Resources for an ages 25 - 35 church group?

[Wesrock]

The Church I currently go to has a half dozen different groups for Catholics over 50. That is a wonderful thing. I’ve also found there’s not a single group for younger Catholics at this parish. I realize these programs are coordinated by volunteers, and I’ve been considering trying to start a group for people around my age… only I have no idea what type of things a church group for people my age might do or be interested in. Church fellowship was not something I grew up with or have ever involved myself with to this point. And the one time it was looking like I might join such a group at a wonderfully vibrant parish my wife and I moved the next month.

Does anyone have any feedback or resources on existing programs they’ve been involved with? Or is there anyone else in this age range who has ideas about what they’d be interested in?

I’m consideing meetings twice a month, but beyond that I’ve no idea.

 

[HopkinsReb]

I’m not Catholic, and I haven’t been doing this long, but I host and direct a bi-weekly discussion group with my Anglican church. It’s not explicitly 25-35, but all but one couple are in that range. Just a couple observations:

1. Don’t be shallow. The couple who hosted before us based the discussions on non-denominational devotionals that were basically written not to offend. People were actively discouraged from serious discussion of the theology touched by the readings. There was no there there, and it was boring. People quit. In the current group, we’re getting our meat and potatoes: we’re studying a series of homilies written in the 1500s, and really getting into the weeds on it. It’s challenging, we disagree and discuss, and we learn a lot. And people are getting into it again. TLDR: do something kind of hard. People can find simple and uncontroversial easily enough on their own.
2. Provide food. 'Nuff said.
3. Don’t make it all study. Have some social time. Just don’t let the social time prevent you from having good, serious discussions.

 

[mrsdizzyd]

Theology on Tap is really popular across the US and also at my parish.

 

[kwitz]

There has been a big push in our archdiocese to get these people either back in or more involved in their parishes. The Catholic high school I teach at actually lost our previous campus minister because he was hired by the archdiocese to head the new (or at least improved) young adult ministry program. Because my two children (and their spouses) are in this age group, I see the efforts their parishes are making. What I find interesting is the many different approaches. My son’s parish has a weekly program where someone speaks and there is music worship. I think it has been well attended but it is in a parish with probably the most active youth group in the archdiocese. My daughter’s parish has been doing more random events. They started out purely social (food trucks) but tonight they are having an adoration hour with social time after. Theology on Tap is popular but both my kids say it is more of a Catholic singles group.

Good luck!
Kris

 

[HumbleIOughtToBe]

Get any theology book you can find that relates to money, family, business ethics, etc and start reading. Find the relevant topics. The 25-35 year olds can handle theology textbooks. If you could read college level books on anything, you can read college level books on theology.

The theology book crowd may be very small. My apologies.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

Is this going to be a group primarily for 25-35 y.o. single people, or 25-35 y.o. married people with kids?
The needs and interests of the two groups are really different in my experience.
It’s also hard to get the 25-35 y.o. with kids to show up at anything that isn’t a “family activity” with a big focus on kids.

I think the competing needs in this age group is one reason you don’t see a lot of parish groups focusing on it. Theology on Tap, which as one person said is more for singles, runs diocese-wide in most places I’ve seen it. (And I’m really sorry they didn’t have something like that when I was mid-20s and single - because every parish group then was either for the families with kids or for the people age 50 and up.)