The Battle for Young Adults

Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy 4:12

 

Sitting in a ministry meeting listening to the leaders lament that they were not reaching the young people,  I remember thinking, “Should I dye my hair so my age isn’t so evident?”  They were seeking a new way to do things that would be attractive to a younger crowd.

What immediately struck me is that Jesus needs no help to be attractive. My age and looks are inconsequential to the gospel message.

That was a few years ago. What is interesting now is that I am seeing more and more young people (twenties and thirties, young) come out to hear preaching that is the hard hitting Truth of the gospel. The music is from a hymnal because that’s what is most available. The surroundings are simple as they meet in a Christian school cafeteria/all purpose room.

No one wants to waste their time with irrelevant teaching. No one wants to hear a gospel that ends with, “Now, we wait for Christ’s return.” We do wait for His return but with an eye and ear to what the Lord has for each one of us to while we are here. Ephesians 2:10 says He has a work for us to do.

The young adults I have been privileged to come to know want to know what it is and get about doing it. Are they into their video games? Yes. Do they want to have a good time? Yes. Sometimes it looks like that’s all there is…until you talk to them. They want to (and some already do) work to grow the Kingdom of God. They understand the truth that their lives reflect Christ in every sphere of their lives.

I no longer worry about dying my hair. I do not think the age of leaders in ministry is the problem. The ageism I fear is the misconception we have about our twenty- and thirty- somethings. Our “strategists” seem to  think they can’t understand sound doctrine. Our programs assume they “just want to have fun.”  Our church culture says once they profess faith, we should not expect too much.

Such misconceptions  slow down the work of the Kingdom by this age group.  As important as salvation is, we need to teach a higher expectation for works once a person is saved. When they hear of a goal to achieve, a purpose to fulfill, and victory to win, our young people will rise to the challenge.

If we teach them that all they have to do is wait for Christ to return, they will play meaningless video games of war and conquest…and wait. Once they have mastered one game they move to the next. Instead, it could be ministry that keeps them that engaged – if only we acknowledge their gifts and capabilities and invite them into the fight for the Kingdom of God. It’s war and conquest with an eternal consequence.

Just as we must have expectations of our young adults, so the Lord has expectations of the older adults in the church. “So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. “ Psalm 71:18

Jesus is still very attractive to every age group. Who will we tell?