Great Expectations Protecting familiar structures is not specific to Adventists, of course. But for a movement that chose to forgo a creed in order to leave room for the Holy Spirit to expand our understanding, we’ve grown surprisingly stiff-necked. Young (and not-so-young) adults recognize that much of our


dialogue boils down to “should” arguments. Some say we should return to the good old days when the church worked—maybe between the 1950s and the 1980s? We should reject “woke” language and all of that “acceptance of everyone” nonsense. We should close ranks to preserve the denomination. We should remain hyperconservative, even out of fear. We should call out sin, not worrying where the pieces fall.


We know the church has not been perfect. We’re happy you’re here with honest curiosity.


Others say we should have progressed further in being open-


minded. We should have abandoned the conservativism we grew up with. We should have dismantled the old systems long ago. Please notice: both sides are letting the institution define their understanding of God. And both are knee-jerk reactions. Neither emphasizes long-term discernment. Both make Jesus a prop to justify a lack of accountability. Young people, who have been an active audience for this


stalemate, have decided they need something different. Many of my peers have separated from the church to find a relationship with God. Tey didn’t leave the church just because of its traditionalism. Tey were tired of the hen-pecking and blind worship that seems to make the denomination more important than God. Today’s world is loud and relentless. We are bombarded


with social media messages telling us how the system failed us economically, socially, politically, and emotionally. Most of us can clock the empty propaganda and hit pieces designed to spark fear without a solution. Te church should be a refuge from mindless propaganda and systematic distrust.


40 AD VENTIS T T OD A Y


In our time spent pouring over Scripture and decluttering


our faith, we’ve discovered the answers in the Sermon on the Mount and the books of Romans, Proverbs, and Isaiah. Younger generations don’t need to wait for the institution to clean itself up and set an example. We’re being moved by the Holy Spirit, not by a church-mandated initiative.


How About Now? We cannot carry the burden of what we should do. We must progress with grace and rationality. We don’t need corporate America as our model. Removing the corporate structures and its metrics and widgets in favor of the heart posture of individuals— who may never step foot in a church—could redefine our expectations. A church for young adults must recognize generational


motivation, too. Younger generations want a cause: something bigger than themselves to inspire them into action. Older generations have the benefit of experience and don’t want to feel the work they fought for is irrelevant. Partnering the generations must be done with equality and a commitment to upholding the gospel of Jesus, not an institution. Let’s not, like that second monk, carry mental and emotional burdens that should have been set down long ago. Young adults seek a God for everyday life. Te gospel fuels


our advocacy and deepens our compassion and empathy. We don’t care about your sexuality or your title, or which doctrines you hold dear or reject, or what you drink or eat. We care about your heart posture. We don’t care that you came into the church holding a coffee cup, showing your tattoo sleeve. We know the church has not been perfect. We’re happy you’re here with honest curiosity. We watched our parents, our elders, our family friends carry


the denomination across the river. We commend them for it. But as the years pass and the problems remain, we wonder if it’s time to do something different. For me, an aspirational church means every generation walking together, unburdened by unnecessary structure and unmet expectation, toward a more authentic church unified by the good news.


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