Aj Schwanz

Workshop thoughts:

ñ So overwhelming! So much love!

ñ Holding things loosely

ñ Good to saturate with information, but not shove info down peoplesí throats

ñ Mightíve taken a long time to go around room, but good to build community
ñ People shared the points I resonated with: the informationís in them, it just needs to be pointed or pulled out

ñ Young adults is a stage of mind - man who became Christian at 70 felt like he was a young adult in his stage of spirituality

ñ Some people spoke in anger (and churches speak with resentment) - need reconciliation with church: donít have to agree, but should be at peace with each other

ñ Some folks want to get ëyoung adults in the doorí, draw them back in
ñ Mother: cut the strings! Theyíve got to go out!
ñ Mother draws in, Father sends out - we need more fathers speaking to move out

ñ Having folks there to support me meant so much

ñ Some folks came because they were interested in the topic; some were concerned about young adults; some were young adults; some were there because theyíve read other stuff Iíve written: keep the information going out there, even if I donít get any feedback

ñ Language is tricky: in Acts they needed the Spirit to ìdiscern the gibberishî, we need the same
ñ What is ìchurchî? Some say they donít ìattend churchî, but they do - it just looks different
ñ What do we ìoweî others?
ñ Older generation has a sense that we owe, that we need to give back; younger generation can be self-focused and doesnít feel like they owe anything
ñ We owe Christ, following his call to give back to those who helped raise us

ñ Youth group is good but bad; build a community, but then itís ripped apart- community ìlostî - never have that sense again
ñ Youth ministry is dying? At least as itís looked in the past

ñ Intergenerational: walk along side, point out where can help, encounter others

ñ Eating together: equalizing factor (all equal at the table)

ñ Need a place to ask the hard and challenging questions
ñ If theyíre old enough to ask the questions, theyíre going to find an answer: where will that answer come from?

ñ Missing generation is an epidemic
ñ Not just among Evangelical Friends: a person from Pacific YM noted that they too have a missing generation

ñ Ben found more friends/acceptance working two weeks at Starbucks than four years at Fox
ñ Unconditional acceptance: no strings attached: appreciation of you for you

ñ Why does the church want to bring people into the church? Is it simply to maintain the institution for another fifty years? Or is there something more to offer?

ñ Importance of blessing: using our words to strengthen and equip, not to break and tear down
ñ Young adults have experiences that have broken them; they need healing, love, acceptance

ñ Young adults remember/cling to/notice relationships
ñ Honest relationships make SUCH a difference - spoken of over and over with such affection
ñ Hypocritical/inauthentic relationships are remembered as well - cause much damage and hurt (feelings of being lied to? Not being respected as an individual/îadultî-type person?)

ñ Many church gatherings feel ìgeriatricî
ñ Classify each other: ìintellectual churchî versus ìyouth churchî versus ìcountry bumpkin churchî
ñ Want to reach out, but donít know how

ñ Young adults often donít feel like they fit in
ñ Singles feel like they are alone, church revolves around marrieds
ñ Marrieds feel left out - so many young adults are getting married later in life
ñ So basically everyone feels like they donít fit in - doesnít that make everyone fit in?

ñ Where is our Quaker distinctive? People, particularly young adults, are drawn to Quakerism for certain reason - equality, social justice, etc. Are we living that out? Do we have anything to offer? Is it strong and bold, or watered down?
ñ Young adults are ready to ìgo all the wayî - to give their whole beings: do we know how to equip and enable them to do that?
ñ Are we going all they way, or just half of the way?

ñ How can we accept people in the church just as they are, no strings attached, not trying to ìuseî them (for furthering programs, etc)?

ñ Our actions should come from our call in Christ - which we hear as we are rooted in His love, finding our identities in Him
ñ That should guide everything we do, and then reaching out to others - young adults and other populations - should happen naturally
ñ Does it need to be so ìplanned outî?

ñ Itís not going to happen at the institution level, itís not going to be a program: people are going to have to ìbuck upî at start doing it themselves