Small Church

Starting a young adult ministry in a small church (150 people or less… 10 young adults or less) is the situation where most young adult leaders find themselves.  Small churches provide a unique setting for young adult ministry.  As always, any ministry in the church needs prayer, relationships, leadership, and the power of Jesus Christ to prosper.  But here are several recommendations for starting a young adult ministry that are unique to this age group and unique to smaller churches.

• Captain: Small churches need one person to take the reins of leadership.  This person does not necessarily need to be a young adult, all that they need to be is willing and able.  One of the main reasons why young adult ministries either never get off the ground or fail after a few years is because of leadership.  One of the most important components to a sustainable young adult ministry is having a dedicated leader.
• Community: Young adults are looking for community and friendship and a place to belong.  Whether it is because they are losing their community of friends from high school or college, living in a new town, in and out of relationships – the vast majority of young adults are looking for community.  Simply community.  A good young adult ministry has major pillars of community: times of hanging out, fun activities, and regular life together.  Even in a small church, make sure that you add in a ton of times for community for your young adults so that they find friendship, belonging, and a place for them now.
• Communication: Do you text?  Do you tweet?  Are you on Facebook?  Not that these are deal-breakers, but they are extremely important to this younger generation.  Young adults today are not getting all of their information from the church bulletin.  You cannot simply communicate one or two ways and assume that the messages are getting across.  The Millennial Generation uses a host of different communication mediums and communicates all throughout the day and night.  Churches can show that young adults are important and valuable by communicating on their level and making it easier for them to be up-to-date and involved.  Overall, churches need to begin to speak the language of young adults – and speak it to them through relevant means of communication. (p.s. I just tweeted that last sentence. )
• Compassion: Young adults want a community of faith that is active and involved with those around them.  Church cannot simply be ‘fluff’.  They need to practice what they preach.  Faith needs to have hands and feet.  When starting a young adult ministry, you need to add in levels of compassion so that your group can have an outlet for putting action to their words and feet to their faith.  This is not only an attractive component of young adult ministry, but it will provide one of those ‘hooks’ that will keep your group involved, together, and strong.  Remember: nothing replaces the role of compassion.
• Consistency: Last but not least, the ministry needs to be consistent.  All of this is in vain if it is not consistent.  The leadership needs to be consistent.  The gathering times need to be consistent.  The relationships need to be consistent.  The care, attention, and value needs to be consistent.  Everything needs to be consistent… because your young adults will not be.  This is one of the most interesting things about young adults: they will expect things that they do not replicate.  Even if they do not show up consistently, they want opportunities that are consistent.  They need opportunities that are consistent.  Even if you have to do less in your young adult ministry to ensure that it can be consistent – do it.  Set up your ministry so that it is consistent, consistent, consistent.

If you can do these things, you are well on your way to setting up a healthy young adult ministry in your small church.  Be forewarned – it will not happen overnight.  It will definitely take some time.  But just keep plugging away.  The young adults in your church, on the fringe of your church, that used to go to your church, that are simply in your community – they need this.  They want this (even if they do not show it).  They appreciate this.

So keep going.  You can do it.

P.s. From experience in starting young adult ministries in large churches, here are a couple important sidenotes and final encouragements.

• Don’t get burned out!  Even though your ministry needs to have solid leadership and  consistency, that does not mean that you have to do everything all the time.  Share the responsibilities.  Do some fun stuff.  Take care of yourself.  If you are burned out, then those around you cannot breathe because of the smoke.
• It’s ALL about relationships.  Whenever you are faced with a decision.  Whenever you are contemplating making a change.  Whenever you are wondering why this isn’t working or that isn’t working – just remember that this is ALL about relationships.  That is the outcome.  That is the goal.  That is the center.  Relationships.  Relationships.  Relationships.
• Have fun.  Young adults like that.
• You’re gonna do great.