I don’t feel entirely qualified to write about youth ministry issues. However I have been in youth groups and I’ve also had a ‘taste’ of running some young adults groups. So there’s my little disclaimer… 
There are so many issues involved in the category of ‘Christian young adults’ in general as it’s an age bracket where just so much is going on in life. It encompasses everything from leaving school, choosing career paths, going to uni, working, possibly leaving home, forming closer relationships, potential for marriage and the list goes on. It’s a time when the identity gets dragged through the super fast spin cycle and often finds itself wrung out to dry and feeling a little worse for wear.
It’s also a time when ideas and opinions of the world in which we live can be tried, tested, challenged and changed. Entering ‘adulthood’ can almost be just as traumatic as going through *shudders* puberty. Not only do we experience pressures from the inside, but outward expectations for us to change as well. It’s all of a sudden not appropriate to ‘grunt’ at people or slam doors when something or someone upsets us- we’re adults and it’s time we learnt to communicate our thoughts and feelings with a tad more maturity.
So… with all this in mind- how then do we support young adults in church? It’s such a tricky one. Firstly, not every person in their 20’s has the common denominator of still attending highschool. While some in their 20’s may become youth leaders themselves and start to support the teenagers in church, others may be having children of their own! Many will get the travel bug, others will decide to live at uni *cough*. And sadly, it seems to be a time when statistically young adults ‘make or break’ their commitment to church or even their faith. So how on earth do you support this important group of people in church? Because they’re now ‘adults’ themselves do they simply not require leadership as a high school youth group does? I believe that any age group requires role models and leaders- even in and amongst themselves- to encourage them along whatever stage of life they’re at.
I’m not suggesting that an older ‘youth group’ where we all go bowling or play mini-golf every Friday night would work. Firstly, for some reason being of this age comes with the job description of being a commitment-phobe, and secondly while these kinds of activities with friends are fun and there’s nothing wrong with them- it’s not exactly accommodating for some of the tougher real-life issues that young adults are grappling with. And while we all may not fit into clearly defined groups- this doesn’t mean that we don’t need to stick together and support each other, all the while being supported by others.
I don’t propose any solutions. As suggesting that there are solutions is short-sighted and naive in itself. All I will say is that young adults are a group who need just as much support, love, good examples and encouragement as teenagers do. I hate the cliche but they are the ‘next generation’ and if we don’t invest in them, how can we expect them to emulate our actions when their own kids come along? Bear in mind I’m a young adult myself…and on the younger end of the scale at that. So I’m aware that that last sentence could make me sound like I’m speaking from a much older and more ‘detached’ generation. But you don’t need to be ‘old’ to realise the importance of encouraging those younger than you.
Hmm…I didn’t intend to write such a long post. And I haven’t scratched the surface of what’s going on my mind in relation to these issues. But that’s ok- because it’s an ongoing, never-ending discussion 
