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2009-06-16 issue:

Young Adult Fellowship strategizes to be part of church today

by Heidi Martin

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Dave Maurer, pastor at Bethel Mennonite in West Liberty, Ohio, did not grow up in the Mennonite Church but joined as a young adult. He immediately felt welcomed and connected with others who put his gifts to use.

“This was very formational for me,” said Maurer on July 1. “It laid a foundation of where I am today and I want to do that for others.”

This is one reason Maurer felt compelled to join the Young Adult Fellowship (YAF) committee in 2003 and why he continues to volunteer his time to participate.

In brief, YAF is the MYF of Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church USA for post high-school members. It was formed as a result of the Mennonite convention St. Louis in 1999 when people wondered about the absence of young adults. Though proposed in 2000 and formalized in 2001, YAF is still widely unknown among leaders and young adults of the Mennonite Congregation due, in part, to the lack of a budget and press.

Thirteen young adults and three committee members gathered July 1 at Mennonite Church USA’s Convention 2009 in Columbus, Ohio to discuss the past, present and future of YAF.

As part of the opening, Peter Epp, Portland, Ore., Jill Swiers Baker, Minnesota and Maurer asked the group to introduce themselves and share their hope for the church. Responses ranged from helping young people connect with and commit to church, to practicing inclusion without losing identity, to bridging the gap between the old and the new.

At present, YAF offers an annual retreat for young adults across the United States and Canada. Fifty to 70 young adults gathered to discuss various points of interest in Mennonite Church USA in an “open spaces” format last year.

“We wanted to really just let [the retreat] be whatever it was,” said Swiers Baker. “It was a really hopeful weekend.”

Though young adults discussed several issues, the 2008 weekend ended with two in particular on which members of YAF chose to focus their energy. The first is titled “The Quarter Life Crisis” and adequately describes the confusing transition period between childhood and adulthood that many young adults experience. Members of the retreat suggested a young adult “Mennonite Your Way” or regional YAF retreats.

The second issue is titled “Church Welcome” and is concerned with how Mennonite Church USA practices hospitality when diversity is presented.

YAF was formed for nine specific reasons. Although they are not quite fulfilling each of them at this time, the committee hopes to carry out each one at some point in the future.

Epp transitioned the group from discussing last year’s retreat to considering YAF’s nine purposes. He asked the participants to gather in groups of two or three to talk about which purpose YAF should pursue next and how.

Most of the responses fell into basic categories: First, those in attendance desire to help their peers get involved in their home congregations by acknowledging their specific gifts and putting them to use within the church. The group talked about developing mentoring relationships between young adults and those of the older generation and acknowledged that there may be a need for church members to relinquish some control to allow younger members to test their abilities.

Second, those in attendance asked YAF to help develop young adult networks regionally. Demographics challenge members of YAF to stay connected to one another. Using YAF as a resource for area conferences to enlarge their own associations may help to resolve the difficulty of distance. Though a Facebook group exists, some suggested a formal Web site to aid in group unity.

The meeting ended with an invitation to attend “And When They Shall Ask,” the next YAF retreat in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Oct. 23 - 25.

“The title comes out of our thoughts of storytelling and that we can overcome our differences when we hear each other’s stories,” said Epp.

“YAF is mostly about empowerment and helping young adults to be a current part of the church--not just the future of the church,” said Maurer. “They may have different roles, but young adults are the church now.”

For more information about the YAF retreat, contact Dave Bergen at dbergen@mennonitechurch.ca or Scott Hartman at scotth@mennoniteusa.org.  Also check out “Young Adult Fellowship Annual Retreat” on Facebook.

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