PowerPoint Presentation

Emerging AdultsWho? When? Where? Why? So What?

Jerry BeaversPresbyterian Association of Collegiate and Higher Education Ministrieswww.pachem.org / www.ukirk.org

Moral Therapeutic DeismGod exists. God wants people to be nice and fair to each other. The central goal of life is to be happy and feel good. God is distant and only involved in ones life when a problem arises.Good people go to heaven when they die.

the predominant religious attitude today among the majority of American youth. Few demands. Comfortable for Parents58

OUTLINE : Whats Ahead..Who are Emerging Adults?Why they are different from previous generations (and why that is important).Where are Emerging Adults?Why they arent they in church orcampus ministry.How can we reach Emerging Adults?Strategies for reaching them.

Slides at: http://tinyurl.com/emergingadults

Reaching this Generation Requires A New Way of Thinking

Doing College Ministry Requires A New Way of Thinking

Sustaining a College Ministry Requires A New Way of ThinkingReaching this Generation Requires A New Way of ThinkingHow are they different?How Do We Describe That Period of Time Between Childhood and Adulthood?Child AdultDependent IndependentDiscovering CareerSocietal RoleChildAdolescent AdultDependent Growing Up IndependentLive at home Live on Own Discovering CareerSocietal Role

ChildAdolescent AdultDependent Growing Up IndependentLive at home Live on Own Discovering CareerSocietal Role1900s Young People1940s - TeenagersWhat does Adulthood mean?Significant Changes in the Last 50 yearsExpansion of higher educationDelayed age of first marriage and childbirth Accessible Contraceptives Options for WomenMacro-economic changes Parental SupportTechnological AmplificationInfluence of postmodern relativism and skepticismFor Culture: all discrete, all measurable12ChildAdolescent AdultDependent Growing Up IndependentLive at home Live on Own Discovering CareerSocietal RoleChildAdolescent Emerging Adult AdultDependent Growing Up In-between IndependentLive at home Live on Own Discovering CareerSocietal Role

Emerging Adults In-Between Adolescence and Young Adulthood Ages 18 - 29

When do you become an Adult?HistoricallySpecific EventsFinished EducationMarriage leaving parents house living with someone outside your family having sexParenthood

For Emerging AdultsProcessBeing Self-sufficient Taking responsibility for yourself, Making independent decisionsBecoming financially independent

Emerging Adulthood is an Age of

identity exploration. Young people are deciding who they are and what they want out of work, school and love. instability. The post-high school years are marked by repeated residence changes, as young people either go to college or live with friends or a romantic partner. self-focus. Freed of the parent- and society-directed routine of school, young people try to decide what they want to do, where they want to go and who they want to be with. in between. Many emerging adults say they are taking responsibility for themselves, but still do not completely feel like an adult. possibilities. Optimism reigns. Most emerging adults believe they have good chances of living "better than their parents did," and even if their parents divorced, they believe they'll find a lifelong soul mate.

Jeffrey ArnettArnetts five characteristics. These mostly get resolved by their 30s16Who Are Young Adults?In the LibraryIn CollegeIn ChurchDevelopmental Life StageYoung Adults Are NOT Emerging AdultsWho Are the Current Emerging Adults?The Millennial Generationborn after ~ 1985Millennial Generation Core TraitsSpecialNeil and Strauss

Millennial Generation Core TraitsSpecialSheltered

Neil and Strauss

Millennial Generation Core TraitsSpecialShelteredConfidentNeil and Strauss

Millennial Generation Core TraitsSpecialShelteredConfidentTeam Oriented

Neil and Strauss

Millennial Generation Core TraitsSpecialShelteredConfidentTeam OrientedConventional

Neil and Strauss

Millennial Generation Core TraitsSpecialShelteredConfidentTeam OrientedConventionalPressuredNeil and Strauss

Millennial Generation Core TraitsSpecialShelteredConfidentTeam OrientedConventionalPressuredConnected

Neil and Strauss

Emerging Adults In-Between Adolescence and Young Adulthood, ages 18 - 29

Characteristics of this PeriodIn-betweenExplorationInstabilitySelf-focusSense of Possibilities

This Is Not Your Mothers CollegeIndividualisticImmediateCompetition?CateringParental InvolvementFreedomCommunication

Religious Characteristicsof the Millennial Generation of Emerging AdultsReligious Characteristics of Emerging AdultsA Congregation of One Authority is individualisticPick and ChooseChurch is for moral educationBehavior-focusedMoralistic Therapeutic DeismSkepticism of Religious InstitutionsEvidence is TruthExploration / Keeping Options Open

291.Committed Traditionalists (15%) - raised in religious traditional faiths, a lot of evangelical protestants and LDS they embrace tradition and trying to follow through.

2.Selective Adherents (30%) - basically understand themselves to be religious, value it, believe some of it, practice to some extent, but highly selective (can be broken down into those who feel guilty about selectivity and those who dont, about 50/50 - i.e.: I know I should go to church, or shouldnt live with a boyfriend or girlfriend)

3.Spiritually Open (15%) - a lot come from not religious or borderline religious backgrounds, not pursuing religion, but open to it - I bet there is a lot more I have to learn about a higher power, etc. but not actually trying to deal with that yet.Major Types of Emerging Adult Response to Religion4. Religiously Indifferent (25%) - just dont care - will talk about it, but it doesnt matter.

