Practical Young Adult Ministry

Just about everywhere a member of our team goes—whether it’s to a church, an event like Catalyst, a college campus or citywide gathering of young adults—we get one simple question…

“So, just what is Threads?”

I’m not a sound bite kind of guy, so answering this question can be a challenge for me. But I’m going to give it my best shot.

Threads is a home of ministry ideas we are building to help churches of Christ-followers effectively reach young adults, roughly ages 18 to 34. We’re putting it all here at ThreadsMedia.com.

I label it building because we’re a work in progress.

I label it building because we don’t believe we are the designers of this work. We believe God has started doing a great work among this generation, and we are trying to follow His lead and join Him where He is designing, working and loving His people.

We’re building this home of ministry ideas on four strong foundations—markers we believe are vital if the church in its future state is going to be successful in lovingly wrapping its arms around the people of this age group.

Community

If you’re looking for the definition of Biblical community, you need look no further than Acts 2. Christianity exploded at this time in history because the power of salvation in Jesus was clearly communicated and because this power radically changed the lives of its followers.

In Acts 2:41, we find that Bible teaching, authentic relationships, fellowship, prayer, a strong bond of love and care for each other, and praise for God’s goodness were common elements of this community. The threads of Christ’s love bound them together as one.

If this young adult generation outside the church could find this kind see of biblical community today, we might find 3,000 people coming to know Christ on a single day.

God’s power is just as capable today as it was then. It can happen in your church—where you live.

Do you have multiple ways young adults can join with a community of believers for the purpose of Bible study, friendship and truly joining together in life?

If you do, your church is following the best of the Acts design and God will truly bless your ministry.

For more on community, check out these articles:

• “The Lost Art of Authenticity in Church”
• “How to Build Community In Your Young Adult Ministry”

Depth

Today’s young adults may be the most intelligent, most cynical and most marketed to generation in history. They are also the most spiritually hungry generation in history. As a byproduct of all of this, they accept nothing at face value. They accept no easy, pat answers. So a shallow, lukewarm exploration of what the Bible means nothing at all.

As the church, we have to be willing to exhaustively study the Bible, examine its difficult teachings honestly, accept and understand difficult questions and be willing to contend for our faith in Christ. Hard questions don’t break down our faith. They build it up.

Is your church willing to go deep with young adults? Are you OK with the unchurched asking you thought may have been unmentionable questions? Are your leaders students of the Bible who are comfortable expressing their own doubts and questions? If your answers to these questions are yes, then your church is ready for this generation.

Responsibility

When we started laying the groundwork for Threads, we conducted an exhaustive research project on the church’s efforts to reach young adults. One of the interviews for this research sticks with me to this day. We asked an unchurched young adult why she was not part of a church near her home. I can’t give you her exact words, but it went something like this:

“This church across the street has been here 16 years. In the whole time it has been here, I have never seen this church do anything to improve the community. The church hasn’t tried to improve the poverty situation, hasn’t tried to feed the hungry, and hasn’t tried to make anything better in the world right next door to it.

“Why would I want to be a part of that church?”

This question is one that still resonates loudly today. Churches who have abandoned the idea of social justice and responsibility for the world around them are churches that have no hope of reaching young adults. This generation wants to join a cause and a movement who is making an impact in the world. Churches that are focused on improving the blight of poverty, hunger, disease, substandard housing, weak education, the environment, and the difficult issues of the 21st century are focused on loving people.

There are more than 1,000 verses in the Bible that speak of God’s people carrying the banner for social justice.

Is your church carrying the same banner? If so, young adults will be with you.

Responsibility doesn’t end at social justice. It also extends to service inside the church, where young adults can use their gift and talents to serve the body of Christ.

For more on responsibility, check out this article: “Service = Vitality”

Connection

Sherpas are natives of Nepal who have served as essential partners for the climbers of Mount Everest for nearly a century. They know where the dangerous crevasses lie. They know where to camp on the mountain for the night. They know when the storms are most likely to strike.

Do you have seasoned Sherpas in your church who can guide young adults through the tough times in life? Do you have an intentional discipleship and mentoring process in your church where young adults can connect with older adults for friendship, help and advice?

It’s vital because too many young adults today have no one to turn to when it comes to the tough questions of life (faith, marriage, life, and work) or even the practical questions of life (changing my oil, preparing my taxes, making my budget work, building a resume).

Churches who attempt to separate generations drive cracks into the foundation of the body of Christ. Churches who connect generations who need each other build healthy, wonderful bodies of believers who respect each other in every facet of congregational life.

For more on Connection and Sherpas, check out this article: “Sherpas, Mentors, & Intergenerational Ministry”

Community, Depth, Responsibility and Connection are what we’re about at Threads. We want your church to travel with on this journey toward reaching this generation with the Gospel and Power of Jesus Christ.

If you want a bit more biblical background about why we chose the name Threads, take a closer look at Romans 12 and Colossians 3, where the Bible talks about the threads—the characteristics—that bind us together in Christ as His followers.