Immerse | A Journal of Faith, Life, and Youth Ministry

Why do Churches Want Emerging Adults to Come Back to Them?

by Steve Argue on August 25th, 2011 -- filed under

A lot of attention has been given to the plight of emerging adults separating from church after high school. The church is becoming more vocal, pointing the finger at those they feel are giving them the finger, assessing that they’re leaving church and resisting adulthood. In response, church leaders have been marshaling their resources by either devising new and creative ways to lure emerging adults back by being relevant, or taking the opposite approach by issuing threats. Somewhere in the middle exist compassionate faith communities just trying to figure out how to connect with emerging adults.

I believe churches believe they want emerging adults back. This is a wonderful sentiment, but before churches rush to hire their next college-age pastor or launch their remixed emerging-adult ministry, they must be honest about what they really want. What your church really wants must be prefaced by a why question, which may be more revealing: Why does your church want emerging adults to come back?

If your church wants emerging adults to come back because you eagerly desire to understand the pressures they face in their complex and unstable worlds, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back because you believe that each generation’s (each person’s) journey toward Jesus is a unique path that will likely challenge and expand your own understanding of God and gospel, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back because you want to expand your idea of community with people who may hold varying social, political, and faith perspectives from you, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back in order to help you connect your church with the globe rather than just your country, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back because you want to seriously reorient the way you invest your ministry resources, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back so that you can learn different ways to teach, learn, and process the biblical narrative, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back because you need them to help you explore the gray-area issues, in order to take risks on behalf of those viewed as outsiders, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back so that you can use your power to advocate for them rather than getting them to conform, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back to introduce you to their friends—both straight and gay—that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back so that you can listen very closely to what good news means for them (rather than you prescribing it to them), that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back in order to hear them prophetically point out (often with honest questions) your congregation’s contradictions between right thinking and right practice, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back because you’re willing to let go of some traditions to create new ones, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back simply to be with them, letting go of grand ideas of reforming them, that’s a good reason.

If your church wants emerging adults to come back so that you spend more time laughing, crying, wondering, and changing with them, that’s a good reason.

If you don’t want many of these things, then it’s better to be honest. You may not really want them to come back quite yet.

the image above came from http://www.flickr.com/photos/biscuitsmlp/4108870103/sizes/m/in/photostream/