Last week I reflected on some of the experiences and conversations that emerged during our inaugural Young Adult Weekend at Camp Sonrise Mountain. As I have continued processing the weekend, I have found myself returning to one central question: How do we faithfully engage young adults in a cultural moment that is shaping them in profound ways long before they ever walk into a church, retreat, or worship gathering?
Many of the conversations throughout the weekend pointed toward a deep longing for relationship, belonging, meaning, and hope. Those desires are not unique to this generation, but the environment shaping young adults today is unique in many ways. Young adults are navigating what might best be described as a season of narrative collapse. Many no longer possess a stable framework that helps them understand who they are, where they belong, or what gives life meaning. Instead, they are often attempting to construct identity from countless competing voices, experiences, and online influences.
This helps explain why so many young adults are searching for something deeper than information alone. They are not simply looking for answers to isolated questions; they are searching for a story large enough to hold their lives together. At the same time, they are being shaped by constant digital input and fragmented attention. Notifications, social media, endless streams of information, and continual comparison create exhaustion. Even moments intended for rest are often filled with noise.
One of the subtle but important aspects of the retreat weekend was simply creating space. Space for conversation. Space for reflection. Space for rest. Space for worship. Space for silence. Space for relationships to develop naturally. Ironically, one of the most meaningful elements of the weekend may have been the opportunity to slow down.
Another recurring theme throughout the weekend was loneliness. Several participants reflected on how meaningful it was simply to be surrounded by other Christians their age. Comments like, “I’ve never been around this many Christians before,” were both encouraging and sobering. Encouraging because authentic Christian community still resonates deeply with young adults. Sobering because many are attempting to follow Jesus in relative isolation.
This raises an important challenge for the church and seminaries like Winebrenner. Programs alone are insufficient. Information alone is insufficient. Young adults are not merely looking for content to consume; they are looking for people who will know them, walk alongside them, and create spaces where they can belong. In many ways, discipleship today requires recovering practices of presence in a culture dominated by distraction.
The retreat also reinforced the importance of experience in spiritual formation. Information matters deeply, but information alone does not necessarily produce transformation. The Kintsugi workshop illustrated this powerfully. Participants did not simply hear a message about brokenness and redemption; they held shattered pieces in their hands, slowly reconstructed them, and reflected upon God’s restoring work throughout the process. Experiences like this engage both the mind and the imagination. They create moments where truth moves beyond abstraction and becomes tangible.
There is also a growing sense of anxiety shaping many young adults. Questions about the future, identity, vocation, relationships, finances, and purpose often sit just beneath the surface. In this environment, faith can easily become reduced to problem-solving: “How do I fix this immediate issue?” Yet Christian formation is not primarily about quick fixes. It is about long-term transformation into the likeness of Christ. That kind of formation requires patience, community, trust, and hope.
As I continue reflecting on the weekend, I keep returning to a simple ministry question: How can we help young adults feel seen, known, and connected to others and to God?
That question may not solve every challenge facing the church and seminary today, but it provides an important starting point. In a fragmented and distracted world, meaningful relationships and authentic Christian community remain profoundly powerful. The weekend at Camp Sonrise Mountain reminded me that young adults are not uninterested in faith. Many are deeply open to spiritual conversations and hungry for genuine connection. But they are also navigating a world that often works against depth, stability, reflection, and belonging.
Perhaps one of the most important opportunities today is simply to create environments where young adults can encounter the presence of God alongside the presence of others.
Next week we’ll focus more specifically on ways that Winebrenner Seminary can create spaces for young adults and how we can learn together.
- Brent C. Sleasman, President