Why are there so Few Young Adults in our Church? Part 3

5. You probably shouldn't try to fix this problem by starting a program. When most churches discover that they have a problem they attempt to fix the problem by developing a new program. If your church believes that they are not ministering to individuals ages 18-29, the first reaction may be to start a small group or a separate service. Bible study groups and services that are designed for young people can be good but many times they exist as an unhealthy guard against the integration of young adults into the life of the church. The goal of the multi-generational church should be a harmony of approaches to worship and discipleship. If your youth ministry promotes worship of God and discipleship in a way that is antithetical to your corporate worship and teaching then you have a problem. Our goal should be an integrated approach if our goal is an integrated church. Programs can set our minds at ease that we are reaching people when all we have done is further alienate people from the greater Body. It seems to me that God wants your church to think and act about what it is that you do on Sunday morning, in small groups, in the community and prayer meetings that are not relatable to people of different backgrounds, differing ways of thinking and various age groups. 6. Through teaching, attempt to replace what they think they want, with what they truly need. It was said of the Puritan pastor William Perkins that "he was far from being 'needs oriented' in his preaching. He was more interested in creating needs that weren't felt than in pandering to needs that already existed."(2) Answering the pressing questions that young people need answered is very different than pandering to their every whim. Accomplish the former and you'll see less pressure to fulfill the latter. Your young people don’t really need sermons that are funnier or more entertaining but they do need sermons to be faithful to the text, encouraging, challenging to the predominate worldviews and Christ focused. Your young people don’t need a new service geared for young adults but the most faithful need to be integrated into the leadership of your current services. Your young people don’t need louder music but it is not unreasonable for them to expect music with great content in a contemporary context. Bibliography: MacArthur, John. "Plexiglas Preaching: The Devastating Consequences of a Watered-Down Message" www.9marks.org (1) Ferguson, Sinclair B. "A Godly, Learned, Resident Preaching Ministry", Westminster Theological Seminary, 1997. (2)