Responding to a recent announcement by the University of Tasmania that the planned move to a centre-city campus will no longer go ahead in its entirety, the staff of the University Fellowship of Christians got together for a video conversation about the significance of this revised plan.

We discuss the changes to ministry among university students and other young adults that we have observed since the COVID-19 lockdowns and what inter-denominational community, ministry and mission looks like among Hobart's young adults in the 2020s.

Young Adults as a ministry category

0–3:57 — An important time of development, transition and shared experience.

3:58– 5:55 — Different definitions of ‘young adult’: ‘emerging adult' (18–23) vs 'not adolescent but not middle-aged’ (18–30).

5:56–8:59 — Important milstones for emerging adults in spiritual formation: decisions, failing, learning, and growing in responsibility and independence.

8:59–10:36 — Making the young adults category too broad increases the temptation for some people to stay immature. Church leaders need to give adult responsiblity to those in their mid-to-late twenties.

10:36–14:42 —Making the category too broad both neglects the specific strategic needs of emerging adults and fails to address the different pastoral needs of those in their mid-to-late twenties.

14:43–15:43 — Comparing evening services and mid-week young adults groups.

15:46–19:11 — The danger of unhealthy demographic silos in the church. The value of wider all-ages integrated church community and ministry.

The benefits of inter-denominational young adults ministry

19:12–25:31 — Specialists in evangelism and leadership development benefit local churches and denominations. Inter-denominational ministry fosters a crossover of social groups and learning experience.

25:32–29:52 — A vision for urging emerging adults to opt for more.

29:52–30:42 — Enriching the training of young adults involved in apprenticeships and internships.

30:42–32:31 — All Tasmanian churches should have some interest in a ministry to UTAS, given its place in Tasmanian society and culture.

32:32–34:00  — The best way to reach UTAS in the 2020s is through relational networks, not geographical locations.

34:02–35:50  — Effective inter-church and inter-denominational ministry requires a lot of proactive intentionality and discipline.

Final thoughts

35:51–38:44