The Primary Needs of Young Adults

Throughout His ministry Jesus started teaching by meeting needs of His learners. With the woman at the well, He started with her need for water (John 4:7-26). With Zaccheus, He invited him to come down from the tree so that he could see and hear Jesus (Luke 19:1-10). With the centurion, Jesus healed the servant (Luke 7:1-10). The same approach of meeting needs through Bible study, missions, and discipleship opportunities is effective for leaders today. By first addressing the needs of young adults, leaders and teachers are helping adults discover how God meets their needs through the Bible. Only then do Bible study and discipleship become relevant to their everyday lives.

Gilbert Peterson identified six primary needs of adults in his book The Christian Education of Adults. All adults in some form experience these needs: physical, security, affection, significance, accomplishment, and creativity. With these in mind, ministry leaders and teachers can plan Bible studies, discipleship opportunities, and ministry/missions avenues that will address these needs and allow God to work in the lives of young adults.

Physical Needs

Human beings of all ages need sleep, food, water, air, and exercise. These needs stem from bodily functions. Adults, however, experience physical changes that affect how these needs are met in their lives. During the young adult years, physical abilities peak and begin to decline. Consequently, young adults have special concerns with diet, weight, exercise, and addiction.

Many young adults increase their use of drugs, according to John W. Santrock in his book Life-Span Development. Heavy drinking among college students and cocaine use among young adults are special concerns.

Young adults often give little thought to the effects of their lifestyles on their future health. During these years many engage in patterns of skipping breakfast, snacking during the day instead of regular meals, and getting by with only a few hours of sleep. If continued, these patterns will cause health problems during the middle adult years.

Church families can play a part in fostering healthy habits among young adults. Providing balanced meals for college students and single adults is one way to meet physical needs. Another way is to provide health-related study groups. The fit4 Health Wellness Plan is an excellent resource for young adults (available by calling 1-800-458-2772).

Security

The need for security is a common need for preschoolers, children, youth, and adults. Security is feeling safe physically and emotionally. It also involves a feeling of acceptance by others. Acceptance by Jesus Christ is a spiritual experience that meets the need for security. The doctrine of the security of the believer confirms that Christ's acceptance is eternal. It can never be taken away. This spiritual security is an important gift to all adults.

In his book Foundations of Ministry, Michael Anthony warned church leaders to avoid assuming that all adults who call themselves Christian have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Churches are full of adult believers who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior but have never become His disciples. They may never have experienced Christ's acceptance. In George Barna's "State of the Church, 2000" report, he concluded that half the people who say they are born again have lost souls (Ted Byfield and Virginia Byfield, "Half the Born-Agains are Still Lost Souls, a Researcher Finds, and There's a Reason," Report/Newsmagazine, 27:9 [9/11/2000]: 54). Bible study, discipleship opportunities, and missions education have the potential to help adults experience Christ's acceptance and be transformed by His love.

In addition to experiencing spiritual security, social issues affect the level of security for young men and women. Single men and women alike fear they will decrease in their ability to be attractive and interesting. Marital adjustments cause young adults to feel insecure in their marriages. Career challenges often cause young adults to feel insecure. Consequently, social concerns promote the need for security in young adulthood.

The stereotypes of young adults often cause confusion among young adults themselves. Many young adults do not feel they fit the stereotypes and think something is wrong with themselves (Charles M. Sell, Transitions Through Adult Life [Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1991], 133). By accepting these anxious feelings, adults can retain their sense of security. Christian education can meet this need of security by providing small-group opportunities where adults can talk about their struggles. They can share ways to understand what is happening and accept one another with love.

The crises of life may cause adults to become involved in learning activities. Through these learning activities they are attempting to meet their need for security. By understanding their situations and experiences, they can accept what is happening to them as normal and respond with a feeling of security.

Affection

Peterson also identified the need for affection as a specific concern for all adults, but it differs for young adults when compared with older adults. For example, as a result of the major physical changes taking place in midlife, affection becomes an important need that must be met. Young adults' need for affection may be more of an emotional need.

