of what’s going on.”
I asked him to explain a little further and he went on to say, “Sometimes I feel somewhat disconnected as the ‘single college student’. I just want to be connected to people regardless of social boundaries or walks of life – no matter married, single, older, younger.”
Then I asked him, “Why?” He replied (by the way, I asked him as I wrote that and I’m waiting for his reply): “Because people from different walks of life have different perspectives on things. People in our age-stage go through similar things and consequently have the same perspective. I would just like to get more variety in perspective, but more than that I would like to find more wisdom from other people because of their experiences and observations.”
Again, I asked, “Why?” (Now Trent is laughing and said, “oh no…hmmhmhhhhfffmmm.”) So I clarified, “What do you think this brings to your life…what’s in it for you?” Ok, he’s stumped a bit…wait a second….
Trent said, “Sometimes I feel like my life is in a vicious cycle and my thoughts/resources limit me to that cycle. So, it helps to gain fresh perspective on the issues of my life.”
Ok, now VERY brief commentary. I have “preached” the idea for years now of the importance of exposing and connecting people like Trent to older mature believers in our churches. This is our responsibility. This blog was NOT planned and I did not put words/thoughts into Trent’s mind prior to writing this out. And, no, he’s never heard me talk about that in a seminar. However, he just chimed in and told me he has heard me talk about that in our college ministry in the past.
I know your college-age friends have the same thoughts/feelings about this. So, the question is…what are you going to do about it? Leave them hanging? Naw, you’re way smarter than that…
Trents says, “hhhmmhhhmfffhmmm….”
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chuck, thanks so much for this post. i’m speaking at a college chapel in a couple weeks about the necessity of discipleship, and this is great insight for me.
looking forward to seeing you at momentum!