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Lesson #2: Young adults are looking for intentionally faith-based events at our parishes. 

One way to start building up a young adult community at your parish is through social events. Oftentimes, this is where we begin with this age group – and rightly so. Social gatherings help young adults form meaningful relationships, which leads to a sense of belonging. And if you ask young adults what they desire, many will say just that: meaningful relationships and a place where they belong.

But it can’t end there!

A discovery that surprised some of our parishes last year was young adults’ desire for more, intentional faith-centered gatherings. 

This can take many forms – our parishes saw interest in Bible studies, additional Adoration opportunities (especially in the evening), expanded Confession times (especially before and after work and during the lunch hour), catechesis series (such as Theology on Tap), and small faith sharing groups. 

Young adults are hungry for opportunities like this because they are hungry for Jesus.

The parish is not a community center or a social club; it is the primary place where we encounter Jesus Christ, present in Word, Sacrament, and in the Body of Christ – the community. This truth must be at the center of all we do, the origin and end of our ministry.

So, while this doesn’t negate the importance of social events, it should make us consider what our ministry offers to young adults. We can start with the social; we just can’t end there. They don’t need our help to fill their social calendars – what they need is ministers who desire for them to have a relationship with Jesus. A relationship that changes them and invites them deeper along the path of discipleship. We can begin this process with the social; we just can’t end there. 

We have included a few items for reflection below as well as some practical ideas for your parish. 

• Increase accessibility – review your parish’s sacramental schedule: An easy starting point for ministry with young adults is to review your current schedule for Mass, confession, Adoration, and office hours. It may be that young adults aren’t attending things at your parish because of work schedules, their kids’ school or activity schedules, etc. Try reaching out to the young adults in your community and ask whether they would attend additional weekday Masses, confession, and Adoration if they were at more accessible times. 

• Have a spiritual dimension for every event – schedule events around Mass or Adoration: When planning an event for young adults, consider your parish’s Mass and Adoration schedule as a starting or ending point. For example, one of our parishes hosts a young adult Bible study that ends when the parish’s evening Adoration begins, allowing young adults to attend both. A great way to welcome new young adults into your parish community is to have a gathering spot before or after Mass that is 1) communicated to them ahead of time, 2) easy to locate, and 3) a place where they can get connected to other parishioners and future events.
• Have a discipleship plan – become familiar with the thresholds of discipleship and know where your people are: Though we walk together on the path of faith towards Christ, each of us has a unique journey. The same is true for those we accompany, which means ministry is not one-size-fits-all. One tool that can help us understand where people are, respond to their needs, and invite them to go deeper is Sherry Weddell’s Thresholds of Discipleship and Conversion. Once we have a language for the stages of discipleship, we can determine whether people need spiritual conversation with a mentor, catechesis, or a space to share their gifts and lead others. Instead of putting everyone into the same box and trying to meet all their needs at once, this intentional, relational approach will form disciples with the capacity to lead others in the faith.
  
  
• Remember who we are and Whose we are – keep Christ at the center of all we do: This is the most important task for those of us who minister: don’t try to do anything apart from God. It’s tempting to get caught up in task lists and attendance numbers, but we have to remember that our work is a participation in the salvific work of Christ. Young adults are seeking truth, meaning, goodness, and beauty. We know that the Church is where they will discover what their hearts long for – Jesus Christ, abiding with His people. We cannot offer young adults anything less than what will satisfy their hunger and make their hearts come alive. We must be rooted in our mission – and the reality that Christ is the One who acts through us and makes it all possible. Apart from Him, we can do nothing. (John 15:5)

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This year, we will be diving deeper into our 2025 insights. Each month, we will focus on one lesson our partner parishes learned and offer concrete ways to incorporate these insights into your own ministry. May God bless our work!