Kansas Nebraska Convention of Southern Baptists (KNCSB)

Conference gives tips for reaching young adults

A KNCSB conference took an indepth look at the four key needs of young adults. Jason Hayes from LifeWay Christian Resource led the event attended by a diverse group ranging from church staff members to grandparents of young adults.

Young adults have “great potential,” but churches may not know how to reach them.

A KNCSB conference on Tuesday, March 31, took an indepth look at reaching the 18-to-34-age group. The featured speaker was Jason Hayes, young adult ministry specialist at LifeWay Christian Resources.

Hayes, age 31, has served with LifeWay for nearly two years. Before that, he served as a church staff member for 10 years.

Seventy-four million people in the United States fall into the 18-to-34-age group, Hayes said, and that group is growing rapidly. He urged conference participants to look beyond young adults’ appearances and behavior to see their “great potential and great promise.”

LifeWay has conducted extensive research to “capture the voice” of today’s young adults, Hayes said. That research came up with their four key desires:

• Community—young adults want to be a part of small groups where they can have deep relationships. “The early church was all about community,” Hayes said, citing Acts 2:42-47.
 
• Depth—Churches need to provide small groups that allow young adults to explore the Christian faith. Christian young adults say they need to be equipped to stand for truth, he said. Those who are not Christians say that if they make a commitment to Christ, “it will be an informed decision.”
 
• Responsibility—LifeWay’s research shows a high percentage of both churched- and unchurched young adults “want to do something to change our world,” Hayes said. “We hear from a lot of young adults that enjoy difficult things. They want the bar raised.”
 
• Connection—Young adults want to learn from someone who has gone through what they are experiencing, he said.

For more information on reaching young adults, check out these resources:

• Hayes’ blog at http://jasonhayes.typepad.com/
 
• LifeWay’s young adult resources at http://threadsmedia.com/
 
• The book, “Lost & Found: The Younger Unchurched & the Churches that Reach Them,” written by Hayes, Ed Stetzer and Richie Stanley.