Flipbooks

Sometime in my late twenties, faced with yet another big adult decision, I posted a meme on Facebook that said: "That horrifying moment when you're looking for an adult, then realize you're an adult. So you look for an older adult, someone successfully adulting—an adultier adult." I expected my peers to empathize and adults older than me to offer comfort. Surely, all these milestones and transitions become easier over time. I was shocked when adults at all ages and stages beyond mine responded to my post saying this still happened to them. It was a strange comfort to hear that my responsible, loving, Christian mentors were still looking for that adultier adult. Young adulthood is marked by a variety of new experiences and milestones: first jobs, first apartments or houses, first loves, marriages, and even children. Add on that we are navigating 401ks, insurance plans, taxes, cooking, and more, all at the same time. All these milestones come with joy and excitement, but they can also leave us overwhelmed and vulnerable to disconnection from faith and the church. The 2017 "Millennials and the LCMS" research found that 54 percent of those who grew up and remained in the LCMS into young adulthood said their church ministered to them in times of transition. Only 28 percent of those who grew up in the LCMS and left said the same. Young adults are not looking for just adultier adults but also for a community of support and encouragement that will point them to Jesus as they navigate the joys and hardships of adult milestones and transitions. Ministering to young adults doesn't necessarily look like a program. Instead, there are three things the church can do to support young adults as they approach their many firsts and transitions. Where Is the "Adultier" Adult? BY JULIANNA SHULTS 14 Lutheran Life

• Cover