Author Archive for David Adams

Reaching Young Adults

By David Adams · Comments (0)
Tuesday, January 18th, 2022

I regularly hear church leaders say, “We need to reach young adults,” usually in a church that is struggling to reach and keep young adults. If this is your church, there is hope! Here are three suggestions for reaching young adults.

1. Listen

Listen to God. Why does he want to reach young adults? How has he led you to desire to reach them? How would he have you proceed?

Listen to church members. To whom else in your church might God be speaking about reaching young adults? What wisdom do others have on the subject? (Someone has probably “tried that before,” right?)

Listen to young adults. Build friendships and hear what they are saying about faith and church participation. Avoid the urge to tell them what they should be doing differently. Make sure you are not approaching young adults with a target mentality. Young adults are not a project or a goal to achieve, but individuals to be valued, heard, and loved.

2. Evaluate

What are the possibilities for your church? There certainly nothing wrong with dreaming big, but if there are few young adults in your community or few in your church today, then starting one group or hosting a meal with young adults may be a great start! Your local Baptist association or state convention may be able to provide a demographic study that will help you understand the possibilities, or you can look for yourself at the US Census data for county population characteristics here.

Evaluate the desire of your church’s leaders and members to (1) give up some comfort and control (favorite pew, decision-making, programming, finances, traditions), and (2) mentor and bless new young leaders. These two areas may reveal the biggest barriers to reaching young adults. If you reach young adults but are not ready to invite them into significant ministry and leadership roles, they are likely to go elsewhere.

3. Get to work

Based on 1 and 2 above, recognize that simply starting a young adult class/group or adapting worship style will not reach young adults. Spiritual, relational, and organizational effort is needed.

Spiritual – Invite existing adult groups to pray regularly for young adults as well as you or others who are leading your church’s efforts to reach them. Pray for opportunities to meet needs and share the gospel.

Relational – Weddings, births, kids’ sports, Vacation Bible School, fall festivals, and other events provide natural points of connection with young adults. Be intentional in using these opportunities to begin new friendships. Invite two or three young adults to meet you for breakfast to discuss plans for starting a young adult Bible study. Ask other church members to make a point of getting to know young adult neighbors.

Organizational – Start a new Sunday School class or small group when a core group of young adults are ready to begin. In the meantime, develop one to four young adults through a personal discipleship group or less formal get-togethers. As you reach young adults, invite them to serve in the church. Young adult guests who see young adult greeters, ushers, committee members, and ministry leaders are more likely to believe your church has a place for them, too.

David Adams

Director of Discipleship

Texas Baptists

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Categories : Baptism, Bible Study, Connect, Evangelism, Group Life, Growing your Group, Outreach/Evangelism, Small Groups, Sunday School

Communicating Prayer Requests

By David Adams · Comments (0)
Tuesday, April 28th, 2020

One of my favorite cartoons on prayer shows a woman standing in a group, all heads bowed, saying, “Lord, I lay before you the prayer concerns voiced this morning…even though most of ‘em sound like whining to me.” Not everyone has the same perspective on prayer requests, do they?

As a group leader you have the joy and responsibility of developing a praying group. Part of that is cultivating a healthy approach to sharing prayer requests. Periodic discussions on the topic could easily fit into a Bible study related to prayer, or may be a specific time set aside when the group is together. Either way, leaders should not assume all group members are on the same page regarding how—or if—prayer requests should be communicated. At least two questions should guide your group.

With whom should prayer requests be shared?

The answer is, “it depends.” While some group members may assume that any prayer request they hear should be shared with all concerned believers (we’re all family, right?), a good guideline for groups is that members will not share prayer requests outside the group unless the requestor has give permission to do so.

Some group leaders have developed the good habit of asking, “May we share that with others?” Some groups pass around a prayer request sheet for people to list their requests, and include a check box to indicate if they “may be shared with others.”

Whatever approach you take with your group, guard the trust that is essential for people to stay engaged in the discipleship process with each other.

How should prayer requests be communicated?

“One person’s prayer request is another person’s gossip.” On the other hand, a wise leader or group member is thoughtful about sharing requests. Knowing all the facts does not mean all the facts must be shared. “Bill is receiving treatment for a health problem” is far different than “You know Bill just hasn’t taken care of himself, and it’s finally caught up with him!” Help your group members develop a sensitive heart—and words—when it comes to communicating a prayer request.

Cultivating a group that takes seriously its responsibility to pray for each other takes some thought and effort, but a praying group is a blessing to all who are in it.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Eph 6:18)

Written by David Adams, Director of Discipleship/Adult Specialist, Baptist General Convention of Texas

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Categories : Sunday School

Connect through Others: Intercede for Your One

By David Adams · Comments (0)
Sunday, September 1st, 2019

If a new Christian’s only way to learn about prayer was by sitting in your Sunday School class or small group, would they learn how important it is to pray for a lost family member or friend (their “One”)?

If your group experience is like some I’ve had, a baby Christian might learn that prayer is only for physical needs. To be specific, “Aunt Jane’s third cousin’s former classmate’s mother’s cat who may need to have an appendectomy the fifth of next month. Pending the outcome of tests. If they can get an appointment.” Okay, maybe that’s an extreme fictitious example (maybe…), but it seems some groups pray for everything except the spiritual needs of people.

How do we encourage group members to pray regularly for their “Ones”? Here are some ideas to consider for your next gathering:

  • Explain that today you will have two group prayer times, the first for friends and family who have physical needs and the second to pray for the spiritual needs of “Your One.”
  • God often uses physical healing to initiate spiritual healing. When group members request prayer for family and friends’ physical needs, ask them to include any spiritual needs that person may also have.
  • Invite a new Christian to share their story of coming to Christ, including how the prayers of others were important in the process.
  • When you are teaching from a passage on how the gospel spreads, invite a group member to tell about their “One.” Pause to pray for opportunities and receptivity in their relationship. (This one would be great to use regularly.)

Often what we do in our groups teaches more vividly than what we say. What is your group teaching about praying for those who need Jesus?

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Categories : Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines, Tell your story, Who is your One?

Connect through Others: Identify Your One

By David Adams · Comments (0)
Saturday, August 31st, 2019

To my delight, my oldest son recently got engaged. My wife and I already love his fiancée and welcome her into our family. I’m also excited about the prospects of becoming a granddad, finally catching up with many of my friends who tell me how wonderful it is. There’s something about knowing your family will continue for another generation that feels good and right, isn’t there?

The same thing could be said spiritually. When someone we helped to follow Jesus begins to show someone else how to follow him, we know our faith will live for another generation. It’s the Great Commission come to life!

The Who’s Your One? process has now come full circle in this series of August posts for group leaders.

You helped group members identify “their one”—the person God has placed in their lives who needs Jesus. You encouraged members to tell the stories of transformation week by week in these relationships. You affirmed members’ faithful obedience and celebrated new birth in those who have trusted Jesus as Savior.

End of story, right? Hardly! It’s just another beginning!

Ask your group members:

  • Who has God put in my life that needs to meet and follow Jesus?
  • What needs do they have that Christ and/or the church can meet?

Now is the best time to help a new believer identify “their one.” It’s also the best time to help a more mature believer identify their “next one.” Tomorrow we’ll think about prayer as a catalyst for this process.

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Categories : Connect, Disciplemaking, Outreach/Evangelism, Teaching