Tag Archives: young adults

Top Ten Blog Posts of 2016

Posted on by 0

While many are complaining about last year, 2016 was a great year at EA Resource (which stands for Emerging Adult Resources).  This year our web traffic hit an all time high.  EA Resources also launched the EA Network.

Here is a list of our Top Ten Blog Posts of 2016.

10.  Establish Autonomy:  A Developmental Task of Adulthood

9.  Fact Checker:  Does college cause Emerging Adults to leave their faith?

8.  Paying Millennials to speak about the church.

7.  The Fracturing of Evangelicalism:  Why Millennials be the Wedge?

6.  An Open Letter to the Millennial Church

5.  Defining Adulthood

4.  You’ve Gotta Love Millennials – A response to the song and video of Micah Tyler.

3.  The Purpose of Engagement

2.  The Middle:  The television show that all parents of emerging adults should be watching.

  1.  Six Steps to Naming your Young Adult Ministry:  40 Name Possibilities for your church’s ministry to Emerging Adults.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources.  If he can help you community understand and minister to emerging adults, you can contact him at gdavid@earesources.org.

 

Adulting: Runner-up “International Word of the Year”

Posted on by 0
All the words from Flickr via Wylio

© 2013 Graham Campbell, Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio

Each year, the Oxford English Dictionary names an international word of the year.  This title is awarded based upon the word’s use during the past year, and how it reflects “the ethos, mood, or preoccupations of that particular year.”

This year’s title went to post-truth (read what this means).

One of the shortlisted words (considered, but not chosen) was…

adulting noun, informal

The practice of behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks.

The Urban dictionary defines it as the process of doing grown up things and hold responsibilities such as, a 9-5 job, a mortgage/rent, a car payment, or anything else that makes one think of grown ups. (Source)

Various hashtags on the subject are also used including:
#adulting #responsible #grown up

This word is often associated with the struggle of millennials to grow up.  Books and blogs have exploded on helping them overcome their apparent delayed development.

At EA Resources, we teach three developmental tasks which equip individuals to successfully transition to adulthood – which we call the E-VACuation Plan.

Here are three links that overview these three main developmental tasks.

David - Prof 2If I can help equip your parents and adolescents as children transition into adulthood, please contact me at gdavid@earesources.org.

Bringing home more than their laundry – Post from Steve Argue

Posted on by 0

The team at Fuller Youth Institute have brought great resources like Sticky Faith, and Growing Young.  Share this great article to encourage and equip parents for when their child comes home for winter break.

Connecting with college students over break: they’re bringing home more than their laundry

Photo by Paul Green

 

Parents all over the country are anticipating their young adult kids coming home for the holiday break. For some, it’s the first time they’ve been home since they sent them off and set them up for the college school year. Home will feel like home again.

Likely, they’ll bring their laundry, too. 

Here is the rest of the piece.

Steven Argue joined the Fuller Theological Seminary faculty in June 2015 in a hybrid role as assistant professor of youth, family, and culture and as applied research strategist with the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI).

 

Allowing Your Adolescents to Grow Up – Youth Specialties Blog

Posted on by 0

We’re excited to have Dr. G David Boyd as one of our NYWC speakers. This blog post is a great start to the conversations he’ll be navigating in his seminar: DISCIPLESHIP BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL: THE SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT OF EMERGING ADULTS. Check out more information HERE. 

ys-blog_750x300_allow-grow-up

My research among emerging adults reveals that they often feel they aren’t treated as adults within the church community.  While being called “Davy” as a child never bothered me, when I left for college, I hoped to leave that name behind.  Sometimes, the easiest way for emerging adults to be treated like an adult is to leave their old world behind.

emerging adults in the church

William James, an American philosopher and psychologist, developed a theory of social selves which posits that an individual acts differently based upon the social situation and the expectations placed upon them.  In some social contexts, emerging adults are expected to be an adult, while in other contexts, they are treated like a child.  As emerging adults mature, our communication, actions, and words must display our support for their ongoing development.

Here are three ways you can allow your students to grow up:

Read the rest of my post here!

I am thankful for Youth Specialties, and for allowing me to contribute to the blog, and to the National Youth Workers Convention 2016.

David - Prof 2Dr. G. David Boyd is the managing director of EA Resources, a non-profit designed to equip parents and churches to engage emerging adults. He is also the founder of the EA Network, a community of people who serve and love emerging adults.

 

Anatomy of Generations – by Wrong Hands

Posted on by 0

I came across this cartoon, and needed to share it with my readers.  There is plenty more laughter at the Wrong Hands website –  Click here.

anatomy of generations

I believe that laughter can be used to build bridges between the generations as long as it is equally given to each age group.  In this comic, as a Gen Xer, I am just happy that the author acknowledges our existence (sniff-sniff).

All joking aside –

There is a need for inter-generational relationships within the church.  Here are some links if you are interested in learning more about how to help your community connect.

David - Prof 2If you are looking for someone to speak to your community or staff about working together, contact Dr. G. David Boyd at gdavid@earesources.org.

