tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post6343734973251722349..comments2023-11-05T06:05:59.611-06:00Comments on koinonia: The Life Span of a ChristianErik Ullestadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-78747474203814429632009-06-21T14:28:43.764-05:002009-06-21T14:28:43.764-05:00I like the way you're thinking, Steven! Perha...I like the way you're thinking, Steven! Perhaps allowing some time & space for people to claim their faith isn't a form of "giving up" on that demographic. Can the church do more to walk along side young adults as they wrestle with the big questions? How do "we, the church" make connections during these wandering years without being over-bearing and suffocating?Erik Ullestadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-67885159477591516072009-06-21T06:41:20.178-05:002009-06-21T06:41:20.178-05:00The "Holy Grail" of young people ministr...The "Holy Grail" of young people ministry.....how to attract those post-college folks.<br /><br />I have a theory; Many folks need that time away from church to find out for themselves the importance of Christ/spiritual life/God in their lives. They need to make the choice themselves so they own it.<br /><br />We, the church, whatever... need to show grace before and after they wander. Kind of like the father in the prodigal son parable.Steven J. Aveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00476889723724935108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-88260861907238056542009-06-17T20:47:48.892-05:002009-06-17T20:47:48.892-05:00I love both of these reflections! I agree that we...I love both of these reflections! I agree that we need to figure out what our non-negotiables are (both at the denominational & congregational levels) and throw away all the rest of the B.S. that has lingered for too long. The process of RENEWAL is always more difficult than the process of DEVELOPMENT...but, more often than not, that's what we're called to do!Erik Ullestadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10107051442323025127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-52937232007571065622009-06-17T09:52:53.729-05:002009-06-17T09:52:53.729-05:00What make Campus Crusade and Young Life and effect...What make Campus Crusade and Young Life and effective is their focus. As you articulatly put it in your last post, our focus in the ELCA often on other less important issues. But Young Life and Campus Crusade have the same problem when youth drop off in college and in their 20's. Pastor Joelle is right the church is the right place. But we give out pizza, talk about hot button topics, go to gatherings, but rarely keep our focus on a spiritual life long relationship with Jesus that is transformational and lived out in relationships. <br /><br />Your big how question is huge. I humbly suggest we start by looking at our reformation history which was really a refocus on what is central to our identity as the church and let that effect our vocation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869913311871017280.post-75844575615146539102009-06-09T06:58:22.992-05:002009-06-09T06:58:22.992-05:00One of the questions Call Committees always ask pa...One of the questions Call Committees always ask pastors - "How are you going to keep the youth from leaving after confirmation?" My answer is to use the time I have them to forge a relationship and try to make the church a place where they experience grace. And they probably will still leave but maybe some day they will remember the church as a place where they were cared about and accepted no matter what and it's there for them when they are ready to experience that again.<br /><br />Of course the challenge is to make sure the church IS that place.Pastor Joellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14212838423929588352noreply@blogger.com