A panel formed by Rosdom Mkrtschjan, Lorie Simonian, and Maral Zobian spoke at the National Representative Assembly of the Eastern Prelacy on Friday, May 19, about ways to involve young adults in the life of the Church. The three young members of the Sts. Vartanantz church community of Providence spoke at length about the current relationship between Armenian young adults and the church, discussing potential reasons why their peers may be hesitant or unenthusiastic about embracing faith.
Based on their shared observations, these causes included lacking same-age peers in the church community, not being raised with Christianity as a core value, distraction from other activities or interests, and feeling intimidated by the Badarak as a newcomer. These challenges drove them to explore new approaches for bringing youth to church, potentially generating renewed interest and strengthening existing connections.
The speakers suggested coordinating their efforts with other youth organizations already active in the community. These would include, for example, an AYF Senior chapter planning to attend Badarak as a group on one Sunday per month, followed by a social outing.
In their view, one of the most powerful ways to draw young adults to church could be through providing opportunities to attend with friends, which would make the activity less intimidating and more enticing, as well as more personal. This was also their thinking when suggesting the creation of a young adult group similar to “Salt and Light,” the Youth Ministry program created by the Assembly.
The ways young people interact with the world have changed drastically over the past decade. According to the panel, social media is likely the best way to reach the young adult age demographic, who otherwise may be inaccessible if they are not physically in pews. While they pinpointed some obstacles and ideas for potential solutions, the speakers agreed that engaging young adults with the Christian faith will require continued effort.