WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Recent surveys have revealed what any young adult already knows: the transition into adulthood is really hard.
Here are a few quick statistics to prove the point:
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4% of Christian young adults feel a disconnect between their perceived calling on their lives and their current employment.
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59% of young adults with a Christian background have stopped attending church.
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80% of college students do not have a job lined up when they graduate.
Reinforcing these findings, another survey found that 2% of Christians believe the US is facing a leadership crisis due to a lack of emerging leaders. Needless to say, it’s a hard time to be a young adult.
5 THINGS YOU CAN DO THAT WILL HELP
There isn’t a way to make the hardship disappear altogether, but I believe that most of these struggles can be addressed and supported through a few key actions. Here are 5 steps that our Love Thy Neighborhood Team Members take to aid in their personal growth:
1. Get with God’s people.
In warfare, the enemy aims to “divide and conquer. It is a successful recipe for our failure because we are weaker when alone. We were created for community. For this reason our Team Members live in community with 6-8 other Christians in a single household where they pray together, serve together, live together, encourage one another and hold each other accountable. They commit to a local church where they do life with other Christians. Here, they learn how to live out the Great Commission communally and how to love one another graciously and sacrificially. Christian community provides a safe place to struggle, doubt and fail as well as flourish and grow.
2. Get into God’s Word.
Scripture informs our minds and hearts about who God is and about the world around us. Scripture teaches us, rebukes us, corrects us and shapes us. Jesus loved the scriptures and used them to reveal himself and the gospel to the world. We understand God’s voice and his will most clearly through scripture. Personal study of God’s word and hearing the Bible taught will nourish and sustain us.
3. Get into God’s mission.
God is saving lives every day. He has invited us to be a part of his mission – to see Christ redeem lost people and make them new. Our Team Members respond to the physical and spiritual needs of hurting people by serving full time with nonprofit ministries. Our Team Members ask, “Where is a need? How can I help?” and then simply show up to serve.
4. Get with God himself.
Each day, our Team Members are provided with 1 hour for silence and solitude. During this time, our Team Members surrender themselves to God. They find a place where they won’t be distracted. They seek to drop their personas and give their anxieties to Christ. They bring their tired souls to God and learn how to bring stillness to their distracted minds. During this time, they become more adept at hearing the voice of God and internalizing his will for their life.
5. Get to know yourself.
It has been said that the fundamental question of people in their 20’s is, “Who am I?” Our relationships in life act as a mirror – helping us to know ourselves. Our relationships with God and other people help us to understand our strengths, weaknesses, fears and hopes. Each Team Member goes through a personality evaluation and skill set assessment to help them grow in their self-awareness. As they serve at their service site, they grow in their personal skill sets.
