Young adult Christians are in a season of transition in their faith. They have grown up with certain religious patterns and communities. Adults in their lives have shared perspectives, theology and worldview. As they transition to more independence, they can find themselves in a new atmosphere of discovery. This can be a prime space for discovering the diverse traditions of Christianity as Richard Foster describes in Streams of Living Water: Celebrating the Great Traditions of Christian Faith. Each of these traditions draws on certain aspects of Jesus’ character and teachings. There is much to be learned from each.
With this in mind, the Martin Institute sponsored a series of chapel talks at Westmont College by speakers representing these six streams and distributed postcards at each chapel. I encourage you to spend some time with this material and consider sharing it with young adults in your life.
If you want to go further, after watching each message and reading the corresponding chapter in Foster’s book, look for a local church community from that stream. Then invite your young-adult friends to go with you to join that community on a Sunday morning. Invite them to lunch afterward to reflect on questions like, “What did you notice?” “Was there anything that surprised you?” “How did you experience God’s presence?”
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