God Moving At Maranatha

Our Young Adults

The more I get to know our young adults, the more I appreciate them.  I am increasingly impressed with the energy, freshness, and creativity they bring to the church.  I am also coming to understand the unique challenges they face.

This past Sunday evening was an example of their passion and energy shaping the church.  Young adults from churches around the city were invited to a worship service led by Maranatha’s young adults.  While the turnout was disappointing—thanks, no doubt, to the beautiful spring weather—the service was very powerful.  The band was Spirit-led and the sharing by attendees was personal, vulnerable, and Christ-centered.  At the end of the service no one seemed to want to leave. 

The young adults put their heart and energy into that service.  It was evident that they wanted to experience all that God has to offer.  I found myself praising God for them and hoping that their passion becomes infectious. 

I have been inspired by the special sensitivity many young adults have for things like compassion and social justice.  I spoke to a young adult just this past Sunday who said that, when he eventually finishes his education, he would love to give leadership to a Gospel-focused social justice ministry at Maranatha. 

The challenges of the younger generations are unique.  If you ask people who work among the younger generation, or talk with the younger generation themselves, you will learn that they experience a lot of anxiety.  Anxiety, of course, has been a factor in every generation, but there are dynamics at play that have caused anxiety to be pervasive among youth today.

This generation is also more immersed in the internet than any generation before them.  The internet opens a whole world of opportunities.  It also brings a whole world of challenges.  Besides the obvious temptations of porn and the dangers of online predators, it affects socialization.  In many ways, this generation is more connected, and yet more isolated, than ever.

Clearly, we need each other.  Older generations need all the gifts that the younger generation brings to the church, and the younger generation needs the support and experience of the older generations.  God had a good idea when he put us all together into one church. –Pastor Tom