Amicitia — latin for Friendship — is a group of young adults, 20- to 30-somethings. The group gathers for social outings and mission projects. For more information about this group, please contact Katie Merritt (katiecmerritt@gmail.com).
Who are the 20- and 30-somethings at RRCB?
The millennial generation, of which I am a part, often gets a bad rap. The truth is, though, we millennials are the next generation of church, and we are looking for ways to make faith relevant and meaningful in our lives. River Road’s leadership, especially Katie and Tim Merritt and Daniel Glaze, have embraced the newness of ministry for a different generation. We met together for an initial chat about this new ministry and dream together in early 2017. We listened to other ministers who are doing this good work of reaching a new generation, and we gathered to talk to our own young adults about their needs and desires for ministry and community.
We realized that these days young adults often have demanding work schedules and cannot always meet at the times set aside for church programs; thus, our approach is about garnering a sense of community and then putting that community into practice through learning together, fellowshipping together, and performing community service together – and sometimes that means meeting on different days of the week or different times or offsite – and that’s OK.
We are a small, but dedicated and growing group, and we are hopeful to continue to share our gifts among the church family now and in the future. Join us as we work alongside you, lead events, and learn together. May River Road and its millennials face the future of faith together!
Written by Libby Grammer
Our Ministry at RRCB
Starting a young adult group at a traditional church, or at any church for that matter, can be a daunting task. Katie and Tim Merritt, have made it their mission to “pay it forward.” There were certain leaders of the church who helped form and support the Discovery Class, to which the Merritts belong. Noticing that there was a similar need for the current generation, they have taken the time to form a young adult group, and to plan gatherings. The process began with a luncheon with Daniel Glaze, to plan and dream about ways to reach out to the existing RRCB young adults, as well as to welcome new individuals.
Thus far, the core group has enjoyed a dessert party at the Merritt’s house, dinner at Toast and at Capital Ale House, and a Squirrels Baseball Game. It is my belief that for most individuals, having a sense of belonging in a church comes before a strengthening of faith. Providing an outlet for the young adults of RRCB (yes we do exist) to gather and feel a sense of belonging is vital. However, it is also important to welcome us into the existing groups and activities of the church.
What can you do to support this Young Adult Ministry? Pray for us, talk to us when you see us at church, welcome us into your circles, thank the leaders such as Katie and Tim for their time and energy in supporting this group, and if you are creative – help us come up with a name for the group!
Written by Emily Phillips
Originally published in the 2017 Fall Quarterly Explorer