{"id":32226,"date":"2022-09-10T16:01:20","date_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:01:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/7-ways-to-keep-young-adults-invested-in-your-church\/"},"modified":"2022-09-10T16:01:20","modified_gmt":"2022-09-10T21:01:20","slug":"7-ways-to-keep-young-adults-invested-in-your-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/sermons\/7-ways-to-keep-young-adults-invested-in-your-church\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Keep Young Adults Invested in Your Church"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Helena Lopes photo – Unsplash<\/div>\n

By Aaron Earls<\/em><\/p>\n

Churches have a young adult problem. Two-thirds of those who attended church regularly as a teenager (66 percent) drop out as they transition into adulthood, according to a Lifeway Research study.<\/p>\n

But there are things churches can do while students are still in high school, as well as things to do as they move into college and work life.<\/p>\n

Among young adults who stayed in church between the ages of 18 to 22, 42 percent held a leadership position in their activities at church while only 15 percent of those who dropped out had a similar level of commitment.<\/p>\n

Among those who stayed, 54 percent say they had regular responsibilities. That was only the case for 15 percent of those who dropped out.<\/p>\n

So how can your church keep teenagers invested as they become adults? Here are seven tips.<\/p>\n

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1. Develop an intentional transition.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t treat this period haphazardly. Be intentional about moving students from youth ministry into deeper areas of service in the church.<\/p>\n

Maybe have a commissioning service for graduating seniors. They aren\u2019t simply finishing high school; they are entering a new phase of ministry.<\/p>\n

2. Create an advisory board.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

One way to give students responsibilities and leadership opportunities is to have them involved in reaching their peers.<\/p>\n

Enlist key students to provide input on young adult outreach, as well as the general direction of the church.<\/p>\n

You aren\u2019t looking to give them authority over every church decision, but you want them to recognize they are as valuable to the body as other members.<\/p>\n

3. Help them discover and use their spiritual gifts.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part of helping them recognize their value is helping them understand the gifts they\u2019ve been given to serve the church.<\/p>\n

Invest in them and their gifts and it will pay dividends in their lives and the life of the church as a whole.<\/p>\n

4. Give them responsibilities.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Plain and simple, give them things to do\u2014even though it may seem risky.<\/p>\n

Yes, you may have times where some project doesn\u2019t get done in the time it should, but are you more concerned with the projects or people?<\/p>\n

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See also  What Do Churchgoers Want to Change About Their Churches?<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Make the task appropriate to the individual, but don\u2019t be afraid to push them to do more than they think they can do.<\/p>\n

5. Encourage them to lead service projects.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Younger generations are often looking for ways to serve others, why not leverage that desire for the church?<\/p>\n

What are some areas of community service that you\u2019ve wanted to do, but haven\u2019t had the time or resources to work on it? Ask some college students to take charge.<\/p>\n

6. Involve them with the student or children\u2019s ministry.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Obviously, apply all the rigors and checks you do for volunteers, but having young adults serve in the children\u2019s and youth areas can benefit both sides.<\/p>\n

The young adult is more invested and recognizes their importance and the next generation sees someone closer to their own age who is making faith a priority in their life.<\/p>\n

That keeps young adults from dropping out themselves and is a factor in keeping those teenagers and kids in church as well.<\/p>\n

7. Let them teach.<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It can be scary\u2014both for you and for the young adult teaching for possibly the first time\u2014but it can have an eternal impact.<\/p>\n

I remember adults giving me opportunities to teach on Wednesday nights or as a substitute for a Sunday School class. Later growth could\u2019ve never happened without those early opportunities to stumble.<\/p>\n

It is much easier to quietly stop coming to church when you\u2019re simply sitting on the back row than it is to skip a week (or two or three \u2026) when you\u2019re sitting in front of a class as the teacher.<\/p>\n

Allow young adults to invest themselves in your church and you\u2019ll find them much more likely to stick around long into adulthood.<\/p>\n

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Aaron Earls<\/h2>\n

@WardrobeDoor<\/p>\n

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Aaron is a writer for LifewayResearch.com.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n