Young adults may have many friends. Typically, friends are important to both single and married young adults. These friends are important ways for young adults to meet their needs of affection.

Young adults experiencing special circumstances heighten the need for affection. Divorce, underemployment, unemployment, health problems, and death of family members may occur during the young adult years. Expressions of affection can help adults journey through the grief associated with these experiences.

Significance

Another basic need of all adults is the sense of significance, feeling appreciated by others. This need is particularly important to young adults as they begin their careers and establish themselves as adults.

Some young adults experience a sense of inadequacy with a self-perspective largely reflected by roles played as a spouse, parent, and employee. These feelings of inadequacy are normal as young adults become spouses, parents, and employees for the first time. Expressions of affirmation are meaningful to young adults who are attempting to fulfill the variety of roles played by adults.

As Christians, however, the need for significance was met in creation. The fact that human beings are created in God's image and by His love is truly grounds for significance (Gen. 1:27). As children of God, believers find their self-worth is part of what it means to be made in God's image. God wants human beings to thank Him for all of His blessings. In a similar way human beings find worth in God's love.

Recognition for one's accomplishments is quite important. Many young adults tend to desire forms of recognition that suit their personalities. For example, a shy person would not want to be recognized in front of a group. Whether they receive recognition greatly affects their sense of self-worth. This external source of self-worth can result in frustration. When a sense of self-worth is anchored in God's love, adults can realize and accept appreciation from others with a healthy sense of significance.

Accomplishment

A fifth primary need of adults is accomplishment. Whether young adults are college students, homemakers, firefighters, engineers, teachers, or artists, God creates human beings with a drive to accomplish something during their lives.

 In the book Adult Development and Learning, Alan Knox identified the following major characteristics of home and family settings that contribute to accomplishment in life:

• General acceptance by family members that adult life entails growth and change.
  
  
• Familiarity with other adults as role models engaged in systematic learning and adaptation.
  
  
• Availability of learning resources for adults in the home, such as books, recordings, and study guides.
  
  
• Awareness of opportunities for organized learning for adults outside the home.
  
  
• Opportunities for adults to engage in activities that help clarify needs to grow and change.
  
  
• Willingness for adult members to spend time and money on continuing their education, along with encouragement and recognition when they do.

Christian education can play an important role in meeting the need for accomplishment. In The Adult Learning Projects, Allen Tough discovered that when adults are the learners, they prefer self-directed learning opportunities where teachers serve as facilitators. As they learn this way, they experience accomplishment. As teachers, they need guidance in developing their teaching skills that allows them to be self-directed and recognizes their accomplishments. They need opportunities to discuss and reflect on their experiences with a small group of fellow teachers. In addition, the Christian Growth Study Plan (www.lifeway.com/cgsp/catalog or call 1-800-968-5519) can be a learning strategy for young adults to pursue on their own and receive recognition when they accomplish or complete courses. Church leaders are wise to provide these kinds of opportunities for the adults in their churches.

Creativity

The final primary need of adults identified by Peterson is creativity. Just as God is creative, adults are open to creative change in their lives. During the adult years, the need for creativity is met by opportunities for new experiences. These new experiences may stem from getting a new job, graduating from college, getting married, having a baby, or any number of other new opportunities.

The need for creativity is also met by new relationships. For most these new friendships are healthy expressions of creativity for both men and women. Again, church families can provide a variety of fellowship opportunities for single and married young young adults who need healthy relationships with Christian friends.

Young adults also need to be creative. Drama, art, music, and even teaching Bible studies can give adults opportunities to use their skills and talents in creative ways. These opportunities can be strategic side doors for many persons to enter the church. They can get to know people in a church family and develop relationships that can eventually bring them to Jesus Christ.

Here's a Thought: As you reflect on these needs of adults, identify how you experience these needs. This identification will help you relate to the adults in your group. How can you meet the needs of the young adults in your group?

______

Written by Morlee Maynard, ministry coordination specialist, LifeWay Church Resources.