Chapel of the Cross, Chapel Hill, NC

Young adults in their 20s and 30s are already a vital part of the Chapel of the Cross and can be found serving in all kinds of ministries. On Sunday mornings you can find them singing in the choir, serving at the altar as lay Eucharistic ministers, teaching Sunday school and confirmation class, and helping as ushers.They also lead EYC (Episcopal Youth Community) on Sunday nights, help with ECM (Episcopal Campus Ministry) and outreach projects, and have served on the vestry. One of them is even the associate for parish ministry.

One specific ministry for young adults is Crossties, a group that currently meets on Thursday nights and the ministry with which I am most familiar. My wife and I have attended Crossties for the four years we have been at the Chapel of the Cross; and we have loved the way it has nurtured our spirits through weekly dinners, lively discussion, Bible study, service activities, and fellowship. In these years Crossties has certainly seen its ups and downs; we have had meetings as large as 20 and as small as 3. That is one of the many reasons we are so excited to have David Frazelle working so closely with us; his dedicated time and energy in planning and recruiting have invigorated the group, bringing in many newcomers to Crossties and strengthening our witness to the
parish.

Even though there is much to celebrate in the way that young adults are serving and drawing strength from the Chapel of the Cross, we must also examine whether our current ministries are reaching everyone in that age bracket. There are certainly dozens of young people who come to the parish, worship, and slip out before anyone notices them. Many churchgoers in their 20s and 30s are in a time of transition and are not quite sure what they would like from or have to offer to the Church. Additionally, the Thursday night schedule of Crossties is not convenient for people with young children or who have to work; and some young adults may want a different form of young adult ministry from what Crossties has to offer. For other young adults the reverse is true: they enjoy the fellowship of Crossties but do not choose to come on Sunday mornings.

The Church has the responsibility to welcome people in their 20s and 30s into the fullness of the Church that extends beyond the walls of the nave, the fellowship and service that expands into the community and around the world. We have the responsibility to make opportunities available for young adults to participate and we need to create consistently an environment that encourages them to do so. Crossties is one fantastic approach to meet the spiritual and fellowship needs of young adults; with the diversity of needs and the great leadership we have, we will certainly see those ministries extended.

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