EA Resources | Tag | college ministry

Creating a Vision for Emerging Adult Ministry

Posted on March 7, 2016 by G. David Boyd 0

A vision of a renewed Jerusalem was given by Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. In Nehemiah 2:17-18, Nehemiah says,

“You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.”

Nehemiah starts with their present condition, and moves to where they should go by providing them a vision and a reminder that God is with them.

A vision does not provide a picture of the way things are, but an image of what could and should be. It focuses a community on where they are going and what must be done to get there. It unifies them as they work towards the common good.

If you are seeking a vision for how to minister to emerging adults, here are a few reflections:

Visions are God-given.

True visions cannot be copied. You do not pick them up at a conference, or by mimicking another ministry model. Visions come while seeking the presence of God. Due to the overwhelming church-as-business culture, the terms vision and mission statement are often misconstrued to be synonymous when they are quite different. We have been taught all visions must be easy to read, look nice in print, and be filled with hip lingo. However, true visions do not require confirmation by human intellect, approval by church hierarchy, and cannot be minimized by available resources. If you want a God-given vision cancel your conference, turn off the noise, and sit in the presence of God’s Spirit.

Visions are Spirit-led.

Leaders are always searching for evidence of the Spirit’s work. They are constantly seeking for stirrings of spiritual growth, and wondering either how they can help, or how to get out of the way. In Henry Blackabee’s study Experiencing God, he says, “Go to where God is at work, and join Him there.”

Due to the dynamic nature of our world, visions can change. They are not eternal, but have a shelf-life which is often dependent upon leadership. This doesn’t mean that the vision was wrong, but that it needs to shift due to our constantly changing world.

Visions are human-powered.

While visions are given by God, we are His hands and feet in this world to accomplish the work. I Corinthians 3:9 says, “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.” We have the privilege of working side-by-side with others in God’s service. Because developing and realizing your vision is so much work, it is important to enlist the help of a team.

Nehemiah couldn’t build the wall alone, and neither can you. Look to God for a vision, seeking guidance by the Spirit, and recruit a team to work beside you.

Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18)

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit designed to equip churches and parents to minister to emerging adults.

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Essential Website Resources for those Ministering to Emerging Adults

Posted on March 18, 2015 by G. David Boyd 0

L group of ea ast week, I shared some free on-line resources for parents of emerging adults. If you missed it, you can find it – HERE!

While there are not many free on-line resources for those seeking to help emerging adults, here are a few that I have found essential.

FullerYouthInstitute. I appreciate all the work done by Dr. Kara Powell and her team. The link above provides many free resources to churches.
SSEA.org – The Society for the Study of Emerging Adulthood is an organization launched by Jeffrey Arnett. They provide a listing of free resources for those interested in studying young adults.

Chuck Bomar’s Blog. Chuck has written several books about college ministry and the changing world of emerging adult faith.
CollegeLeader.org. An organization that has spun off from Chuck Bomar. The blog is not regularly up-dated, but contains articles that apply directly towards those doing college ministry.
EA Resources – Emerging Adult Resources is my favorite – of course! Our desire is to design and publish resources for churches, parents, and emerging adults. Click here, if you want to join our team to make this happen.

If you would like to recommend a website to this list, please contact Dr. G. David Boyd at gdavid@earesources.org.

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We know it is a problem.

Posted on March 16, 2015 by G. David Boyd 0

We know it is a problem.

There are young adults are leaving the church (for various reasons), and while some are returning as they age – many others are walking away never to return. Continue reading →

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5 Struggles of Emerging Adults and How Your Church can Help.

Posted on January 7, 2015 by G. David Boyd 0

As the Church, our purpose in helping Emerging adults is not to remove their pain or struggles, but to walk alongside them in the journey. In Essential Church, Thom and Sam Rainer believe that churches must become essential once again to the lives of people – especially emerging adults. Your church can become essential to the life of emerging adults, if it understands and seeks to minister to their greatest sources of struggle.

1. Lack of Direction

Emerging adults face endless opportunities, but often lack the ability to make decisions (link to decision making). This does not mean we make decisions for them, but we can seek to provide people and resources that can empower them to make their own decisions. Do emerging adults in your community have easy avenues to connect with mentors, or does your church provide a mentoring community that can help them find direction?

2. Lack of Stability

Young adults face regular transitions, and so a stable environment is crucial to your ministry (including regular meeting times and consistent leadership). Emerging adults do not want to meet a new group of people each Sunday. They want someone to know their name, and offer an understanding ear for their lives. Do emerging adults at your church should know who they can turn to when they are in need?

3. Lack of Community

While attending college, many emerging adults only have a few months to connect before they face a new transition. This leaves both sides asking whether or not the investment is worth it. How long does it take for the average person to connect to your church body? Assimilation into your community must be quick and effective. While these relationships do not have to be peer-centered, they should be peer-sensitive. The emerging adult years are filled with transitions due to changing jobs, housing, and relationships; therefore, a church that ministers to emerging adults will provide clear channels for them to quickly connect. Do emerging adults know who they can sit by?

