In a recent Barna webinar, David Kinnaman said that the two words that best describe Generation Z (those born from around 1996 to 2010) are anxiety and ambition. The church is uniquely qualified to speak to both. Youth and young adults are looking for a source of identity they can trust and a purpose for their daily work. We know that God provides both in their baptismal identity and in our vocational theology.

Healthy youth ministry extends past the congregation and into teens’ homes. When we considered what young people need, Scripture, research, and youth leaders all pointed to parents as paramount. Parents are gifted with the role of primary instructor and example for their children in the Christian faith. In healthy youth ministry, engaged parents are seen as partners. Youth leaders communicate, support, and train parents as together they look to help young people be disciples for life.

As part of the Body of Christ, we experience both joy and challenges: God calls us to be united in Him, yet unique in our individuality. Within the church, we engage with people in all seasons of life, from newborns to young adults in their twenties, to those long past retirement. Although we all have the same need for salvation through faith in Jesus, each age group comes with different contexts and experiences. Read on to discover the top three materials to reach out intentionally to young adults in your congregation.  

Early adolescence is an especially formative time in the life of a Christian—not only as youth take ownership of their faith for a future of following Christ, but also as they contribute to the Body of Christ in the “here and now” at the congregational level. The following post, excerpted from Seven Practices of Healthy Youth Ministry, expounds on this with practical advice from Youth Ministry professionals, Julianna Shults and Mark Kiessling. 

Healthy youth ministry recognizes the capability of teens and how God can work through them as servant leaders. Youth leaders can set high expectations for young people, engaging them regularly in opportunities to give input, serve, and lead. In living out their vocation as adult members of a congregation, post-confirmation youth can feel a sense of ownership, build relationships, and positively impact their congregation and community.

Youth are not just the church’s future—they’re also the church’s now. As a leader, volunteer, or church worker, your job is to remind youth that they’re loved by Jesus and their congregation. The following is an excerpt from Connected for Life: Essential Guide to Youth Ministry, which provides guidance, encouragement, and advice on leading a youth ministry that supports young adults in their faith for life.

It’s upon us again. The time when youth are scrambling to pack, leaders are double-checking transportation, and committees are reviewing who goes where and when. This summer, a buzz of excitement, an incoming swarm of matching backpacks, and the jokes, prayers, and songs of thousands of high schoolers are descending on the city of Houston for the LCMS Youth Gathering.

A pitch-black street familiar to me is illuminated by streetlights and the warm glow of headlights from early-riser commuters. I live alongside one of the major highways that serves as a corridor to three of the five boroughs of New York City. I find myself comforted on early mornings like this when I can sit, think, and listen to the lull of driving cars before the highway becomes a cacophony of honks and construction drilling. I do like the sound of cars and trucks, and as an urbanite I feel at home when I am certain there is a bustle around me.

Previously, I wrote about the veracity of Scripture being based on Jesus’ testimony that the Bible is God’s Word. Every instance in which Jesus refers to the Old Testament is marked by the presupposition that the account being referred to is both true and accurate. One example of this is Jesus’ reference to the miraculous story of Jonah being in the belly of the great fish for three days and nights as a historical reality (Matthew 12:40). Likewise, all assertions found in the New Testament are grounded in Christ’s teachings.