Our new resource this week is Outreach to Young Adults. In light of that topic, I went and found the above video, which was produced by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.
This 15-minute piece features a wide sample of interviews with young adults who either have had trouble connecting with the churches they’ve gone to or understand the obstacles faced by their peers. Midway through, they show a list of the top nine things their interviewees were looking for in churches:
- Safe community
- Authenticity
- Mentorship
- Passionate leaders
- Interactive environment
- Involvement
- Relevant engagement
- Intellectual challenge
- Technology and Internet presence
Now one of the talking heads, Michael, says he resists the term “outreach” because it is associated with one-off events more so than a lifestyle. In fact, he even refuses to tell the camera what young adults are looking for. Instead, he wants Christians to go to these young people and find out for themselves.
I guess I’ve already violated both of his wishes in this blog post, but his attitude is a good summary of what I saw in the video. What those young people are ultimately craving is for church folks to want them to be there, and to be warm, friendly, loving. Their hunger is relational (something that Margaret Feinberg mentioned in our interview with her).
How welcome do you think young adults feel in your church?
