Sometimes the answer to your dilemma is right under your nose. Or, technically in this case, right across the street. First Reformed Christian Church in Denver had a problem that many American congregations relate to: a shortage of young people in the church. While ministries were thriving and the church was healthy, something felt like it was missing.
Here’s the problem, though: Denver is not a cheap city to live in. In fact, as one of the fastest growing cities in the nation, rentals in the city are in mega-high demand, making it hard for young people to get a foot in the door. Putting their heads together, Pastor Bret Lamsma (a longtime friend and coach of Generation Spark, and classis youth ministry champion) and his team surveyed the church’s assets and had a golden idea. The church had two properties, a parsonage and a rental home, that were being used infrequently and without any concrete purpose. If a key reason why young adults were not moving to Denver was because rent was too high, then why not utilize the church’s empty properties to offer inexpensive rent?
The idea, later named ‘Enfold,’ took off with the congregation right away. As time and prayer went into planning, the program began to take shape. The church would contact CRC-related schools around North America, offering this program to recent graduates. Interested young adults would apply, and if accepted would be allowed to move into one of the two homes at a reasonable rate well below market value. They would not be interns of the church, nor would they be hired staff workers. The only expectations were that they would commit to being present in the community. They would engage with a mentor, participate in discipleship, and attend Sunday services often. The goal was not to produce free labor (as tempting as that can be for emerging adults). It was simply to invite young adults to be an open participant in God’s family at First CRC.
Over the past few years, the program has grown to accommodate eight men and women at a time, and has seen widespread support and ownership from the church community. As a result, the church has seen growth in its population of emerging adults, filling in that missing puzzle piece.
When asked what contributed to the success of Enfold, Pastor Bret says that it’s twofold. “The first thing to do is look around and see what your church has, or does particularly well. Whatever resource your church has, you should identify. And then see where that fits in connection to a need in the community. For us, the issue was the high cost of living in Denver, and the solution was these properties.”
He continued, “The second thing is to identify those people in your church who are going to be standing in the gap. The ones standing on the frontlines, supporting the vision that you have. And make sure you support them, 100%. Because that will keep them going, and it will invite others to join them.”
The story of Enfold has been a learning experience for the church, and certainly came with its speed bumps along the way. But it’s an example of how a church can work to bridge the generational gap with a vision, empathetic leadership, and well-supported members.
