Update on Young Adult Ministry at Worship Center

Six months ago, we started searching for our next Young Adult Pastor. It has been a long, winding road with unexpected twists and turns. As we navigated this process, there came a moment when the Lead Team felt the Lord prompting us to shift our focus.

Instead of only asking who could fill the role, we also began to ask ‘What changes might need to be made in The Living Room ministry?’

This led us into a time of prayer and deep discernment. As a team, we laid all our options on the table and leaned into prayer, seeking what would be best for our church and our young adults moving forward.

One key question guided our discernment process: What would be best for Worship Center as a church?

As we prayed and reflected, we realized that a truly healthy church integrates and mobilizes young adults (age 18-30) into the broader church community.

Picture a thriving church where young adults serve and volunteer, participate in small groups, and are vital members of a multigenerational church body.

In this light, it became clear that TLR’s current structure was not effectively achieving this goal. We needed to make changes to help young adults become more connected to Worship Center’s life and ministry.

As a team, we reached this conclusion: We will no longer have a young adult gathering on Tuesday nights.

The last Tuesday night gathering will be January 21, 2025.

Through these discussions, we considered every element of the Young Adult Ministry—the gatherings, the fruit they produce, and the impact on the greater church body.

With this decision, we are envisioning a new approach to Young Adult Ministry—one that encourages a vibrant Sunday morning experience for young adults—fully integrated into Worship Center’s church life.

While we will no longer host weekly Tuesday gatherings, we will continue to provide intentional opportunities for young adults. These will include retreats, First Love Worship Nights, other monthly events designed to foster relationships and spiritual growth, and a new young adults space attached to the main auditorium.

This also means encouraging participation in small groups, serving opportunities, and other discipleship pathways. By doing this, we believe young adults will experience deeper connections and spiritual growth that extend beyond the walls of a Tuesday night gathering.

To support this change, Virgil Esh will move into a new staff position as the Young Adult Coordinator. In this role, he will focus on helping young adults connect, grow, and serve within the broader Worship Center community. Ali Stoltzfus will remain in a ministry assistant role with a broader focus outside of young adults.

This journey has been one of prayerful consideration and faithful discernment.

We believe these changes will position Worship Center to better support and empower our young adults while strengthening the church as a whole.

Letting go of certain structures isn’t easy, but we trust that this step of faith will allow the Lord’s plans to flourish in unexpected ways.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we move forward together. We are excited to see what God has in store for Worship Center and the young adults in our community.