Could young adults impact their denomination? Is it Possible?

Posted on by 1

I hope that the answer is yes.  I understand that the leadership boards of almost every single denomination in America is filled with babyboomers who have “earned their stripes” and “understand the real world.”  I understand the challenges that young men and women face before being heard in the church. (Read more – here.)

If we want to change the Millennial Exodus, then we need to address the problem at every level.

  • There is a need to minister to the individual needs of emerging adults.
  • There is a need to provide resources and training to church leadership to reach and minister to emerging adults.
  • There is a need for denominations to lead the way through allowing young adults to speak up and speak out.

Here is a story of one group who is seeking to bring transformation to their denomination.

I recently interviewed Mark Hilbelink, who leads a group of people who have named themselves YALT – which stands for Young Adult Leadership Taskforce.  YALT serves within the Christian Reformed Church in North America and the Reformed Church in America.  The YALT team originally formed under the Leadership Development Department of the denomination, but now has become its own entity.

Image result for Mark Hilbelink

Mark Hilbelink

The leadership of YALT are not paid by denomination, but the denomination provides paid staff support for the movement.  The team is composed by various pastors and bloggers who want to influence the denomination (For example – Hilbelink pastors a church in Texas).

When the team originally formed, they planned events and conferences, but found that this was an expensive, and ineffective way to impact their denomination.  More recently, YALT has focused on their on-line presence.  You can find their Facebook profile and a website.

As for their impact within the denomination, Mark states that he believes that YALT seeks to get people on board with the mission to reach young adults, and through influencing denominational events.

Mark is often asked why Millennials are leaving the church, but Mark believes (like myself), that there is not a singular reason why Millennials are leaving.  He believes that their lack of attachment to the local church is due to their life phase.  Millennials are transient which makes it difficult to connect with community.  He believes that what overall truly attracts Millennials is not a hip church, but one that is healthy.

Mark shares that sometimes church leadership “uses us [the YALT team] to keep Millennials, but not to bring change to our church.”  Marks believes that while the church may not need to change its doctrine or practices, change is needed in order to stay relevant in today’s world.

If you have an interest in launching a group to influence your denomination, EA Resources can help.  Contact us at gdavid@earesources.org.

David - Prof 2Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing director of EA Resources.  He is also the founder of the EA Network, a Network that seeks to equip the parents and churches to meet the needs of emerging adults.

Formation with Young Adults: How Churches Reach 20s & 30s

Posted on by 2

The Challenges of Reaching Young Adults

Girl Young adultAt the developmental margins by definition, the in-betweeness of young adults is a huge part of why congregations are so flummoxed about them. Churches have long served children, youth, parents, empty-nesters, and elders. But emerging adults are a special kind of moving target, no longer youth but not quite adults.

You can check out the article HERE.

Highlight of the Article:

How can churches meet twenty- and thirty-somethings where they are developmentally, supporting them in their transitions without condescension?  Supporting emerging adults in their transition into adulthood will cause us to be relevant and crucial to their lives.  It begins with knowing the characteristics of emerging adults, and knowing the challenges that they face.  Here are some resources to help you understand emerging adults.

Your community’s list might be different depending on your tradition, your gifts, and your theological commitments. But you can help the people you serve make their meandering way through that territory over time.  Has your community discussed the essentials of your faith tradition, and how they affect your expectations on emerging adults?  Here is a list of questions to help your community.

If we’re serious about forming faith that will continue to sustain young adults as they age, we have to trust that the Christian spiritual tradition has much to offer. We need to give it a chance to do its work, by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The reason I like this sentence is because it acknowledges that fact that spiritual formation takes time.  Programs and mentors cannot speed up the work that God is doing in their lives.  For a great book on coming alongside God in the work that He is doing, check out this link.

David - Prof 2Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing Director of EA Resources.  He is also the Founder of the EA Network, a network of those who seek to understand and meet the needs of emerging adults.

 

 

 

Survey Guide for Church Leadership (prior to launchin a ministry for Emerging Adults)

Posted on by 0

Getting everyone on the same page is important before launching a ministry for emerging adults.  If you are responsible for launching a ministry to emerging adults, you must know how the effectiveness of the ministry will be measured.

Getting everyone in leadership on the same page is important before launching a ministry for emerging adults.  If you are responsible for launching a ministry to EA’s, you musts know how the effectiveness of your ministry will be measured.

These question are designed to start discussions among your leadership team around the topic of ministering to emerging adults.  I would have the leadership team first answer the questions, and then discuss questions as a team.  Edit the questions as needed – certain questions may be more important to one community than  to others.

1.        What resources do we currently allocate to emerging adults?

2.       Who in our congregation is currently affected by emerging adults?

3.       How do you see emerging adults taking a role in our community?

4.       Name specific ways in which you are supportive of emerging adults.

5.       How do you feel that the leadership team is supportive of emerging adults?

6.       What do you believe to be the greatest needs of today’s emerging adults?

7.       How can you envision our community meeting the needs of emerging adults?

8.       What do you think emerging adults believe about our church?

9.       What service and leadership opportunities are open to emerging adults?

10.   How could we promote to emerging adults that they are wanted, respected, and loved?

11.   How can we better utilize the emerging adults in our community?

12.   What barriers do emerging adults face when they attend our church?

Please check out my additional resources:

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing Director of EA Resources, a nonprofit designed to equip parents and church to minister to emerging adults.  If Dr. Boyd can help your community, please contact him at gdavid@earesources.org.

