Recently, I researched the spiritual resiliency of young adults as they went through college. During this research, I looked at many studies that agreed on one thing, that the majority (almost 2/3) of young people lose their faith when they leave home.
College students, Lehman Avenue is a congregation that loves college students and young adults! We have a very active group called “The Crew” with Bible classes on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights in the multipurpose room, grub night meals and devos in members’ homes on Tuesdays, and meals on Wednesday nights before Bible study. We invite you to join us this coming Thursday at the park for a picnic. These help you to connect with a loving church family that can help build your faith even away from family.
Lehman members, as young people head to college, they are trying to establish who they are and what they believe. This can be a scary time, but it also can be an evangelistic opportunity for congregations in a college town. As we meet new college students, let’s be sure to connect with them, no matter their background.
Kinneman and Matlock, researchers with the Barna Group, studied young adults who kept their faith. My research examined years of graduates from a Christian school. These studies showed that young adults who keep their faith have these 5 traits in common: 1) They experienced Jesus regularly through worship, Bible study, and prayer, 2) they used cultural discernment to determine what lined up with God’s word, 3) they forged meaningful, intergenerational relationships, 4) they trained for vocational discipleship in ministering to others through their line of work, and 5) they engaged in countercultural mission as they interacted with others.
3 John 4 says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Let’s forge meaningful relationships with our young people to keep them walking in the Lord.
-David Pahman
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