Bible studies encourage congregations to be inclusive
Three young-adult speakers took the stage in “Moments of Extravagant Grace,” at the 225th session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference. Their remarks, and the feedback of the panels that accompanied them, were designed to empower clergy and laity to share their faith in new and vital ways.
The Rev. Jessicah Duckworth tackled one of the most pressing challenges in the lives of many congregations. How can the church attract young adults ages 18-35?
One essential thing to realize is that young adults are not a monolithic group, she said. They are extremely diverse, with a vast array of preferences and needs.
However, one trait that binds them together is that they are trying to find their place in this world and church, said Duckworth, assistant professor of Christian Formation at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Duckworth encouraged congregations to intentionally extend extravagant grace by inviting and being in community with young adults.
“Faith is a gift from God,” she said. “We believe in God, share our faith and engage the word of God with one another.”
Many young adults are making decisions for the first time about their careers, family life, personal development, leisure time and community involvement; they need to be welcomed and have their voices heard in churches, said 32-year-old Duckworth.
Kris Erickson, a young adult lay member from Mt. Vernon Place UMC in Washington, D.C., and one of the panelists for the morning discussion, said he recently felt a sense of emptiness in his life so he and his wife went “church shopping.”
They decided to visit Mt. Vernon Place when they realized the church was under renovation and was out of the normal “trappings” of the church building.
In the library, where the congregation met, the couple experienced radical hospitality. “People came up to us and said hello and 90-year-old women walked across from their pews to greet us during the passing of the peace,” he said.
Stained glass and sanctuaries aren’t what’s important, Erickson stressed; how one is welcomed is.
According to Duckworth, young adults are seeking meaningful mentoring relationships with other adults in order to find their sense of self and be in relationship with God.
“Many young adults are marrying in their 30s, and the 20 year-olds are not attending church,” she said. “The three questions that they are asking are, “Who am I? Where have I come from? And where am I going?”
Duckworth encourages pastors and laity to recognize that the young adults are trying to find a balance between being optimistic and despair in the world. She urged them to share their own stories as they are mentoring to them.
Members of annual conference were also encouraged by Paul Monteiro, religious liaison in the White House’s Office of Public Liaison when he said that the Obama administration sees and appreciates the extravagant grace extended by United Methodists across the country.
“We will count on you to be that prophetic voice and deal with the many moral issues facing us today, and I look forward to continuing to build a relationship with you and working together on many of the issues we will be facing soon.”
Many times people use religion as a stumbling block to divide people, but we must all work together as community to make progress, said Monteiro.
On Friday afternoon Erin Hawkins, the youngest General Secretary of General Commission on Religion and Race, encouraged churches to be inclusive.
“Different does not mean deficient,” she said. “Hurt people hurt other people, when we are hurt we are not in a position to extend extravagant grace to others.”
Hawkins spoke of avenues that churches can follow to embrace and invite people of diversity inside their church walls.
“Reclaim a level of courage, “she said. “With courage, congregations can move forward and be agents of transformation, but courage does come with a cost. Face your fears and move forward,” she said.
Hawkins said she believes in the power of storytelling. We have the power to engage others with our stories she said.
Hawkins warned members not to believe stories that the devil tells them, but to focus on the Good News of Jesus Christ.
“We can choose to believe stories of our lives that empower us so that we can open our church doors wide for everyone to come in,” she said.
Also reframe your own story and make changes,” she suggested. It’s important to discover hope in the midst of pain. “When we struggle,” she said, “we should count it all joy.”
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