4. Lack of Vocational Experience

Whether currently taking classes or graduated, emerging adults are either looking for work or gaining work skills. Churches must understand that vocation should not be limited to a side topic, but that vocation is directly connected to the mission of Jesus Christ. A church who ministers to emerging adults will find people who can provide vocation mentorship, guidance, and internships for emerging adults. Another way to help emerging adults gain skills includes: childcare, sound technology, video technology, leadership, teaching and public speaking skills. All of these skills can serve emerging adults as future job skills. Do emerging adults know you care about their vocational lives?

5. Distance from Family

Many emerging adults are away from their families, and long for “family experiences.” This is especially true when a family member has died or is facing an illness. Train and equip your people to provide moments when they feel your church is truly a family. For example, one couple opened up their home every Sunday afternoon to college students. This couple wanted students to have a home-cooked meal around a table where they would feel loved. After lunch, the students could then sprawl out in the living room to watch football or take a nap. Do you make emerging adults feel at home?

As a church, you must plan ways to meet EAs in their struggles.

If you do, they will come.

If you do, they will stay.

If you do, more will come – for your community will not be entertainment, but essential to their lives.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit driven to encourage and provide resources to Emerging Adults and their parents. If we can help your community minister to Emerging Adults, contact David at gdavid@earesources.org.

Recommended Resources:

Big Questions, Worthy Dreams by Sharon Parks

Shaping the Journey of Emerging Adults by Jana Sundene

Essential Church by Thom and Sam Rainer

Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood by David Setran and Chris Kiesling

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Starting a College Ministry

Posted on August 4, 2014 by G. David Boyd 0

Whenever I talk to people about what I do, they usually respond in two ways.

1. “Our church doesn’t have anything for young adults.”

2. “Our church would never be able to start something.”

And when I hear these responses, it reminds me over and over again, why I love what I get to do.

I first want to clarify what I mean by college ministry. College ministry is finding ways to minister God’s love and grace to the emerging adults within and outside our church community. Your church may not be able to build a huge, thriving, spiritual “hang-out” community for young adults, but you can create ways to minister to emerging adults in your community.

I also would never call it a ministry to college students because not everyone who graduates from high school goes to college. I gave it that title becase those are currently the words that people type who are searching the internet for answers. They should be called Emerging Adults (or at least go old-school and use the title “Young Adults”).

So before your community develops ways to minister to emerging adults, ask yourself three questions.

Who is your audience?

There is a reason why this question is first. You cannot answer the second two questions until you have the first. A ministry should not be launched by local demographics, but by who do you currently have committed to your community.

This is not because I don’t believe in reaching out, but because I believe that evangelism is best done through current social circles, rather than slick posters and hip events. So start with who is attending your church already. If you have no one currently attending, then ask who in this age demographic has had previous contact with your church.

As you identity both leaders and attenders of this new ministry, invite them to join you in answering questions two and three.

What is your mission?

I am not that you need to write a purpose statement/missions/values and objectives before you do ministry. While there may be some merit to the business-oriented “Purpose-Driven” method, I have found that its values have been overstated (although greatly appreciated by modernistic baby boomers and baby busters).

It is essential to know what we want out of this age group. Do we want to provide an extended “youth group,” or what do we hope to accomplish through trying to start this ministry? I believe that the purpose of any emerging adult ministry should be tailored to the values and vision of your church. Don’t launch a college ministry to appease a vocal parent whose child didn’t go to college. You shouldn’t do it because it is a missing program in your portfolio. You shouldn’t do it because you somewhere to recruit more youth workers.

One right reason is because you have a passion to see emerging adults shepherded, and parents loved as they walk through these years. However, there could be other reasons.

What are your resources?

After feeling God’s direction to your ministry, take a look around you and see what resources you possess in order to make it happen. The three main resources are money, people, and possessions. Think through each of these areas: money, possessions, and people.

Money – You are probably asking, “What money?” When I first started our college ministry, we didn’t have much money. I had to borrow from the youth ministry budget in order to buy so much as a pizza. It took time to build this resource, and to convince people that financial support would make an impact. Acquiring money takes time, and therefore requires planning. However, don’t make money an obstacle. Remember that the church budget isn’t the only source of funds. Some emerging adults have money, and don’t need you to pick up the tab on the pizza.

Possessions – Launching a ministry doesn’t require a lot, but some tools in your toolbox might help your work progress faster. Does your community have a building or a space to meet? If it doesn’t, are there people in your congregation that would open up their house to the group? After you have the basic necessities met, you might start looking to see about other possessions, like vehicles, cabins, or boats that would be available to the group.

People – This is the most important, and I save it for last. A good team will be the best indicator as to whether or not your group is going to grow. Remember that your team should not be all from the same age group. Make sure that your team does include some emerging adults. Look around your current community to see who might be available, and have a willing heart to commit to helping them.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources. Contact him at gdavid@earesources.org, if he can help your community to better minister to the challenges and needs of emerging adults.

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