5. Religiously disconnected (5%) - not hostile, just dont know I know its out there, just dont really know anything about it.

6. Irreligious (10%) - [this category wasnt present in the teen study] - has decided that religion is BS, idiotic, etc. and are actively critical, skeptical, and make fun of it. Major Types of Emerging Adult Response to ReligionMajor Types of ER Response to Religion

Major Types of ER Response to Religion

40% are neitherCommitted toNorOpen toMainstreamReligiousInstitutionsMajor Types of ER Response to Religion

60% are eitherCommitted toOrKnowledgeable AboutMainstreamReligiousInstitutionsMyths of Emerging Adult SpiritualityMyth #1 They Drop Out During College, But Return to the Church When They Have Children

Smith fig. 3.1036

Myth #2 College Erodes Their Faith

Black = Attending College Gray = Not Attending CollegeSmith, fig 8.8. Uecker, Regnerus and Vaaler: students who did not attend college and two-year college students are much more likely 61 and 54 percent more, respectively than four-year college students to relinquish their religious affiliations.38Myth #3 They are Spiritual But Not Religious

Only 7% of Emerging Adults have high internal values of faith (spirituality) and low external value of faith and practices (religion) . Most are congruent.

In addition, only 7% who were consistent high as teens dropped external but maintained high internal as Emerging Adults. Smith (NYSR)

Smith fig 8.9. At FYI, College Transition Project indicates that 70% of youth group graduates disagree with the idea that their college professors make them confused about their faith. Almost 75% report that other students respect their beliefs. Myth that collegians are highly interested in spirituality and spiritual practices. Tim Clydesdale found almost no evidence for these claims. As Christian Smith interviewed teens and asked them to self-describe their religiosity, "spiritual" never entered the conversation; the word "spirituality" isn't even a part of adolescent vocabulary.39Identity Lockbox85-90% of First Years make no effort to explore their religious identity. Those that do:a) future intelligentsiaaspiring thinkers and leaders of the academy and social sciences (1%)b) religious skeptics and atheists those who think religion prevents the achievement of social justice and equity (1-2%)c) religious emissaries who engage their faith with the world. (10-15%, most often found in religious schools)Tim Clydesdale, "Abandoned, pursued or safely stowed? The religious life of first year undergraduates,"paper presented to the SSRC, 20 0 640Spiritual but Not ReligiousHow question is framed?Spiritual But Not Religious implies that religious practices are latent they will returnData doesnt support either implication

Spiritual and Religious CongruencySubstituting religious practices

Trajectories

Myth #4 They are Rebelling

65 -85% of American teenagers do not have negative views of religion; in fact, they have an openness and curiosity about religion.

They tend to reflect the religious beliefs and traditions of their parents and are not particularly interested in rebelling or seeking alternate religious paths.

This emphasizes again the importance of adults.

But what about worship differences?

Emerging Adult Participation in Congregations Hackett, www.changingsea.orgEmerging Adult Participation in Congregations Hackett, www.changingsea.orgDoing College Ministry Requires a New Way of ThinkingFrom Program to PeopleFrom Banquet to CafeteriaFrom Receiving to ReachingFrom Camp to BridgeFrom Youth Group to Worshiping Community

College Ministry as College Mission

Ministry HelpsEmerging Adults

Own your nicheTransparency, humility, integrityConnect with faith community adults Influence of (Helicopter) ParentsAuthenticity over OrthodoxyQuestions over Dogma / Life IssuesConcern for Others Service and ReflectionIn religious education, you can never aim too low.

Ministry HelpsEmerging Adults

Own your nicheTransparency, humility, integrityConnect with faith community adults !!!! Influence of (Helicopter) ParentsAuthenticity over OrthodoxyQuestions over Dogma / Life IssuesConcern for Others Service and ReflectionIn religious education, you can never aim too low.

Sustaining a College Ministry Requires a New Way of ThinkingThe Campus Ministry as a Missionary Outreach of the Congregation48A Congregation Supports MissionsThe Congregation Reaches Out Beyond ThemselvesCongregation provides resourcesCongregation works to support the MissionRepresentative (missionary) uses resources on siteMissionary reports on use of resourcesExpected OutcomesNo direct physical connectionSpiritual enrichmentEducation

Ministry to Students in KenyaA Congregation Supports MissionsThe Congregation Reaches Out Beyond ThemselvesCongregation provides resourcesCongregation works to support the Mission.Representative (missionary) uses resources on siteMissionary reports on use of resourcesExpected OutcomesNo direct physical connectionSpiritual enrichmentEducationMinistry to Students in College

The Missionary Educates the CongregationEducates about the culture of the MissionTells stories about those impacted by the MissionIs thankfulAsks for continued support

Missionary PositionsSome specific training is requiredHome Office helps publicizeTime scheduled to visit supporting congregationsSlow growth in the Mission field is normal and necessary.Successful missions are cooperative Welcoming EAs at Worship

As Youth As Foreign VisitorsWelcoming is only the first step. The second is Relationship building (NOT the mission/ missionary model!)53High School Youth Leader Support for College Students