Who Says You're a Young Adult?

Here's a Thought: Ask a few of the young adults you know, "What makes a young adult a young adult?" In other words, when does this thing called adulthood begin?

Our title for this section poses an interesting question with tremendous implications for the ministry of your church. One answer is the law says so, that's who!

Legally a young adult is defined by chronological age. That is, a majority of the population of a nation, state, or community determines that at a specific age an individual is legally responsible for certain actions.

How is that played out in the real world? A person is an adult when the society in which he or she resides recognizes a legal status that carries with it both responsibilities and benefits. That is, the person is legally responsible for his or her actions. The person holds certain rights and privileges.

The problem is, of course, no one agrees on when that is. Some states say a person is legally an adult at age 18. Others define adulthood at age 19. Still a few insist that adulthood begins at age 21. Even within states there exists a great diversity of views. For instance, a person may be "legally" an adult when it comes to the privilege of operating a motorized vehicle on a state highway at 75 miles per hour as early as age 15 or 16. In two states that could be as young as 14! However, while judged chronologically capable of making instinctive life or death decisions in a split second, that same person would not be judged competent enough, in those same states, to determine who the next governor should be!

Of course, you might argue that voting age is a federal matter. So we will look at the issue from the opposite perspective. In that same state where you can legally drive at 15 but cannot vote until 18, you are judged by the law to be unable to purchase certain "adult" products until you are 21. At the time of this writing, in Louisiana, a person can legally drive to a bar or package store at age 15, purchase drinks from a package store at age 18, purchase the store or bar at age 18, but cannot drink the beverages that they "own" until they are 21, unless they are at least 18 and accompanied to a restaurant by someone who is 21. A legal definition can be slightly confusing!

All of these illustrations address the issue of "adult privileges" (by the world's definition, of course). The other side of the legal definition of young adulthood surfaces with a discussion of adult responsibilities. Specifically, when is a person a young adult in matters of accountability to the society that has such a confusing definition about when he or she is actually an adult? For instance, if a 14-year-old, without any kind of permit, steals a car for a joyride, is he or she considered an adult by the law when it comes to dealing with the consequences of his or her choices? In most cases, no. However, in an increasing number of instances, people as young as 13, 12, or even 11 years old can be tried as adults if a crime that is committed is particularly menacing or ample evidence demonstrates an "adultlike" premeditative strategic planning of a criminal activity.

The conclusion? Simple chronological age, as defined by a nation, state, or community, may not provide a clear definition of young adulthood. In church life adult responsibilities are assigned to members at differing life stages. In many churches all members are given full voting rights in the life of the church regardless of age. In some churches teenagers serve on church committees and within church ministries. However, in other churches (frequently smaller churches), an adult may not really be viewed as a full adult in the functional life of the church until his or her parents have moved out of leadership roles in the church.

The debate continues, "What makes a person a young adult?" Another answer is when society says so! This definition of adulthood is generally described as social-cultural. That is, a person becomes an adult at the moment he or she chooses (or is forced) to assume any number of roles the society or culture in which they live defines as uniquely "adult." Sounds simple enough, but is it really that simple?

Here's a Thought: Do a little personal reflection. Make a list of the social-cultural roles that you believe would make a person an adult. How do the young adults you serve measure up to your list?

Without question certain life roles have traditionally been viewed as the unique domain of adulthood. Of course, great variety exists when it comes to defining what those roles might be. Historically, people who work to support themselves represent the acquiring of an adult role. Other similar social-cultural roles for adults include when people marry and when they bear and rear children.

History may provide for us a precedence, but Generation Xers have always battled historical trends. For example, many young adults live at home with their parents. One explanation could be that while they may pay some kind of rent to their parents, they are probably working to "better" themselves by attending school at least part-time. Or they may be working to "entertain" themselves by using their income on leisure interests. They are not working to support themselves. If the social-cultural role of working to support yourself is used to distinguish a young adult from a teenager, then those individuals would not be young adults.

Here's a Thought: Do an impromptu review of the roles of your young adults.

How many of them are still living with a parent?

Do they exceed the national average?

Do they match the national average?

Do they represent a lower than average response?

Then identify some of the potential implications of this information on the way to minister to and with young adults.

What about the social-cultural role of marriage? Imagine a person marries at 16 or 17. Admittedly this person would be bucking the national trend, although still not uncommon in some rural parts of American even today. Does the decision to marry make that person an adult?

What if a person decides to marry and complete high school? There you have a married person (adult role) attending still in high school (a more typically adolescent role). So is he a young adult? Do you minister to him as an adult or youth? Where do you group him should he come to your church?

Or what if a person chooses never to marry, or at least to postpone marriage? Many of you may serve with young adults who have professional roles that they play in the work force. Since they have chosen not to marry (a social-cultural adult role), does that make them youth? Interestingly enough, many of them would say that their own families often struggle with accepting them as adults because they choose to remain single.

Confused yet? Then consider one additional example, child-rearing. As a part of a recent gubernatorial campaign in the south, one candidate, aligning himself with family issues as a strategy, claimed to have had a conversation with a 31-year-old grandmother in an urban area of the state. This woman's daughter was now 16 and caring for her own daughter. National attention has been directed toward this issue because of numbers of young teenagers fathering or carrying the children of adult lovers. The question is, does that decision make her or him an adult? A pure, traditional, social-cultural definition would say yes. Most individuals would say no.

Sounds simple enough, adolescents become young adults when they take adult roles in their society or culture. In reality, the lines are far more blurred than they once were. What are the implications for those who minister with and to young adults? Consider these:

• Some young adults expect adult privileges without adult responsibilities. This impacts your expectation level for ministry with these adults.
  
  
• Other young adults may behave with a tremendous sense of responsibility but, legally, not enjoy certain adult privileges. This impacts the topics you tackle in studies.
  
  
• Many young adults may vacillate between adolescence and adulthood—within the same conversation! This raises the question, are those who minister with young adults engaged in a type of youth ministry or a type of adult ministry? This impacts your behavior toward these young adults. Are they to be treated like youth or like adults?

When does a person become a young adult? Legally and functionally, there are no easy answers!

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Written by Dr. Randy Millwood, associate professor, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, at the time he wrote these articles. He is now a consultant specialist for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and director of the Church Health Center, Maryland/Delaware.