It can be hard to find your place in the church when you are in your 20s and 30s. You’re no longer a teenager in a youth group or a college student at a campus ministry center. How do you find your peers and a community that will help you continue to develop your faith? It takes work, but here are some suggestions:
1. Put out your feelers. Information may not come from one obvious place, so scope out your local church, call the diocese, surf the web, post a Facebook status, and ask a few people in the know.
2. Take initiative. If you can’t find a faith community, create one! You may be surprised how little it takes to get the ball rolling. Start by recording names and e-mail addresses of interested young adults. Watch the momentum build.
3. Think outside the box. If the parish down the road doesn’t have a young-adult group, look to a neighboring parish, the diocese, a local Catholic organization, or even a religious community.
4. Start small. Your local parish is likely to have limited resources, so begin with a humble request, like $50 for a pizza night for new graduates or newlyweds.
5. Harness the web. E-mail, blogs, Facebook, Twitter. Put it out there.
6. Roll up your sleeves. Don’t just accept the status quo: Speak up and suggest a much-needed improvement. Then make it happen–and invite others to share their special talents, too.
This article appeared in the September issue of U.S. Catholic (Vol. 75, No. 9, page 26) along with In good company. Also read: Tips for faith community in search of young adults.
Image: Tom Wright
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