What Defines “Young Adult”?

In Lower Susquehanna Synod, a number of ministries are blossoming that target “young adults,” and we will do our best to link those to this page, so that if you are looking for an opportunity for gathering in community with peers, you have some options. The ELCA defines “young adults” as those who have graduated from high school through as old as age 30. That’s a pretty broad span of ages, and life experiences. Which may be why no one model fits all, and why our synod uses a variety of approaches to this ministry. The reality is that ministry with people in their late teens and 20’s can vary depending upon marital status, whether the person has a child or not, if they are attending college or trade school, working full-time or holding down two or three part-time jobs simply to stay afloat financially. Like any age group, there are lots of different needs, and as faith mentors we need to respond with a variety of opportunities for exploring faith formation, worship, and Christian service.

LutheranHANDS is an organization started by young adults from Lower Susquehanna Synod that now has a much broader reach across the ELCA. However, they are still based here in central Pennsylvania and offer service learning trips that are primarily attended by youth, young adults, and adults from our synod. LutheranHANDS offers a number of trips annually, but one trip is always specifically designed for young adults, plus a number of other trips available to all generations. The young adult trip caters more to college students, and is usually held during the week between Christmas & New Years. Affordable, fun, and always service-based and justice driven, these trips allow the participant the opportunity to explore their own identity as a Christian, while serving others and building Christ-centered relationships in the process. To learn more about these trips and the mission of LutheranHANDS, visit: https://www.lutheranhands.org/