Lutheran Men in Mission Events
Connecting with Younger Men: Changing Church Culture Conference Where have all the young men gone? Younger men from the ages of 18 to 35 are most often missing. Look around. In large measure they are gone. The church is increasingly aware of the absence of young adults, especially males. The largest gap between the general population and the demographics of the church is the ages between 18 and 35. In partnership with the Youth and Family Institute
www.tyfi.org, Lutheran Men in Mission is networking with men’s groups and church structures across the United States to promote understanding and outreach to younger men.
The Connecting with Younger Men: Changing Church Culture Conference helps congregations learn about younger men and how to connect with them in their daily lives and faith journeys. These conferences combine keynote presentations on the major findings from the Coming of Age research, workshops that explore specific interactive strategies to connect with younger men in a meaningful way, and resources to help congregations, families, and individuals make a significant difference in the lives and faith of younger men.
Host site congregations will work in cooperation with The Youth & Family Institute and Lutheran Men in Mission to provide a valuable experience in connecting with, supporting, and influencing the life and faith experience of younger men. This web site identifies current conference sites as well as information on how to promote and offer a local Connecting with Younger Men: Changing Church Culture Conference
At a Connecting with Younger Men: Changing Church Culture Conference participants will:
1. gain an understanding of the seven areas of younger men’s identity and spiritual lives identified in the Coming of Age research (primarily through keynotes)
2. identify resources to help them reach out to younger men in a meaningful and transformational way
3. learn strategies that will help mentors, family members, friends, and congregations engage younger men in a way that supports their character and faith formation
4. explore ways to reach out to younger men and women as vital to the future of the church and the needs of younger adults. To schedule a conference for your congregation, conference or synod contact LMM at
Doug.Haugen@elca.org or the Youth and Family Institute at
www.tyfi.org