Reflecting on our Mission: Generous, Open-hearted, "Out of the Box"

       I've now been facilitating this group for over 3 1/2 years, taking over from the previous leader, Bill Sykes, who led the group for 9 years before me.   I'm posting these reflections partly in  gratitude to our sponsoring congregations, Vienna Baptist Church (VBC)  and Little River United  Church of Christ (LRUCC)  who have had the vision to think "out of the box" to sponsor a group like this -- and partly just to kind of put out there my sense of what this group is about and has become. 

            I was drawn to this ministry because of its creative vision and structure.  The idea was that two congregations from different denominations would co-sponsor a gathering of 20's and 30's that would be open to  an ecumenical, inclusive  and progressive vision of the Christian life.  The hope was that other congregations might join in over time and that may yet happen.    We meet biweekly (on the first and third Tuesdays of the month) at the home of Tom and Mary Johnson, members of Vienna Baptist who have generously opened their lovely home to the group.    Young adult members take turns bringing dinner, and we enjoy fellowship and conversation over dinner before moving to an hour of Bible study.  From the beginning, the group members have been  eager to focus on Bible Study, and I have been delighted and energized, myself, at the invitations to look at Scripture through traditions of interpretation that emphasize a generous, open-hearted Christianity, rooted in relationship with God and turned toward the needs of the world.   We end each evening with prayers and we pray for one another between sessions.

            What makes the vision unusual is that it is an ecumenical group -.  We have 5 or 6 different denominations represented in the 6-8 Young Adults who attend regularly, but they share a desire to claim and explore Christian identity at a formative time of life.  Part the group’s mission is to be open to whoever comes along, and we have had several young adults join us because they have found us online, either at here our website or on facebook. 

            At a time when an increasing number of Americans are listing their religion as “none,” I am excited to be convening a  flexible and ecumenical Young Adult ministry.  I think it  offers a fresh way for people explore and embrace the traditions of Christian faith and discipleship and to invent and rediscover new ways of being Christian community.  If you're a young adult in your 20s and 30s,  reading this and new to the group and its concept , I hope you'll think about joining us at our biweekly meetings (the first and third Tuesdays of the month, 7-9) or at our spring retreat, now scheduled for May 17-19.  Watch this space for more information!    And feel free to contact me at any time at kathleen.staudt@gmail.com