College-Age & Beyond: Hurdles and Helps For the Church
I’ve noticed lately that many churches are struggling with change. The battle seems especially strong and the gap especially wide between the twenty-somethings' and those past their thirties (pretty much anyone possessing grey hair). Do you feel it? It’s this transitional thing that has been hovering around the Church for a few decades and seems to have recently exploded on us. I’m not just talking about the style of music in worship but a whole upheaval of what it means to be the Church...
Directing College-Age Hearts in Worship: more than music.
"...I want to share some ideas for worship, outside of the expensive and involved technology that many ministries believe may make or break their worship gatherings. These are a few methods I have used that have been effective..."
Eight Quick Tips for Starting a College Ministry
Most of the students stayed just to hang out and have some fun. We had a huge turnout of about sixty students that night. We anticipated a great summer of fun, ministry, and success. And then it died. I was blindsided. I had no idea what happened.
Getting Hired: Becoming a college pastor
"This is where the journey began for me in my pursuit of trying to convince my pastor that there was a need for a new college ministry, and that there was also a need for a full-time college pastor to head it all up – namely, me. If you ever have a moment, start..."
Graduating from Church: an honest look at transitioning high school grads
“Slipping through the cracks” is a cliché term used for many things, but unfortunately it’s all too familiar in our churches. Mostly it’s come to define what happens to many kids as they transition out of high school youth ministry.
re-thinking (true) discipleship
The term “Discipleship” is used today without much vigor and has seemingly lost its biblical meaning, seriousness, and true sense of calling in most contexts. In other words, typically when we use the term “discipleship” it’s not how Jesus did. I’ve been studying...
Research on Detachment
A new study from LifeWay Research reveals that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend a Protestant church for at least a year in high school will stop attending church regularly for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22.
Rules of Engagement
Chuck Bomar writes about what he see's as the non-negotiable's of connecting with college-age people.
Stress and the College Student
This document walks through stress and some ways in which college-age people are faced with it.
The Aroma of College Ministry Gatherings
"How do we lead our college age friends collectively in times of expression to our Savior when they often doubt God's goodness, struggle with their own identity, battle with depression, and cannot seem to find the intimacy that their hearts' desire?"
Top Topics - Part III
Part three of this series by Chuck Bomar focuses on teaching on the topic of finances to college-age people.
Top Topics: part II
A series by Chuck Bomar on the top topics to cover with college-age people.
Why Do Students Drop Out
Although this misses some of the key issues (from our perspective), it does provide some insight into this issue of high school grads detaching from the local church. It can spark some thought at least...