 

Survey for Emerging Adults (prior to launching an EA Community)

Posted on by 0

If you build it, they will come.

This may have been true in the movie, Field of Dreams.  However, I know many churches who have spent thousands of dollars to launch a community and failed.

One of the first steps to launching a community for emerging adults is to figure out who is around, and if they are interested in a community.   One way you can gather this information is through surveying emerging adults who attend your worship services.

There are several ways to complete the survey including:  online, table in the church foyer, or plan a target group.  Here are some questions to form your survey.

  1.  Demographic Questions (gender, age, living arrangements, occupation, education, income, relationship status, children)
  2. What would an exciting community for you look like?
  3.  Have you found meaningful community at our church?  If yes, where?  If no, why not?
  4. When would be a convenient time to gather emerging adults?
  5. What are the biggest challenges that you are currently facing in your life?
  6. How could our community assist you in those challenges?
  7. Have you found a meaningful role of service within our community?  If so, please let us know what that is.  If no, please let us know what role you would enjoy. 
  8. Would you be willing to help form or serve in a group focused on emerging adults?  If so, in what ways could you envision yourself playing a part?
  9. How should we communicate about the work that we will be doing?
  10. Who else do you think should be involved in this ministry?  Why?
  11. What would be important to you about this ministry? 
  12. Is our church community a welcoming place for emerging adults?  Why or why not?
  13. If you are interested in connecting with this community, how should we contact you?

Make sure you know what information you need before you form your questionnaire.  Don’t ask their income – if you don’t need that information (as it could offend the people you are seeking to reach).  Ask only what you need in order to form a plan to build your community.  

Surveys can also be a great way to gather information to present to the leadership at your church to show the necessity for this ministry.  Before you begin, make sure that you and your leadership team are on the same page.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Managing Director of EA Resources.  If he can help your community minister to emerging adults, please contact him at gdavid@earesources.org.

 

 

Made for Maturity – Maslow’s Basic Human Needs and Human Development

Posted on by 0

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs

When discussing basic human needs, most people are familiar with the work of Maslow and his pyramid of basic humans needs.  Maslow’s five basic human needs were:  physical, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization.  His pyramid was built upon the premise that when one need is fulfilled a person seeks to fulfill the next one.  Maslow believed that people are motivated to achieve certain basic needs. For example, after sitting on a couch for several hours, our physiological need to eat, drink, or go to the bathroom will pull us away from any video game not matter how exciting (or mind-numbing).

Maslow Hierarchy - Up-dated

Maslow’s Hierarchy up-dated for today’s wired world.

My three developmental tasks of adulthood – discovering vocation, developing community, and establishing autonomy– are internally motivated because humans were created with desires to love, to be free, and to be needed.  These basic human needs are based upon God’s creative design.  Since each developmental tasks is rooted in a basic human need, individuals do not need to be convinced of their importance, but will naturally work towards their fulfillment.

Vocation – Humans desire to be needed.

Humans desire to have a role in their world that makes an impact upon our self and the lives of others.  Vocation provides us the ability to be useful and make a difference in this world.  While paid vocation often fulfills other human desires (like income for physiological needs and security), it also fulfills our God-given desire to work, create, and design.  God is a worker, and is glorified as we follow His ways.  Work was not a result of the fall, but the ability to work is a gift (Genesis 3:17-18).

 Autonomy – Humans desire to be free.

Regardless of your theological beliefs concerning determinism or free-will, thoughts of being controlled or unable to affect the outcome of your life can lead to depression, anxiety, or apathy.  Autonomy is the ability to make decisions and deal with the consequences.  A sense of autonomy allows the individual to see they can make decisions that will change the outcome of their life.  Autonomy provides hope and motivation to the individual to affect our current circumstances.

Community – Humans desire to be loved.

We seek community because we desire to love and to be loved.  Our God is capable of love, and of relationships with His creation.  Veith states, “From the beginning, God put us in families, tribes, societies.  God ordained that we be in relationships.  He ordained that we need each other.”  (God at Work, 2002, 41).

When our basic needs (vocation, autonomy, and community) are unmet, we are motivated to action.  Our desires increase in intensity the longer they remain unmet.  A lack of desire to meet these needs can be rooted in a disability, an addiction (drugs, alcohol, or entertainment) or depression.

The church must seek to meet the needs of emerging adults, through offering assistance in their journey to meet the basic human needs of vocation, autonomy, and community.  I believe that church who create mentoring environments focused on these needs will draw and retain emerging adults.

Dr. G. David Boyd is the Founder and Managing Director of EA Resources, a non-profit that exists to help parents and churches understand the challenges of emerging adulthood.