Ministry Moment: The Value of Supportive Adults

When we look across the expanse of our lives like we’re looking at a map, we are all likely to have pins in various place in time that stand out to us. There are likely to be destinations that helped us grow infinitely and unexpected twists and turns. There are also likely to be rest stops along the road.

If we settled in and looked closer at these rest stops, they might have names and faces. These are the people who gave us strength when we needed it on our journey. They showed up with a large fry and a coke and listened. They said hello when we were standing on our own. They muscled through some form of social awkwardness to find us, maybe without even realizing what they were offering or what we were receiving. These are the people who believed in us, especially when we were the younger version of ourselves. They took us unfinished and let us know that we had a place here on this planet.

Youth and young adults, especially, need people in their lives to be rest stops on their journey. Research shows us that youth and young adults need at least five supportive adult relationships that leave an impact on them enough to help them know they belong in the community of Christ.

Today on the podcast, I talk to Rev. Mark Kiessling and Director of Christian Education Julianna Shults, both with the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod serving in the area of youth and young adult ministry. We talk about the importance of supportive adult relationships in the lives of youth and what those supportive relationships look like. Listen in:

Have you had a rest stop relationship?

Have you been a rest stop relationship for a youth or young adult in your life?