Ministering to the Young Single Adult - Elmer Towns

Young Single Adults-A Challenge for the ChurchWHAT THE CHURCH CAN DOThe First Evangelical Free Church of Chicago, Illinois, found itself in a uniqueposition. Located on the north side of Chicago, it was bordered by the well known“Brown Sandstone Apartment Buildings” in which were living many young single adults.These young people attended the preaching services of the church, but that is as far as theministry of the church went in reaching them. The College and Career Sunday Schoolclass had an influx of college students and the academic nature of the lesson tended todrive the young business people away.Jane, a young switchboard operator who moved to the neighborhood from Iowa,was miserable. She confessed to one church leader her desire to return to Iowa. “I’mlonely, and the four walls of the apartment are like a prison.” Jane related her story offrustration in the church. She tried to attend the church social functions, but they wereoriented to the family.“The young girls who are married sit around and talk about their babies,” statedJane. “Or else they always talk about my being single and make some ill-timed remark.”The pastor and director of Christian education were challenged to provide for thesocial needs of these young single adults. The “Twenties and Thirties Club” was startedand met after church on Sunday evenings. Three other churches in the area were invitedto participate, and the idea caught fire.“I have to squelch these people sometimes,” related the director of Christianeducation. “These single career people are so enthusiastic for fellowship, service, andgetting together that their program gets out of hand if not supervised.” He was notcomplaining, only relating the exuberance of the young single adult.The young single adult is a challenge to the church. If the church ignores thesepeople, it is not performing its task. The nature of a challenge lies in the demands itmakes upon us. The young single adult demands the attention of the church.In considering the role of the church’s ministry to the young single adult, we mustrealize that every church is different. No two churches are identical in membership, aims,and cultural tradition. The environment of the church, as well as its administrativeleadership, affects the function of getting the gospel out to its constituency. Somechurches are in the country; others in the city; still others are in the suburban area. Thelarge church can have a well-organized program for the young single adult, whereas thesmall church may have only one or two participants. Some churches may have a welleducatedlay leadership which might be composed of some young single adults. Otherchurches may be ignorant of the needs and problems of the young single adults, and