Defining adulthood has become challenging and nebulous in recent decades. Milestones such as getting your first full-time job, graduating college, getting married, purchasing a home, or welcoming a child into the family used to define this shift. However, Gen Z and Millennial young adults face various uncertainties such as delayed marriage, transience, rising inflation, all-time high numbers of anxiety and depression, and a global, 24/7 news cycle full of wars, pandemics, and conflicts. For today’s young adults, crossing over to adulthood is often a prolonged experience. 

In this Toolkit, we will focus on ministering to emerging young adults—18 to 25-year-olds who have largely had a childhood shaped by smart devices. Some of the drastic mental health changes can be linked to the constant presence of technology and smartphones. Specific areas of focus when ministering to this group include paying attention to the development of their self-concept (view of self) and the messages they internalize from a multitude of sources about their worth, belonging, and value in the world.