Ruffling Feathers

Earlier this week, Corey and I had the opportunity to do a presentation on young adult ministries and present it to the clergy of the West District (Terre Haute and surrounding areas).  We were surprised that we (unintentionally!) ruffled quite a few feathers in the midst of our presentation simply by expressing the need for change in the church, the need to think outside the box, and the need for pastors to become authentic in the way we do ministry.  Another hot button issue was the way worship is done- the type of music, the liturgy or lack thereof, the amount of time spent on preaching, etc.  The presentation was not meant to ruffle feathers, but to get some information out about the statistics of young people in the church and the declining numbers, to talk about ways to engage young adults, and ways that church leaders might lead in order to reach out to younger generations.  The overall message of our presentation was this: young adults in church are diverse, scattered, have different needs and wants in church and ministry, and are not a “one size fits all” generation.  Young adults need social media interaction, and churches that are compassionate about social justice issues, as well as leaders who are willing to explore new outlets for ministry, worship, and learning opportunities.  Unfortunately, the overall message that Corey and I received from some of the clergy was just the opposite.  Change was the scariest word that we uttered all day, some are not willing to step outside the box, and many do not even want to explore the notion that ministry can, in fact, happen on the internet.  There was also positive feedback about the presentation.  We saw the wheels turning and people becoming excited about the possibilities of bringing in younger people to an aging church.  There were celebrations of things that were working and young adults excited about their church and how God was working.  So I challenge all of us to not be afraid of change, but to be agents of change in order to move the church forward in its mission to reach out to and include all persons, to step outside the box when it comes to music, worship, mission and outreach, Sunday school, Bible studies, and the way we do things over all.  Let’s not be afraid to take risks in church.  Let’s us not become “sticks in the mud.”  That does nothing for furthering the kingdom of God on earth.