Reaching young adults

In Luke 15 we read the parable of the lost sheep and, in many ways, I think this provides a helpful framework for understanding the way western culture encourages the emerging generation to live. We read the story of a shepherd and His flock; the sheep live within the boundaries and safety of the fence; the shepherd tends to and cares for His sheep; the sheep hear His voice and they follow, trusting His leadership and care.

But then a sheep wanders away to form its own path, and finds itself amongst the thorns in the wilderness, unable to find its own way home. The culture we live in encourages us to become like the lost sheep: to break free of any boundaries, to forge our own path, figuring out who we really are. The message is, “You know yourself best”.  One of the lies being told to this emerging generation is this: only in breaking free from the fences will they discover true freedom and real happiness, only then will they discover who they really are. But, just like the wandering sheep in Luke 15, instead of finding the grass greener on the other side, they find themselves entangled in thorns and desperately alone, with no idea how to get home.
This modern interpretation of the lost sheep explains the philosophical term ‘postmodernism’. A world shaped by postmodernism sees truth as fluid, relative and personal, rather than universal – everything is up for debate. But is it working?
Study after study shows that this generation is more anxious than any generation that has gone before it, and that more young adults are out of work. Young adults have more tools than ever before at their fingertips for connectivity. Many are spending 8 hours or more a day using screens and social media. And yet they are often called the loneliest generation. It’s clear that the cultural storyline of ‘Live your truth’ isn’t giving this generation the freedom it promised. The search for individual freedom and truth has left young adults with fragments of clashing identities and personal truths, endless options of who to be, and a pressure to appear like they have it all together.
 

The questions we should all be asking and wrestling with within our churches are these: “How do we reach this generation with biblical truth? How do we help them follow Jesus? What’s the best way to communicate God’s vision for sex, sexuality and relationships to a generation that has been taught to deconstruct and believes that truth is personal and subjective?”
There isn't a silver bullet, but I think the following three messages are worth considering as we teach this generation:
 

1. The God story is big enough to hold their story

We follow the one who is the master storyteller. Jesus told stories of farmers and fig trees, treasure and banquets, mustard seeds and weeds. There are so many moments where Jesus could just make a statement about God, but instead chooses to take the time to tell a really good story. With each story, Jesus invites His listeners to make sense of their lives through that story and to dream of their future story. Jesus's stories are packed with culturally relatable examples and yet surprise the listener in how they describe who God is, and what following Him is like.
The beauty of the God-story is that it’s not generic: when our stories collide with it, everything is exposed. God gets into the nitty gritty of every part of our lives. God tells a better story for human sexuality: it’s surprising and radical. It requires all of us, no matter what our story and experience is, to lay down every part of our lives in submission to Christ.
Reaching this generation will require vulnerability: sharing what it looks like in our lives to follow Jesus in the area of sexuality and relationships and explaining how encountering the God-story has impacted our lives. This isn’t just for those of us who experience same-sex attraction, although our stories are needed and important, but it will require vulnerability from everyone.
We all need to share how knowing Jesus has shaped the way we relate to desire and sexuality. By allowing ourselves to be vulnerable by telling our stories, the younger generation is given permission to work out their stories within our church walls. In doing so, we communicate to them that the God-story can hold their story, and that we’re not scared of their questions. In fact, we've probably had them too. I know from sharing my own experience of same-sex attraction, that it isn’t easy to share. For years I thought I never would. But I have found such joy in seeing others come to know Jesus, or walk more deeply with Him, through sharing my story. I’m sure many reading this article will have experienced similar joy.
This isn’t about abandoning truth and competing with the narrative nature of culture with our stories. It’s about holding to the truth, and then showing those around us how this truth is outworked and how it is beautiful to us.

2. They need to see through the right lens

Just like the wrong prescription for glasses can distort your vision, seeing through different figurative lenses changes the way we view the world and how we live in it. The young adults who are within our church walls live in a world full of competing narratives. We can’t assume that a couple hours of church on a Sunday is enough to give them a fully formed biblical worldview, especially when it’s related to a sensitive, emotive topic like sexuality.
We need to teach young adults how to read the Bible for themselves and how to apply scripture to their lives. Alongside this, we also need to equip this generation to be able to read the culture around them, to notice the water they’re swimming in, how it’s shaping and forming their values, thoughts and behaviours. It’s only through being able to read the Bible and the culture that young adults will be able to see where they are being shaped by the world rather than Jesus. Someone who was born in the last 20 years might assume that the way the world thinks and speaks about sexuality has always been the case. There are many resources that can help with this. The Evangelical Alliance provides one such resource, called “Relationships Matter”. It’s a seven-week small group resource that's aimed at helping communities understand the cultural stories shaping our views on sex and relationships, and why the God story for sex and sexuality is good and true. (Details of this course are at the end of this article).
This ability to read culture and the Bible will also make young adults more effective in reaching their peers, as they’ll know with clarity what the fullness of the God story is and be able to be creative in how they communicate it to their friends. It won’t then become mixed up with cultural narratives.
 

3. The Shepherd is looking for them

The good news for our culture, and for those wanting to reach the emerging generation, is that the Shepherd never stops pursuing the lost sheep. In Luke 15, the shepherd finds the sheep, hitches it onto his shoulders, and does what the sheep couldn’t. He walks it back home, back into the safety of the fences and the flock where there is much celebration. We can trust that God is pursuing this generation that has been shaped by postmodernism. No matter how entangled in thorns they are, how far from home they’ve strayed, or how against the flock they are, the Shepherd is looking for them. God deeply cares for those who are lost.
In Matthew 28, God makes it clear that we don’t passively wait for this to happen. God invites us to partner with Him to see disciples made. We have a role in seeking out those who are lost and telling them all about the Shepherd who is seeking them. There is a welcome party getting ready for their arrival, a family they are invited into and the fullness of life that is on offer. God is the only one who can save, and we can trust Him with the lives of the lost. But God will give us opportunities to invite people in. For those of us who experience same-sex attraction, God will probably present us with opportunities to reach the LGBT community and it will take courage to do so.
The truth continues to be true, the gospel is still good news and the Lord is seeking and saving the lost. I have faith that many from this generation will turn to Jesus and find their home in Him. 

This article was originally published in the Spring 2025 edition of the TFT magazine, Ascend. Click the button below to download your copy.

To give space to discuss certain articles in greater depth, the TFT staff team will be recording occasional podcasts under the banner “Ascend Higher”, covering the issues raised in a more conversational style. To hear it for yourself, you can use the audio player below.