Source: Google Images
Emerging Adults, a.k.a. Late Adolescents (21-26):
We Thought They Were Adults!
Source: Google Images
Parents, Pastors and mentors, do not let go quite yet! Young people, emerging adults (see Jeffrey Jensen Arnett), entering college and/or the work force still need us. They are still technically adolescents. Shhhhh....quiet, do not tell them! They are, of course, grown now in their own minds, and in those of much of society. But, they are not, according to what it means to be adult in our U.S. mainstream culture, fully adult. In many ways, emerging adults think, process, and act and have the insecurities of adolescents. They are getting ready to step off the tightrope, but they are not quite ready.
In order to be ready, they need mentoring, apprenticeships, guidance, and safe place to fall and a non-judgment community of family and friends. We, as the church, family and friend of emerging adults are in the exciting position to help them keep their balance as the take that step. As Professor Mindy Coats Smith reminds her students, we ought to "treat them like adults, but lead them like adolescence." This is undoubtedly a tricky proposition. It is critical to achieve this balance for the sake of our emerging adults, our churches, our families, our communities and our God.
The major life task of emerging adults is belonging. They are, as are early and middle adolescents, working on Individuation. They want to prove that they are adults, and belong to the adult world. They also have a lot of freedom that they do not know what to do with, even when we consider that many middle and even early adolescents have been on their own in a big way. Late adolescents are learning to balance multiple selves, and when they can do this, they have successfully traversed the remainder of the tightrope of adolescence and are ready to step into adulthood.
For the Church, this need for belonging and contribute is potentially powerful. All this energy, enthusiasm, idealism, willingness to take risks and attachment to the adolescent world they are preparing to exit can be programmatically beneficial. Emerging adults need direction (spiritually and otherwise), and we are charged, as the Body of Christ, to provide this direction, and opportunity.
Remember: Our youth are our future, yes, but even more critically, THEY ARE OUR PRESENT!!
In order to be ready, they need mentoring, apprenticeships, guidance, and safe place to fall and a non-judgment community of family and friends. We, as the church, family and friend of emerging adults are in the exciting position to help them keep their balance as the take that step. As Professor Mindy Coats Smith reminds her students, we ought to "treat them like adults, but lead them like adolescence." This is undoubtedly a tricky proposition. It is critical to achieve this balance for the sake of our emerging adults, our churches, our families, our communities and our God.
The major life task of emerging adults is belonging. They are, as are early and middle adolescents, working on Individuation. They want to prove that they are adults, and belong to the adult world. They also have a lot of freedom that they do not know what to do with, even when we consider that many middle and even early adolescents have been on their own in a big way. Late adolescents are learning to balance multiple selves, and when they can do this, they have successfully traversed the remainder of the tightrope of adolescence and are ready to step into adulthood.
For the Church, this need for belonging and contribute is potentially powerful. All this energy, enthusiasm, idealism, willingness to take risks and attachment to the adolescent world they are preparing to exit can be programmatically beneficial. Emerging adults need direction (spiritually and otherwise), and we are charged, as the Body of Christ, to provide this direction, and opportunity.
Remember: Our youth are our future, yes, but even more critically, THEY ARE OUR PRESENT!!
Please see the AM Resources Page for References and information.