How to attract and keep the toughest age group in the church.

DOs and DON’Ts for Young Adults

By George Halitzka

Twenty-somethings aren’t known for being serious churchgoers. Their demographic is inherently transitory, moving between jobs and homes often, so they don’t always have the highest level of commitment. However, churches can contribute to the commitment problem when they design all their programs around families with children. Young adults feel out of place and irrelevant.
Once they’re on board, though, singles can bring vibrant energy to your congregation. So if you’re trying to attract young adults to your church—or keep the ones you have—here are a few ideas “from the trenches” for ministering to one of the least-churched generations in American history.

1. Build a “critical mass” of young adults.

Twenty-somethings want to be around people who are in the same stage of life. To minister to them, you don’t need to be a megachurch with a separate young adult service. But you do need a “critical mass”—at least six to eight singles for a Bible study.
“Uh, we don’t have that many singles yet,” you say. So start small: Are there any high school juniors and seniors in the youth group who may disappear once they graduate? Begin investing in their lives now. If you have a few single adults or recently married couples around, discern whether any of them have the spiritual maturity to lead a small group. They may be able to draw in friends.

2. Empower budding leaders.

The future pastors and elders of your church will only hang around if they give them the opportunity to lead. Plus, they understand their own demographic in a way that you never will. You need to be an empowering servant leader—someone who will pass the reins to twenty-somethings while providing the support they need. Give them room to grow, and they will reward you with church members you never thought you would be able to attract.

3. Challenge them to grow in Christ—without judgment.

Lead discussions for your singles that confront real-life issues. Maybe they need to talk about overcoming addictions or sexual purity. Maybe they just need to read the Bible more. Whatever the case, don’t expect them to become church mice overnight. Challenge them to grow even as you consistently model unconditional love.

4. Avoid building your young adult ministry around preaching.

When I was in college, I attended a singles group led by a thirty-something married guy. He spent most of the time lecturing us college kids about the Bible. After graduation, I joined a different kind of ministry led by a fifty-something gentleman. He rarely lectured: Instead, he led discussions that allowed all of us to contribute and discover truth for ourselves. Guess which of the two ministries grew and prospered?

5. Don’t trivialize young adult angst.

You and I know that whether Jack asks Jill out for coffee—or whether Jack spends his summer in Europe—are small decisions in the grand scheme of life. Even when Jill breaks Jack’s heart, we know he’ll get over it quickly. But at age 24, Jack doesn’t know that.
Always take it seriously when your singles are asking questions or hurting (or both). Their angst may not be a big deal from your perspective, but it deserves to be treated respectfully.

6. Turn everything over to the Holy Spirit.

Your young adult ministry will probably grow some great men and women of God. It will also grow some people who crash and burn. In fact, your successes and failures in singles ministry will both be more spectacular than those of working with older adults. That’s why it’s vital that you turn your twenty-somethings completely over to the Holy Spirit.

(taken from: http://www.writingbygeorge.com/nonfiction/how-to-articles/dos-and-donts/)