Faith and Leadership from Duke Divinity School is one of the best sites on the web for Christian leaders. Here is an article from UCC pastor Anthony Robinson with eight important pointers for reaching out to young adults.
These especially struck me:
- Make it spiritual. The core business of religion is — surprise — religion; we’re not a social club, civic organization or political party. Honestly ask, “Are we growing spiritually, in faith and discipleship?” “Are we offering others opportunities to deepen faith?”
- A corollary: Make it about God. People want to experience the holy, the
divine, the sacred. They are dying for want of grace, wonder, mystery — not for want of bylaws, committees or sign-up sheets. At least, they don’t want those things instead of God. - Value the power of cross-generational community and relationships. Increasingly, we live in mono-generational enclaves. Speak of the importance of friendship and contact across the generations and then live that out in the way you do church.
- Make it work for busy lives. Time is the new currency; don’t ask people
to waste it. This is particularly true in many young or single-parent families, where people are working full time plus. Offer more short-term ways to engage, such as one-day mission projects, two- or three-week study series. Offer activities for parents to do with their kids.
Read the whole article. It’s brief, but you’ll find much food for thought.
The Mustard Seed Journal 