Richard of looking back… looking forward… has posed the following questions:

Some of the YATs (Young Adults in Transition) in London Conference have been having a conversation about how congregations can keep connected with their young adults, and help them to find supportive congregations when they’ve moved to another city to go to post-secondary education… or work, for that matter… What do you think? For you YAT types out there… what kind of information would be helpful (eg. Would you like to know what bus routes to take to get from the campus to the church?)

My answer (as a YAT) is this: bus route information would be helpful and for those communities surrounding universities that have no public transit, numbers of people who could give rides to church would be incredibly beneficial. Some colleges don’t give their students bus passes (like my ID card was) and taking the bus can get expensive.

Demographics would be helpful as well. I know I’d like to have certain kinds of information about a church such as its worshipping membership numbers vs. its “baptized/active/on the rolls” membership because that says quite a bit about the church. I’d also like to know what programs are offered so that if I want to get involved with a ministry to make blankets for children in Uzbekistan, I can easily do it. Information about the pastor would also be good because I know people who choose a church based on how liberal or conservative the pastor is.

The most helpful thing would be to know which churches *want* to let YAT’s get involved and which ones have the programs to do it or are open to YAT-involvement and are willing to work with us. One thing my candidacy committee suggested for me was getting more involved as a lay person and maybe teaching an adult Sunday School class or leading a Bible Study. And what ELCA church lets a 23 year-old (who isn’t doing their fieldwork for seminary) do that??? One reason I stopped attending Sunday School at my home congregation was that any time I opened my mouth, they’d yell at me for even *daring* to suggest that I might know what YAT’s want. (Keep in mind that I was *21* when this happened.) My churches in college were more than willing to let me be involved in Bible Studies, worship team, and they even had a college group for us. People in my college group helped with the youth, were allowed to get involved in the men/women’s small groups, and even help with the service.

Perhaps a “Mystery Worshipper” section might be helpful so that YAT’s know what other YAT’s think of a church. How many of us try out a church in a new city based on the recommendations of other people?