I wholeheartedly believe that young adults are the engine of the church. A young adult generation will never have more disposable time and income than they do in this current season of their lives. They’re not lacking in physical energy either! Yes, these tenets and others are why churches should have more 20 somethings on their paid staffs.
These are in no particular order:
Young adults are contagiously energetic. Young adults have boundless energy and that is multiplied when giving the opportunity to fulfill the work of God. This energy will make your office environment, and in particular, your meetings come alive. Their passion and elation will reinvigorate you. Over time, it will rub off on everyone. Lastly, you will find that most young adults will go beyond what is required of them, which will pay HUGE dividends for you and your staff. They’ll do this because they have more disposable time than us in our 30’s & 40’s with young families.
Young adults are imaginative. Young adults can think up some of the craziest things, especially when it comes to ministry ideas. Frankly, their ideas aren’t safe, boring, and lacking risk like many of our ideas. If nothing else, the idea sharing will be a great benefit to you and your team.
Young adults are elastic. Have you seen the movie The Incredibles? If so, do you remember Elastigirl? Mr. Incredible’s wife – Helen, can stretch any part of her body up to 100’ (34 m) and can be 1 mm thin. She can also reshape her body in a variety of ways. In the movie, she becomes a parachute and a rubber boat and has used her arms for swings and a slingshot
If you instill the truth that failure is inevitable and that taking risks are permissible, you will find that most young adults are like Elastigirl. They are adventurous, embrace new principles, and willing to take risks. They embody reinvention and can be a strategic tool in the reinvention of a brand, ministries, local efforts, etc. This elasticity will erode at the rigidity that we all develop as we get older. Well, hopefully!
Young adults are affordable. I wouldn’t go as far as to suggest this is cheap labor, rather, it is certainly more inexpensive than hiring someone with a seasoned career.
Young adults are technologically savvy. This highly mobile and tech savvy generation are digital natives. Technology has shaped their world view and the odds are that everyone else on your staff is a digital immigrant, like me. We grew up with a landline and it was cool to have a pager in high school. Young adults were raised in a Starbucks crazed, smartphone, and mobile world. From APPS, to employing certain strategies, and social media utilization – young adults are leading the way.
Young adults are culturally relevant. Innovative and relevant approaches are necessary if the church is going to continue present His life-changing gospel in ways that the unchurched can understand. Young adults understand the intrinsic dynamics of our culture better than anyone. Even if they are unable to articulate it. This will influence your methods and results.
Have you had any experiences with hiring 20 somethings? If so, share your experiences with us.
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