Comments on: Thoughts Welcomed!

By: TurboBarns

TurboBarns — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:07:05 +0000

I agree that they need to be on ministry teams, involved with kids, etc. However, ultimately, young adults want to how they will have an impact. It is the responsibility of the church to grow them in leadership and not just serving. Essential Church focuses on those that will leave the church and not come back until they have kids of their own. Churches that are embracing their young adults are the churches that see them as the future. How can we leave them out to dry from the ages of 18-35 and then expect them to be ready for leadership? It can’t happen! So, one characteristic of a church that targets young adults/college age ministry is where they value the maturing/developing of those in their twenties.

By: weekly review, state college edition « Exploring College Ministry blog (daily notes about our field)

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:34:29 +0000

[...] thoughts on how students do (or don’t) connect well within local churches – and that post has drawn several solid comments so [...]

By: Justin Raulston

Justin Raulston — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:04:11 +0000

For us at Journey Christian Church in Wayne, NE, i think one of the biggest characteristics of our church that enables us to welcome and minister alongside of college students, is that in a lot of ways we don’t treat them any different than other adults who come to our church (we do have a college ministry that meets on Sunday night) but we try to assimilate them into our church the same way we do with our adults, we ask them to serve on ministry teams, and give communion meditations, sing on worship, help with children, teach sunday school, etc…we treat them like the other “adults” who go to our church, and that has seems to be one of the best benefits our college students have liked.

By: Logan

Logan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:46:39 +0000

What I’ve heard our college students say at the Austin Stone Community Church is that they like not being seen as a different part of the church, but as part of the body as a whole. They enjoy not having a college service or college specific arms of existing ministries.

They enjoy the worship and connecting with people of all ages, while being challenged to apply all truth in the college context. The opportunities to serve are endless for college students whether it’s leading their peers in small groups, serving parents in Kidstuff, or serving the church in set-up and teardown. There’s about 1500 students who attend on a Sunday and about 500-600 are engaged with the church in some form of service or small group.

By: Phil

Phil — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:33:35 +0000

I wouldn’t say we are completely effective at embracing college students. At least not through worship services b/c we’re a pretty conservative Baptist church.

I think the biggest draw for our students is the opportunity to serve. They serve in children and student ministries and on worship teams. I don’t think the college ministry keeps them at our church as much as the ministries they are tied into outside the college ministry. For those not involved, the college ministry is the connection…but for those we can get to take the next step, it isn’t. The college ministry feeds them, but its their area of service and the relationships there that is helping them plant roots at our church.

By: Timotheos

Timotheos — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:01:50 +0000

Last Spring I conducted interviews with graduating seniors, as well as twenty-somethings who were in our church during college. Every one of them said they loved our church because of the people, the relationships they formed, and the ministry they were able to be involved in. Conversely, no one talked of great sermons, or awesome worship experience. They all had become grafted into the life of the church, beyond just attending, and were thankful for their experience. So, our ministry is tailored toward doing just this. It is nearly impossible to just come to services as a college student in my church, but the goal is to fold in students with the church as a whole.

By: chuck bomar

chuck bomar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:26:37 +0000

thanks for all the thoughts so far – please keep the thoughts coming! and, ben, thanks for the recommendation – i’ve read that as well. looking to add to what’s currently out there and go deeper into some things. but we are certainly using what’s available. thanks!

By: Benson Hines

Benson Hines — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:36:11 +0000

So that would probably offer some wisdom for your chapter, I mean.

By: Benson Hines

Benson Hines — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:35:26 +0000

The book Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts (published in 2008) by Thom and Sam Rainer seeks to answer this exact question. Its overall focus question is, “Why do so many young adults (18 to 22) leave the church, and what will it take to bring them back?,” at least according to the blurb on Amazon! It says they interviewed 1,000 individuals that age.

By: Adam Lehman

Adam Lehman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:34:07 +0000

Being 24 and working at a church that does a pretty terrible job at reaching the college demographic, I have some ideas.

- sermons relate to their age. so many churches can talk about marriage or use business examples in their sermons. pastors have to remember than college students are in the building.

- music isn’t lame. i don’t think i need to elaborate here. either you understand this or you don’t

- outside of sunday morning connects with their schedule. college students have a different schedule (if one at all!) than any other group of people on the planet. Do they have to be a part of a small group to connect with the larger body? Do most small groups meet at 7pm? If so, you’re not going to have a bunch of college students jumping in.