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Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example
in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 1 Timothy
4:12 (NRSV)
"It's funny: I always imagined when I was a kid that adults
had some kind of inner toolbox, full of shiny tools: the saw of
discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But
then when I grew up I found that life handed you these rusty bent
old tools—friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty—and
said, Do the best you can with these, they will have to do. And
mostly, against all odds, they're enough." Anne
Lamott, Traveling Mercies, p.103 |
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The First
Baptist Church of Redlands is an explicitly inter-generational church.
We don’t try to pigeonhole people according to age, family
status or other indicators. We presume that we need the fullest participation
possible of ALL the different members of the body of Christ in order
to embody the Kingdom of God in this place at this time.
Nevertheless, certain aspects of our common life have taken on more of a “young
adult” tenor, which can be fine. We can, in fact, celebrate with gratitude
that God has made a place in this area for young adults entering into professional,
academic and family life to figure out how to do these things with the blessings
of Jesus. |
| Young adults have infected virtually every level of First Baptist
life. We lead worship, we teach and tutor children, we serve on commissions,
we set up and clean up at church events. Sometimes we work with local
organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, and several of us have
gone on short-term missions. We’ll be doing more of all of
the above in the future; come and join us. |
| There are numerous opportunities for study available to all adults
involved in First Baptist Church life. Additionally, we have experimented
with small groups and monthly Bible study “dig-ins” so
that we might grow in faith in Jesus. If you have a specific area
of interest, let us know, it’ll probably happen. |
| Structures and programs don’t carry our life together.
A lot of what we do – formal and informal – is fun, pure
and simple. We eat, drink, hike, make music, have parties, and do
many other things that make life sweet and will never show up on
any flow chart. We usually do something together every month formally,
but gatherings seem to break out spontaneously at many other times. |
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