By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC
Young adult ministry has become an unintentional casualty of the COVID-19 Quarantine. As churches have scrambled to shift services online and figure out how to survive in an age of social distancing they have consolidated their efforts to the essentials. Unfortunately for most, young adult ministry isn’t essential. The result has been a growing disconnection between young adults and church. Young adults are seeking hope in Jesus and welcoming community. The question is will you raise the importance of reaching the next generation in your ministry?
In an effort to challenge and equip PacNWC churches in engaging in ministry to young adults we hosted a webinar with Beth Seversen on February 25th. Beth’s book, Not Done Yet: Reaching and Keeping Unchurched Emerging Adults was written through hundreds of hours of research with Covenant churches who are making a difference in young adults lives. Beth researched ECC churches while on staff with the ECC, and wrote the book after going to work for North Park University.
In both the book and the webinar Beth shares about the growing number of young adults who are “nones”, having no religious identity, and young adults who are “dones”, having become disillusioned with the church. Even within this dynamic Beth has found churches who are seeing growth among Young Adults. She has put together framework, she calls “5 Invitational Practices” that outlines what her research shows were the common factors among these churches. Churches and Christians making a difference in young adults lives are are actively and immediately initiating, inviting, including, involving and investing in young adults.
Beth’s passion for young adults comes through loud and clear in this webinar. Her positive outlook and abundance of stories are inspiring. Please take an hour to to watch this webinar and then read Beth’s book. It will motivate and equip you to reach and keep unchurched young adults in your community.
We are making plans with Beth to for a cohort to go through Not Done Yet staring sometime this summer. [Click Here] to email Erik Cave if you are interested in getting updates on this cohort.
Beth is available to meet with pastors and leaders who wish to read the book together as a church ministry staff or small group for a discussion and Q and A. [Click Here] to contact Beth.
Beth Seversen, Associate Professor and Director Christian Ministries Studies, North Park University and author of Not Done Yet. Beth wrote Not Done Yet while serving as the ECC Director of Evangelism using data collected from Covenant Churches.
[Click Here] to read Christianity Today’s interview with Beth asking the question, “How can the Church reach and keep unchurched young adults?”
[Click Here] for a full press briefing on Not Done Yet.
[Click Here] to read the first chapter of Not Done Yet.