By Dn Cheryl Toi
The Young Adults Fellowship (YAF) comprises adults between 19 and 35 years old. I belong to that age group and attend Crux, our Young Adults Service, on Sundays at 2pm. Of course, anyone is free to join the Crux services. We also meet regularly in CARE Groups for meals, Bible study, prayer and the sharing of our lives.
Challenges
There are many challenges facing the young adults in Singapore today. One of the unique challenges for this age group is that it typically includes a period of many big transitions such as enrolling into university, enlisting into National Service, entering the workforce, dating, getting married, buying a house, starting a family and so on. These transitions may leave young adults feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed and burnt out. The pandemic did not help either.
The Institute of Policy Studies conducted a poll to better understand the attitudes, values and opinions of Singaporeans towards a range of issues concerning family, well-being, work, civic engagement and life transitions. The poll, done between November and December 2023, surveyed 2,356 Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 21 to 64.
These were some of the findings:
More than half (53 per cent) of respondents aged 21 to 34 found it easier to talk to people online than offline, compared with 46 per cent of those aged 35 to 49 and 31 per cent of those aged 50 to 64
Singles aged 21 to 34 are more likely to say that they have other priorities — including their job, studies and self-discovery — to focus on, and that they do not have the time or energy to date.
More than half of singles aged 21 to 34 aspire towards marriage and parenthood, even though the majority believe that it is not necessary to get married or have children in a marriage.
Thanksgiving
At Crux, we hope to be an authentic community that encourages each other to love and follow Christ and be transformed by the gospel amidst these challenges. We thank God that we could celebrate our 2nd anniversary in April this year. He has given us much to be thankful for including this community where we can meet regularly to share our experiences and pray together.
We also thank God that Crux has been welcoming newcomers almost every single week since the inaugural Crux service.
The YAF has also been blessed by the wider church community through various ways. I am a beneficiary of how the older generation took the time and effort to guide and mentor the younger generation be it through Junior Sunday School, opening up their homes to host events/care groups meetings, coming to speak at various workshops to share their experiences or even through casual conversations in church. I am also encouraged by the zeal and passion that the younger ones have for the Lord. I have had the privilege of serving alongside some of them and am inspired by their willingness to serve in their various capacities, using the gifts that God has given them.
How can the church support YAF?
Prayer
Pray that God will be our Firm Foundation throughout the various transitions and the many life events that demand our time and attention.
Pray that His Kingdom will always be more attractive than popular visions of the “good life” today.
Get to know us
Join our Crux service and say hi to the young adults. You can also join our Telegram channel or follow us on Instagram to find out more about the YAF various programs and activities.
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