Top Ten Tips for Young Adult Ministry
1. EDUCATE: Educate the congregation about young adults and their needs. A good way to do this is through a Sunday service dedicated to young adult issues. If you have a minister ask him/her to do one, or consider asking a young adult in your congregation to do service on what it is like for them to be young and part of a UU spiritual community. Perhaps they could do it together.2. INVESTIGATE: Find out what your congregation already does (or does not do) for young adults, and for youth as they age out of our youth programs. Do you have a young adult group? A youth group? An annual bridging ceremony that celebrates the transition from youth to young adulthood? What do you do to keep in touch with youth from your congregation after they graduate from high school?
3. INVITE: Be hospitable. Have a young adult greeter (official or unofficial) on Sunday morning who pays particular attention to the young adults who come to the worship service. Invite young adults to be a part of your congregation and its leadership.
4. WORSHIP: Ask a young adult to help you view the worship service through YA eyes. Who are the visible people in leadership? Is the service participatory? Ask a young adult to do a reading, light the Chalice or lead some music. What is the pace of the service, the music? Young adults generally like a variety of music. Take a moment to read "Weaving Worship to Welcome Young Adults", which you will find in the information packet. Consider ordering the Soulful Sundown guide for some tips on making worship more contemporary.
5.ASK: If you have a few young adults in your congregation, gather them together and ask them what they need; worship, discussion, social time, service opportunities. Ask a young adult to share with you what they see when they walk through the door on a Sunday morning. Listen when they answer you.
6.PUBLICIZE: Hold well publicized, regularly scheduled meetings, in a public space, preferably at the church. Use different methods of communication: e-mail, web site, phone calls, flyers/posters and newsletters.
7.SUPPORT: Be an ally to young adults in your congregations but they need to provide the leadership for the group. Don't patronize young adults by assuming they'll do the nasty jobs around your congregation or that they're children who need your guidance.
8. FOOD: After church brunches (or dinners before or after an evening worship service) are one of the most successful means for young adults to get connected with each other. Go every Sunday to an inexpensive restaurant; make sure it is the same place and same time for the folks who get there late. Consider having a dinner at the congregation to which non-young adult members bring the food.
9. BE INVOLVED: This generation of young adults volunteer at a higher rate than many older generations. They want to be involved with congregations that are involved with social justice and social service in the larger community. They seek opportunities connect their values to the larger world, so provide them in your congregation, and be prepared for the challenges that young adults will bring in this area.
10. OFFICE OF YOUNG ADULT AND CAMPUS MINISTRY: Contact our office to get ideas about young adult ministry, to ask for help, or to schedule a consultation.
For more information contact youngadults @ uua.org.
Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
