Ted Keating, a Church of Christ minister, has recently completed a thesis on ministry to people of this age group. The thesis is entitled The Missing Generation: An Investigation into Young Adult Ministries and was submitted for the Master of Ministry degree at the Melbourne College of Divinity. The thesis looks at ministry to young adults at two churches in which Ted Keating ministered at Nunawading in Victoria, and Woolongong in New South Wales. Part of the study involved a survey through questionnaires given to the sizable groups of young adults associated with both churches.

Stages of Life

Keating found significant differences in attitude among the young adults between the two churches. One church had been through a period of transition and some turmoil, and this affected levels of morale. General morale, Keating found, affected attitudes to music, preaching, and other areas of church life. Keating concluded that young adults are more susceptible to change and their morale in church life is often more fragile than that of older members (p.29).
As the study proceeded, Keating found that there were actually quite significant differences between the people in the 20 to 24 age group and the 25 to 29 age group. One of the factors is marriage. Anecdotal evidence suggested that when people married, they ‘settled down’. One person spoke of having ‘less distractions’ after marriage. Keating found that those who were married were generally more positive about the church and its role in their lives. They also reported more regular attendance (p.48). Single people, it seemed, felt less at home in the church and less likely to attend on a weekly basis.
Keating suggests that one of the challenges for churches is to ‘hang on’ to the younger, single group, to address their needs, and relate the faith to the choices and changes that are going on in their lives at this time. He suggests that this might be done most effectively within the context of a small group programme that ‘enjoyed both structure and a degree of spontaneity and freedom’ (p.55).

Stages of Faith

James Fowler has identified various stages in the nature of faith. These stages are linked to stages in cognitive and moral development as have been described by Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg and others. As cognitive understanding develops, so does the capacity to deal with issues of faith in different ways. According to Fowler, the movement out of home, perhaps in late teenage years, or in the early twenties, often precipitates a transition in the nature of faith.
Fowler suggests that, at that time, some people move from a faith which he describes as ‘Synthetic-Conventional’ (Stage 3) to Individuative-Reflective faith (Stage 4). In this development, people move from a faith which is ‘conformist’ in that it is ‘tuned to the expectations and judgements of significant others’ (Fowler, 1981, p.172) - usually one’s peer group, to a faith which belongs to the individual and is ‘owned’ by the individual. The individual takes responsibility for their own view of the world and of life, recognising that others may not think the same way. Fowler suggests while young adulthood is the most appropriate time for this development to take place, many adults never make this move, and others do so in their thirties or forties (Fowler, 1981, p.182).

Responses in Church Life

Keating argues that it is the responsibility of churches to encourage and assist young people to make such developments. He sees it in terms of them growing beyond narcissism and considering issues of justice and compassion, in which the commitment to justice is ‘freed from the confines of tribes, class, religious community or nation’ (Keating, p.55). He suggests that this movement can be encouraged by modelling opportunities of service and by group reflection. He suggests that a ‘small group programme can enhance and encourage that development’ (p.55).
Traditionally, many Churches of Christ have concentrated on evangelism or outreach in their evening services. Keating notes that many young people wanted something a little different, particularly more teaching on the Bible. Keating suggests that that desire may be met, while seeking to relate to people on the fringe of the church who come to the evening service. ‘Visual aids, drama, and an abundance of contemporary illustrations’ can be used to support the Biblical material. Through it, he believes there needs to be subtle challenges to the ‘feed me’ attitude which he says ‘reflects the narcissism of that age’ (p.56).
Pastoral care must be sensitive to the needs of that age group, to issues of broken relationships, and changes in home, work and study. He believes that small groups may be a good way of providing that pastoral care and in following up people who drift in and out of the life of the church. He believes that young adults need to be incorporated into the structures for the care of people in their own age group. As they take greater responsibility for each other, so they can be encouraged to look at the global implications of the gospel, considering what compassion means beyond the confines of their own circles.
Society has changed and is continuing to change rapidly. The experiences of older generations are, in many respects, different from those of younger people. It is important, therefore, that churches, in general, and those in ministry, in particular, listen to the experiences of young people. Keating suggests that apart from the questionnaires he used, visitation of small groups has been one of the most effective ways of doing this.
Philip Hughes

References:

Fowler, James W., 1981, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning, Dove Communications, Blackburn, Victoria.
Keating, E. C., 1996, The Missing Generation: An Investigation into Young Adult Ministries, Thesis for Master of Ministry, Melbourne College of Divinity.