New Voices: By and about young adults

The reality of leaving was gradually sinking in. I was coming to the end of my last year working as youth minister for Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite School before beginning full-time seminary study.

Several of us expressed gratitude for the people and the institution that gave us the chance to grow and learn. Giving opportunities to new leaders is risky, but our school had repeatedly shown the courage to hire young adults—some, like myself, fresh out of college.

This came on the heels of a recent conversation in which I was reminded of an opportunity I was given to share in a Mennonite Church USA delegate session. I was attending convention as a teenager and was invited to participate in a panel presentation about my call to ministry and the support I had received from my parents and my congregation.

With these experiences as a backdrop, there are two things I desire to do in this article. First, I want to express gratitude to those who have supported me in the development of my gifts.

Second, I want my experience to challenge all of us to be courageous enough to integrate youth into the life and ministry of our churches.

The old expression says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” I believe it also takes a village to raise an effective leader. Multiple youth ministry scholars, including Kenda Creasy Dean, have noted that a major factor in faith retention among young adults is the experience of significant relationships with at least five adults during their teenage years. Certainly this is even more important in developing church leaders.

My parents played a crucial role in nurturing my gifts. They have been my most consistent cheerleaders throughout my life, even through my current transition. I also had a congregation full of supportive adults at Mount Joy (Pa.) Mennonite Church—pastors, mentors, Sunday school teachers and youth group sponsors—who provided many words of affirmation as well as opportunities for me to exercise my gifts.

Finally, there were adults with no particular connection to our church’s youth ministry who made a point to send me notes of encouragement, tell me they were praying for me or seek me out and greet me on Sunday mornings. This was not only true for me but in the lives of youth who went through the congregation before and after me. The congregation, from leadership to laity, was committed to nurturing its youth. While our congregation maintained an active youth group, youth were not separated out as a church within a church but were integrated into all aspects of the life of the congregation.

I’ve learned from the models I had in my high school experience. As a result, I make a point to provide youth with opportunities for leadership and do my best to affirm the gifts I see in them. Involving youth in leadership takes more time and effort than leaving leadership and ministry to the adults in the congregation. It also increases the likelihood that things will be less polished. Youth will make mistakes (perhaps no more often than adults, but may feel less compelled to cover them up).

I also want to express gratitude to pastors who understand the value of integrating youth into the life of the congregation and who partner with both paid and lay youth ministers to cast a congregational vision that places high value on the role of youth within the church. This involves risk but also leads to a more vibrant congregational life. I desire to be the type of leader who displays the same courage I experienced from those who hired me at Lancaster Mennonite School and Lancaster Conference and who led at Mount Joy Mennonite.

With this in mind, I also want to challenge congregations, conferences and our denomination to grow increasingly more intentional about involving youth in significant ways in our shared church life. It is occurring in many places, as demonstrated by my experience as a youth, but it is an area where we can always grow.

So I leave you with this question: How will you call out gifts and give opportunities to the youth in your congregation?

Jon Heinly is former youth minister for Lancaster (Pa.) Mennonite Conference and Lancaster Mennonite Schools. He can be reached at jheinly@lancasterconference.org.