Let us entertain you!
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, so this isn’t specifically a result of one event, in case you’re wondering…
Why do churches feel that they have to ‘entertain’ young adults in order to engage them in worship? I’ve been to several services/events designed specifically for ‘young adults’ (typically post-college through maybe early 40s, mostly single), and while many of them have been wonderful times of worship and fellowship and learning through the Word, some have been, well, more like going to a concert than anything else. Do I really need flashing colored light to connect with God in praise?!?! How about fog machines, is having fog essential to my exalting Christ?!?! Or even just the watering down of the gospel and message of Christ – do they not think I can handle the truth?
I understand that we, as a generation of young adults, have grown up in a super-stimulatory world and are working with short attention spans – but it doesn’t seem that catering to that helps us in any way. And I know that for a group of people who grew up on MTV, this might seem to be ‘just the thing’ to keep people engaged – but it’s not, it’s certainly not for me, or for my small group of friends who have talked about this quite a bit. There are certainly people out there for whom this must be amazing, most likely people who have had difficulty with the whole ‘church thing’, thinking that Christians are cut off from the world and not in touch with where they’re coming from (which, to be honest, we often are). But that can’t be the only group we’re trying to reach, right? These services have, for the most part, been not evangelistic in nature (though if that’s an outcome, praise the Lord!), they have been primarily based in leading believers in worship.
I’m just sort of frustrated by the attitude of so many churches, that young adults can’t be thought of as mature, intelligent, thoughtful people who don’t necessarily need all the bells and whistles (and lights and fog 
) to keep us ‘entertained’ while we worship the true and living God.
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Amen, sister. I think the reason that it’s done, though, is because it’s easier to change the tune than it is to hammer the message home. I argue that people don’t find what is being presented as gospel relevant because enough churches aren’t taking the Gospel to their congregations.
Comment by Geof F. Morris — May 3, 2006 @ 12:55 pm
I second what Geof said. I think, too, the ‘young adult’ group is just an extension of youth ministry. We have become just another demographic instead of an integrated part of a greater whole. I’m an adult. The End. Sometimes I just want to say to people ‘I pay my own bills, I have a job, I go to school. What more do you want? A spouse, kids, and a morgage(sp?)?’ Haha…thats my soap box.
Comment by racheal — May 5, 2006 @ 12:16 am
I agree with both of y’all – I just find it frustrating that young adults aren’t taken seriously in the church until they, I don’t know, get married or have kids – and if they would stop talking down to us, they could expect a lot more out of us in terms of serving and leading the church.
Comment by drea — May 5, 2006 @ 12:59 pm
Thankfully, I belong to a church that has almost no one my age, so they don’t treat me weirdly.
Comment by Geof F. Morris — May 10, 2006 @ 7:46 pm