In most religious groups today, young-adult participation is not nearly what it once was, and many attempts to re-engage with that age group have not been successful.  A news story last week tells of a new approach to young-adult ministry, one that can be called the “better-than-nothing model.”  It involves efforts among synagogues in Washington, D.C., to expose Jewish young adults to some Jewish experience, even if the effort does not build attendance or membership in the congregations, figuring that minimal exposure is better than none at all.

While the story centers on synagogues, the absence of young adults is also a factor in Christian churches.  This week we consider how we might minister to that age group, even if there is no immediate payoff for our congregation.  Secondarily, we will also consider some of the implications of “church hopping.”

When Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was selected as the Roman Catholic Church’s new pope last week, he took the name Francis, in honor of the 13th-century saint Francis of Assisi.  Many observers hope that this name choice will set a tone for the new papacy, one marked by concern for the poor and care of the world.  While we Protestants do not consider ourselves under the direction of the pope, his role as the most prominent Christian in the world makes his choice of a name (and, by implication, of a role model) worth noting.  It can lead us to consider who our role models in faith are and how our “name” — Christian — should set the tone for how we live.  Or to say it in another way, what do we mean when we say someone is “Christ-like”?  That will be the topic of Adult Education this week.

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