SPIRITUAL ASYLUM
By Rev. Dorothy Boulware
Boomers were born into family churches and expect- church.
ed to raise their own progeny there for generations. Or at “I joined because it was a small close knit church fam-
the least until they came of age and were able to make ily,” she said. “I love the fact that my pastor knows my
their own choices of alternative congregations. Most name and the school I attend. She even knows what
people remained, feeling committed through family ties, sports I participated in during high school and college.”
in spite of differences and difficulties experienced. She says the membership is pretty balanced in gender
But with communities being much more transient, and age groups.
“family churches” are harder to find, as are people who “As a young person there are many times I need
have belonged to the same churches their entire lives. advice or guidance, and Shalom Ministries is always
And no one is really expected to do that. People there.”
“shop” for churches, looking for compatibility with the Jasmine Curry is looking for someplace where she
pastor and the preaching style, with the music and the can serve and she finds that in New Psalmist Baptist
“We bring in two vanloads of Morgan students every
Sunday and have really seen a good response.”
worship style, with the mission and the ministry style. Church and estimates that at least 40 percent of the con-
Young people are equally free to find their own house gregation is under 30.
of worship, having no expectation that they remain at “I love the fact that the church is progressive yet tra-
the family church. Most parents are just elated that they ditional at the same time,” Curry said. “Also, the church
want to attend church at all. They carry the family faith bases its teaching on the Bible, which a lot of churches
as they grow into their own faith to the community in are straying away from. This is what I love best about
which they feel most comfortable. the church.”
So what do young people consider when they look for Curry also bears up the fact that young people tradi-
a church? Why do some churches attract them in huge tionally have looked for places to serve and make a dif-
numbers and others have no such luck? Is it the person- ference.
ality of the pastor? The preaching? The music? She’s excited about the community service New
Bettya Burgess, who appreciates a smaller congrega- Psalmist does, especially around the holidays – feeding
tion, belongs to Shalom Ministries, a nondenominational families for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
6 Trends A pubbllication of the Afro-American Newspapers
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