Ministering to the Young Single Adult - Elmer Towns

Young Single Adults—Their OpportunityWHAT THE YOUNG SINGLE ADULT CAN DOThe Grant Memorial Baptist Church of Winnipeg, Canada, has an outstandingprogram for young single adults. Approximately 80 gather for the weekly program eachSunday evening after the church service. The program features variety with specialspeakers, skits or plays, panels, films, musical evenings and direct study of the Scriptures.The spring and fall retreats sponsored by the young people are highlights of the yearlycalendar. The young single adults also co-operate in denominational conventions andconferences.“How does a church get so many young single people?” is often asked of thepastor. “Service!” is his oft-repeated answer. The young single adults serve Christthrough many different agencies. They help staff the Bird River Bible Camp which issponsored by the church. Also, many of the young single adults work in interdenominationalcamps in the area.Grant Memorial Baptist Church has four mission Sunday Schools and most of thesuperintendents and teachers come from the young single adults. Actually, the Sundaymorning class for young single adults numbers around 25. However, when all of theyoung single adults return from the mission works to the evening service, attendanceswells to over 80.The young single adult has many opportunities to serve through his church. Likemany other Americans, basically he is seeking pleasure and meaning in life. The goal ofpleasure is a self-defeating goal, inasmuch as the more a person really sets out to strivefor pleasure, the less likely he is to gain it. Viktor Frankl understood this search, “Man ...finds identity (happiness) to the extent to which he commits himself to something beyondhimself, to a cause greater than himself.”‘ The life of service to others is the happiest oflives. The church is filled with opportunities-opportunities for service, opportunities forfellowship, opportunities for worship, opportunities for growth, opportunities to findmeaning and significance in life, opportunities for realization of being. But like allopportunities, the door must be open, a decision must be made and a new start venturedupon.Not all of the opportunities listed in this chapter will apply to every young singleadult. Opportunities are different and the personalities of the young single adult aredifferent. But every young single adult will find many places he can fill in the work of thechurch.I. PARTICIPATING IN ORGANIZED GROUPS