Welcome!
A Word from the Director
 

What characteristics of the Black church mark it as a potential avenue for promoting the well-being and spiritual formation of young adults? The young adults with whom I’ve worked cannot understand why most of our work pays attention to programs for youth rather than on ministry to youth. In most churches young adult or youth ministries is a euphemism for programs of Christian education.

Church work, in their view, has more to do with running committees and less to do with actually leading a friend to saving relationship with Christ. Many young adults become discouraged because their idealistic proposals for the church get bogged down in committees. Young adults reason that we put our time into things that are important to us.

When they see many, even in church leadership, putting the lion’s share of their time into programs, with little significant energy being spent on real ministry, they conclude that we care more about the organizational maintenance of the church than bringing our neighbors to Jesus.

Young adult ministry involves the church involving itself in the healing, caring, comforting and guiding of young people. Young adults want to be part of a vision-filled ministry. Can we give them an opportunity? If we’re interested in reaching our young adults, we’ll meet their needs.

Their vision will take our churches into ministries that otherwise we would never think of. People support what they create. So let young adults create new ministries. Take a risk. Encourage involvement even if the new ministry is unconventional. Invite young adults to reach for the sky, because involvement combined with their enthusiasm will light a fire for the entire church.