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rgod -> RE: College to Career transition (7/21/2009 8:37:32 AM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: PixieSunBelle
I know when i went to church usually when my group moved up since most of us were the same age we moved up together so we never had that issue. however, now i don't attend church because I have no friends there... it sounds stupit but church lacks the whole experience when one no longer feels comfortable there anymore...
Anyways, what about your group working with the youth group in some activities such as i think its called mall detective, progressive dinner, and possibly all nighters?
or you could reach out to other churches and see if their college/career group would like to have an all nighter or monthly social activity.
PixieSunBelle hit the nail right on the head. Fellowships are really important. When I graduated from college and was in church, I found that no one really took me seriously as a Christian. It was a very lonely because it seemed like all of the adults had families or wanted to sit around at a barbecue and talk about each other (that was my perception back then). I wanted to talk about Christ and I wanted a group of friends. I never really found it - I cobbled together unsatisfying friendships - for me, my 20s was very lonely. Mostly, I immersed myself in the bible and in teaching - and tried to fit into fellowships whenever I could. Thank God my 30s are different.
My suggestion would be to have regular fellowships - network with other churches - and experiment with the nights when you do these things. A saturday afternoon or even a friday night fellowship might work well for this group as well, since many of their peers are going to go out clubbing or drinking on those nights - and they might be looking for an alternative. You also might want to ask them what they want to do and have them make suggestions. Going to concerts together is another option. Or maybe having a Christian coffee house or meeting at a home periodically. You might want to give the career age people a chance to get together on their own - I'm not sure how you would do this - but perhaps some of them could help out with leading the group. That would form a natural connection, since they'd have to meet together to prepare. Just a suggestion - don't know if it will work for your group. There is a natural seperation between the college aged kids and the career aged adults. While they are together now, perhaps as the career aged group grows, you might want to consider a targetted ministry geared towards them. And don't forget young marrieds - there are some - particularly those without kids - that would benefit from a career aged group.
But don't stop there. Usually, if a person is a single Christian and in their early 20s, they are truly swimming upstream in society. Often, they are really looking for ways to make their faith tangible and practical. They'll take risks and make sacrifices that many adults won't make. Bible studies, but also hands on opportunities to serve, are really important. And real in-depth teaching - moving from the basics to things like - how to use your spiritual gifts, how to deal with real life issues - like what to do when you are the only Christian in your workplace - are important.
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