According to Wikipedia “Young adult” may refer to:
- Persons aged 20 to 40 (psychology)
- Novels targeted at ages 14 to 21 (young adult fiction)
I recently saw in a letter from Jim Singleton for The Fellowship of Presbyterians that – at the January Covenanting Convention – there will be a pre-conference event for leaders under age 45 in hopes of encouraging new leaders. At the conference I’m attending in Pittsburgh, with a lot of gray hair in the room, people under the age of 45 seem to be considered “young adults.”
Noticing the ages of our church leaders interests me greatly. I know some solid leaders under the age of 30 much less under 40. They have fresh vision and fewer qualms about risk-taking. They are quicker to toss ineffective practices out of the church.
As a new Presbytery staff member, I asked someone why I was chosen and he said it was probably because I was “seasoned” but still “young.” (How kind and blind of him.) I am old enough to have 20-something children. Actually, I’m old enough to have 30-something children.
“Seasoned” is good but imagine having differently seasoned people in leadership positions – those with fresher memories of high school and college, those who don’t institutionalize everything (“Let’s do this every year!”), those who long to learn how to be disciples. Seasoned leaders currently lead our denomination. Nevertheless, it would be wise to spice things up. Differently seasoned leaders are out there.
A Church for Starving Artists 
seriously, the “let’s do this every year!” thing is a constant battle. there are a few things that I have suggested that have become traditions…but not well managed traditions, because they weren’t meant to be that, they were meant to be what we’re called to right now…opening the door for what we might be called to in the next right now! Alas…when someone comes up with a way to counter the traditionalizing of something, please let me know….
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as the parent of a son who wanted to make everything a tradition when he was in elementary school – hard to change the yearning for some predictability in the midst of change. Me? I’m all for it -for others younger – differentlyseasoned – to spice it up. Indeed. Teri- season liberally!
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