
How the church can help calm an anxious generation
You have probably heard some of the troubling statistics about teens and young adults. The data points are piling up like symptoms for a very ill patient.

You have probably heard some of the troubling statistics about teens and young adults. The data points are piling up like symptoms for a very ill patient.

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The familiar car pulled into the church parking lot. As the driver stepped out, my stomach tightened and my heart raced. This churchgoer had a history of sharp words toward me, and I knew he had been involved in conflicts I’d mediated for others. My mind spiraled: “What is he going to say today? What problems will I have to fix afterward?”

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A quiet shift is taking place among senior adults.

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The bustle of the Easter season is upon us.
’ve worked within student ministry in some capacity for 12 years. If junior highers smell like body spray and if high schoolers can smell fear, then young adults (YAs) have a nose for inauthenticity. They see right through the smoke machine and lights. They quickly pick up on lack of depth. And they know on first whiff whether the “answer” you just gave to the question that’s plagued them or their friend’s faith (or is sitting at the bottom of their lack thereof) is worthy of consideration or if you’re just grasping at straws. They pull no punches, and they are awesome for it!