Notes from the Workshop:
Where have all the young adults gone?

ELCA Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza 2007

What is a young adult?
Young adult are people between the ages of 18 and 35, who have not reached the life stages that have traditionally marked “full adulthood”
Those stages being married, financial independence have children, secure in a career, and finished with higher education.

Creating Spaces for Young Adults

Meeting in the places they already are, coffee shops, bars, art venues, virtual communities, and outdoor venues.

Church can create space by making physical hospitable, providing room for young adults with in the structure of the church, and affirming and using the gifts of young adults, and safe non-judgmental environments.

Community Building
Fellowship is the main way to build community. Community and relationships are built around sharing food. Relationships are key, and ministry must be authentic and although facilitated should be self guided, and fluid.

Ideas for building those bonds are service projects, small bible study and theology pubs.


Urban Tribes

According to Wikipedia are “are, according to Ethan Watters, a groups of never-married's between the ages of 25 and 45 who gather in common-interest groups and enjoy the urban lifestyle.
Urban lifestyle communities offer a viable alternative to traditional family structures.


What this means for ministry is that Urban Tribes are becoming people’s families of creation rather than a spouse and children, hence creating a new tension between young adults and their families of origin. The church needs to respond to this new family dynamic and acknowledge those types of primary relationships.

What’s working?
Ministry’s built around the sharing of food, and going to young adults rather than them coming to the church.

Churches the help to facilitate “familial" relationships to transient young adults.

Mentoring