The stats here are very much in line with the research which appears in "Unchristian..." by Kinnaman and Lyons. In a nutshell, young adult "outsiders" simply want to know that they are cared for rather than looked down upon for their dress, their piercings, their tats, etc. They'd love to engage in dialogue about faith, etc. if we'd take the time ("we" meaning the church).
Not using words like "nascent" would be a start...
But for reals, I think one of the huge points in this clip is about the willingness of young adults to engage in conversation! I know very few people in the Y.A. age range that aren't open to discussing things & even having their beliefs challenged BUT only if it is done with LOVE.
When YA's are choosing a church- or not choosing a church- it comes down to the core of COMMUNITY. If we feel accepted, loved & needed, we will stay EVEN if we don't like or agree with the "church" (read: theology / preaching / music / etc.).
I think, in the pursuit of community, when conversation is done with love and concern for them, even if the words are awkward, YA should see the love and ignore the awkward.
As a young adult, I personally agreed with a lot on the video... Most enthusiastically with the points on authenticity and transparency. We're not perfect and neither are you, so when authority figures attempt to act perfect when they're not... or worse, act like they care when they don't... it is an immediate turn off. We have grown up in a culture that encourages questions and we love it. That's where the coffee comes in... meeting to talk about questions... discussing the issues that no one wants to. WE DO! We want community - TRUE community that isn't all about image. Jesus wasn't about putting on a show or making everything clear in black and white... he wants us to engage our minds and hearts in conversation... that's why he spoke in parables isn't it?
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The stats here are very much in line with the research which appears in "Unchristian..." by Kinnaman and Lyons. In a nutshell, young adult "outsiders" simply want to know that they are cared for rather than looked down upon for their dress, their piercings, their tats, etc. They'd love to engage in dialogue about faith, etc. if we'd take the time ("we" meaning the church).
So how can we support our own nascent young adult group at SJP?
Not using words like "nascent" would be a start...
But for reals, I think one of the huge points in this clip is about the willingness of young adults to engage in conversation! I know very few people in the Y.A. age range that aren't open to discussing things & even having their beliefs challenged BUT only if it is done with LOVE.
When YA's are choosing a church- or not choosing a church- it comes down to the core of COMMUNITY. If we feel accepted, loved & needed, we will stay EVEN if we don't like or agree with the "church" (read: theology / preaching / music / etc.).
I think, in the pursuit of community, when conversation is done with love and concern for them, even if the words are awkward, YA should see the love and ignore the awkward.
As a young adult, I personally agreed with a lot on the video... Most enthusiastically with the points on authenticity and transparency. We're not perfect and neither are you, so when authority figures attempt to act perfect when they're not... or worse, act like they care when they don't... it is an immediate turn off. We have grown up in a culture that encourages questions and we love it. That's where the coffee comes in... meeting to talk about questions... discussing the issues that no one wants to. WE DO! We want community - TRUE community that isn't all about image. Jesus wasn't about putting on a show or making everything clear in black and white... he wants us to engage our minds and hearts in conversation... that's why he spoke in parables isn't it?
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