pendence, parenthood. “I offer a challenge to young
adults: ‘You are adults.’ We’re not just waiting for something to come,” she said. “Though some people are achieving those [typical] markers in their 20s and 30s, some aren’t and it’s OK. We’re redefining what it means to be an adult.” Add financial challenges to the mix and this stage can be a stressful time, said Brian Hiortdahl, pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church in Chicago’s youthful Lakeview neigh- borhood. “All the economic factors make it harder to set out on your own ... at the age of 22,” he noted. For Resurrection, ministry with
emerging adults has meant trying to “reimagine what church means,” including offering Bible study on Sunday mornings at the church and on Sunday evenings at a local bar. Perez said such options can be
helpful for young adults. “The chal-
lenge is that for most young adults, it is not their first inclination to walk into a congregation,” she added.
5. Changing family structures. Families look different from the way they did 20 years ago. As an Ameri- can society, we are marrying later in life and having fewer children at an older age. More people are living together without being married and the number of two-parent households is decreasing. Nabhan-Warren added one more
element: the absence of extended family living nearby.
So what happens to congrega- tions when family dynamics change? “Our church becomes our family,” Nabhan-Warren said. With decreasing familial ties,
families—however they’re formed— often feel increasingly isolated, pos- ing an opportunity for congregations. “Those [congregations] that are investing in families are the ones that are flourishing,” she said. Nabhan-Warren said these fam- ily trends aren’t necessarily negative and have increased opportunities for women to pursue personal and pro- fessional goals. “The positive side is that women are finding a deeper kind of fulfillment and are able to have multiple vocations,” she said. “But there are more frustrations that come along with it. … I think that’s where churches can step in.”
6. Increasing U.S. social, cultural and religious diversity. Recent figures from the U.S. Census
Pedro B. Portillo, pastor of Iglesia Luterana Santa Maria de Guadalupe in Irving, Texas, says parishioners appreciate his messages of forgiveness and grace, and they “feel an openness here.”
BRANDON WADE
June 2011 23
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