Young Adults, RETHINKing, and Organic

My profile, which I just wrote, uses the key phrases "young adult," "United Methodist," and "clergywoman" to describe me. Those are three factors that summarize a large part of my identity. While I once considered myself cutting edge, my colleagues are leaving me in the dust. I'm capable of blogging, but I haven't committed to it until now. I don't Facebook, and I never IMed. I text...but with spelling and punctuation that would make any English teacher proud. I've never posted anything on YouTube, and I still think only birds should tweet. Until...


This week the United Methodist Church launched a huge media and outreach campaign aimed at young adults called RETHINK CHURCH. The ideas of the campaign are amazing! The UMC is working hard to communicate to the un-churched or fallen away that we are about much more than 11 a.m. Sunday worship with a dress code. Now there are tons of ways to be part of a church...thousands of ways...reached through 10 thousand doors--really, just look!


As I read about this campaign in Interpreter (the hard copy, that is, which I received by snail mail), I realized that some of these high tech, hip ideas about how to use technology in ministry are written by old, white men. Competitor that I am, I will not let the old guys leave me behind while the church moves ahead!


That puts me in a tough place. My new (since July 2008) home in southern Idaho is a place where it is still possible to function without email. The church I serve (Burley United Methodist) is doing amazing work that is relevant in today's society. Our ministry doesn't utilize technology, which makes me question how relevant we can be. We are relevant to some, I suppose, while we are missing others because we operate in a parallel universe. We do a great job of reaching out to those with material needs and financial emergencies. We offer meaningful worship, complete with pews, organ, hymnals, and a variety of other worship paraphernalia items that have been used for centuries.


We are missing, I fear, the young adults who are not in crisis and are not comfortable in pews. We are missing those who are yearning for more intimate and meaningful connection than post-worship coffee hour conversation in the fellowship hall. We are missing opportunities for interested and interesting young minds to put their heads together and find God in times and places not scheduled on the church calendar. Surely God is tired of that calendar. And, while our United Methodist doors are are open, they swing both ways and people can go out even more easily than they can come in.


So here goes. I'm stepping out--boldly and perhaps foolishly--to try something new. I am stretching myself, and asking my peers at Burley United Methodist Church and First Presbyterian Church Burley to do the same. I insist that in our church all are welcome. In this venue, "all" gets a lot bigger, which is surely what Jesus is all about!


We young adults (20- and 30-somethings) at Burley UMC and 1st Presbyterian are going to be reading Margaret Feinberg's book The Organic God together...but apart...and together. Buy the book. (If you can't buy the book but deeply desire to read it and participate, contact me by commenting here, email, or church phone.) We'll read about a chapter per week, unless that feels to slow and we all want to dive into this passionate story about loving God more. As you read, check this blog and share your thoughts. I'll share some of what's on my mind, post questions to get conversation going, and thus we'll be in fellowship apart-together.


Need some face time? Or (more importantly) need some coffee?? We'll find time to gather at local coffee shops to chat about the book or whatever. Want to watch the videos that go along with the book? We can make time for that, too, but first let's get started on the book and in e-conversation here.


Ready? Order your book NOW through Amazon or the author's website. (Still not convinced? Take 2 min. here to see what you don't want to miss.) We'll start discussing the intro & chapter 1 on May 25 at the very lastest. I'll post before then to get us thinking and talking and e-fellowshipping.


Did you see the quote at the top? It's about joining people on the journey. It's about meeting people where they are. And here we are. Our journey together only continues from here.