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Answer the question: Why would Young Adults want to be members of our community?
Young adults are persons in their late teens, twenties, and thirties
who represent diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, education, vocational, social, political, and spiritual backgrounds. They are college and university students, workers, and professionals; they are persons in military service; they are single, married, divorced, or widowed; they are with or without children; the are newcomers in search of a better life.
-National Directory for Catechesis
Young Adults (18-39) make up around 30% of the American population (44% of Washington, DC, 46% of San Francisco, CA)
Yet Nationally 1/3 of all YA are "religiously unaffiliated" ...and that number is growing
20% of all millennials identify as Catholic (down 7% from earlier HS age)
85% of Millennial Catholics believe in God
64% of Millennial Catholics agree with the statement that they are spiritual but not religious
61% of Millennial Catholics believe that it is okay to practice more than one religion
Over 60% of Millennial Catholics would like to learn more about their religion
Only 29% of Millennial Catholics have participated in retreat, mission trip, service project, etc. compared to 37% of all Americans
Where to start?
'Nones' on the Rise, Pew Research Forum, October 2012
Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults, 2009
Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood, 2011
American Millennials: Generations Apart, Knights of Colombus/Marist Poll, 2010
Young Adult Survey Results, St. Dominic's Catholic Church in San Francisco, 2009
Membership Survey, St. Vincent dePaul Catholic Church in San Francisco, 2011
Why They Left, Survey of ex-Catholics by the Catholic Diocese of Trenton, NJ, 2012
Jonathan Lewis
15% Committed Traditionalists -embrace a strong religious faith and can articulate the beliefs they practice
30% Selective adherents –believe and perform certain aspects of their religious tradition but ignore others
25% Religiously Indifferent –don’t care either way
15% Spiritually Open –not personally committed but open to spiritual and religious matters
5% Religiously Disconnected –no exposure to religious people or practices
10% Irreligious –skeptical of religion, anti-religious
Questions?
Reflections to share?
Theory 1:
Political Backlash
Theory 2:
Delays in Marriage
Theory 3:
Broad Social Disengagement
Theory 4:
Secularization
Talk to Young Adults in your parish/community
Ask Young Adults what they want/need
St. Dominic's Church in Pacific Heights includes...
...older single YAs (24% are 26-30, 29% are 31-35 and 30% are 35-39)
...who will travel (28% from East Bay or Peninsula)
...coming only a few times a year (38%) [though nearly 24% come 2-3x month and 8% come weekly]
...and participate regularly in Sunday Mass (50% attend Mass once a week)
...assuming Mass is offered in the evenings (50% go to the 5:30pm Sunday Mass and nearly as many go to the 9:00pm as the 11:30am Mass)
Coordinator of Evangelization
and Young Adult Initiatives
Archdiocese of Washington
Other Terms:
-Young Adults
-Emerging Adults
-Millennials
Make it easy for YA to find you (online)
Keep your church open
Introduce yourself to new YA at Mass
Millennial Catholics say that only 13% of their friends are involved in the same religious group (below US average)
Millennial Catholics have the lowest percentage of their friends who respondents talk with about matters of religious belief and experience (40%) compared to non-religious who identify 38% and the national average 50%
Only 8% of Millennial Catholics (compared to 15% nationally and 5% of non-religious) say they are involved in an organized religious group
Only 15% of Millennial Catholics attend mass weekly (down from 41% in HS)
About 1/3 who ARE religiously affiliated don’t attend services more because they are too busy or working
Connect YA to
intergenerational community
Connect YA to mentors
and role models
Host networking opportunities
Empower parents to continue to talk about faith and to grow in their own faith
Provide mentoring
Young Adult Ministry is an intentional ministry and outreach to those in their late teens, twenties, and thirties, with the goals of connecting young adults with Jesus Christ, the Church, the mission of the Church in the world, and a peer community in which their faith is
nurtured and strengthened.
-Adapted from Sons & Daughters of the Light
First heard about the group through...
...friend or family member 40% (Jesus method)
...parish website 20% (decision to participate based on website)
...Mass announcement 20% (YA gets up to speak)
...Bulletin 7%
Primarily Recieve Ongoing Communication through...
...Weekly email 71%
...YA group website 14%
...Bulletin 6%
Initial reasons for participating...
55% “meet new people/friends” (remains significant)
17% “better understand/grow in my faith (rises to 39% after becomming involved)
10% Find a boyfriend/girlfriend (decreases to 4% after becomming involved)
6% Events that looked fun (rises to 14% after becomming involved)
*Through survey added: Monthly Happy Hour, Service events and Monthly Hike