Welcome to Worship 817, a new ministry reaching out to young adults in the 817. We want to use this ministry to help emerging adults connect with each other, the church, and Jesus. The format for this ministry will consist of a monthly night of music and message, starting January 23 at 7:00 PM in the student building. Additionally, the ministry will also host hangout events called Party 817.

Team

Speaking Team

Ryan Chandler

Tanner Watson

Connor Torrealba

Worship Team

Rebecca Tomes

Joshua Tomes

Media Team

Kyle Judkins

Kara Milton

Addyson Mitchell

817 Party Team

Courtney Mount

Colton Mount

Brooke Guest

Stuart Crow

Want to Help?

Great! We need your help in a variety of ways:

Pray

First, we need prayer teammates. You are invited and encouraged to pause and pray for this ministry. Pray for the young adults in our area. It doesn’t take a study to know emerging adults are disconnected from the church and Jesus. That’s the bad news. The good news is they want to connect. They want to know what following Jesus actually looks like. They want the church to engage with them, to talk to them about how scripture applies to their lives and how the church makes a real difference in the world. Pray for the Holy Spirit to work in the lives of young people in the 817 through this ministry.

Pray for our team. May the Lord keep us energized, focused, and together. On Sunday, January 7, we are meeting for a deep dive planning session. Pray that the Spirit gives us direction and discernment during that meeting.

Invite

Do you know a young adult who could benefit from this kind of ministry? Tell them about it. Studies have demonstrated that a personal invitation to church means more than anything else. One of the exercises that Luke Stehr, our Minister for Community Engagement, taught our Table Groups is to think about your missional context using nine squares.

Write your name in the middle square, and then prayerfully consider other people the Lord has placed around you. It could be a new neighbor, your niece, your neighbor’s niece, a coworker, or your hairstylist. Write their names in the squares surrounding your name and start praying for them. Specifically, pray for the Holy Spirit to open a door to an invitation.

If you’re really adventurous, buy this hat and walk around the mall!

Be For Young Adults

Think of the most supportive person in your life. Maybe it was a teacher, a coach, a college professor, a minister, a sibling, an aunt or uncle. Think of a person who has always been there for you, and you can always count on. Be that for a young adult this year. Find just one. One individual or one family to invest in. Go deep. Do something for them that surprises them. Once, a deacon came to me in Orange about a struggling young couple in the church. They were barely getting by when their washing machine broke. This deacon bought them a new one. Then he threw in a new dryer, too! The couple was floored. “Why would he do that for us?” “Because Jesus loves you, that’s why.” Who can you be for this year?

This Is Your Ministry

I’ve said this from the pulpit a few times already, but it’s worth reiterating. This is your ministry. It’s not solely Ryan’s ministry or the team’s ministry. It belongs to all of us. Reaching young adults is essential for our church’s future. But it’s more than just institutional survival. It’s also about the future of so many young souls who stand condemned without the saving grace of Jesus (John 3:16-21).

This year, let’s shine the light of Jesus in the 817.