Young adults are disappearing from our churches at an alarming rate. In 2023, nearly 4 in 10 claimed no religious affiliation, and many raised in Christian homes disengage from the church before age 30. These trends grieve pastors and leaders who long to “tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might, and the wonders that he has done” (Ps. 78:4). Against this backdrop of dispiriting long-term data, some recent studies suggest a growing spiritual interest on the part of younger people, with accompanying increases in church attendance. It’s too early to say if the decades-long decline in young-adult church participation is slowing or even reversing. Nonetheless, church leaders may face an opportunity to respond to what God is doing among young adults in ways that counter disengagement trends. In this moment, many congregations feel stuck, unsure where to begin, unaware of the cultural and developmental complexities shaping young adults, or simply resigned to discouraging trends. But there’s hope. We identified “magnetic churches” across the country—congregations experiencing unusual fruitfulness in their ministries to young adults. Their witness is clear: Reaching emerging adults is possible when churches embrace a prayerful, biblical, and gospel-centered posture. From this study, we found six strategic moves that offer a path forward for young-adult ministry in your church. 1.  Come to terms with reality. Faithful ministry begins with embracing reality. As Derek Melleby observes, “In order to help young people develop a lasting faith, the church needs to have an understanding of the cultural conditions in which young people live.” Unfortunately, many congregations, including pastors, are unfamiliar with the lived realities of today’s twentysomethings. How do we correct this? In their book Sustainable Young Adult Ministry, Mark DeVries and Scott Pontier write, “The only chance we have to really understand young adults is . . . getting to know them personally, not simply learning about them in abstract.” Introduce yourself to twentysomethings inside and outside your church. Be curious. Ask questions. Listen well. Build relationships with young adults, and be intentional about cultivating their trust. Church leaders may face an opportunity to respond to what God is doing among young adults in ways that counter disengagement trends. As you do, you can read books like Kevin DeYoung’s The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation, David Setran and Chris Kiesling’s Spiritual Formation in Emerging Adulthood, or other resources linked in this article. Books like these help to inform what you’re learning in your personal interactions. With newly acquired knowledge in one hand and humility in the other, leaders should honestly assess themselves and their churches. Imagine experiencing your congregation for the first time as a nonbelieving young adult, or as a Christian twentysomething eager to grow, belong, and serve. Be brutally honest. Invite young adults into this evaluation process. Avoid defensiveness. Renewal and repentance start by first coming to terms with reality. 2. Pray. Prayer must be the foundation of our efforts to engage young adults. Scripture reminds us that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Prov. 9:10) and “the prayer of a righteous person has great power” (James 5:16). Charles Spurgeon warns, If a church does not pray, it is dead. Instead of putting united prayer last, put it first. Everything will hinge upon the power of prayer in the church. Prayer expresses our dependency on God; opens us to the Spirit’s conviction and leading; and, in the Lord’s mysterious providence, is a means by which he works in young adults’ hearts to bring them to faith and repentance and to produce greater Christlikeness. 3. Put together a multigenerational team. Neither a single leader nor siloed, age-specific strategies can make a church magnetic for young adults. DeVries and Pontier recommend starting with a multigenerational team that will pray, build relationships, champion this work over the long haul, and leverage their gifts for the task. This team should include motivated lay leaders, key young adults, elders, deacons, and staff. Becoming a church that better engages young adults necessitates congregational buy-in because, in many cases, pastors and elders need to lead systematic change. For example, financial and staffing priorities might need to shift from other efforts, or a long-serving leader might be asked to share responsibilities with a younger one. Such change can be uncomfortable for existing members, so pastors must biblically shepherd their flocks. Congregations are more likely to embrace the challenges associated with becoming a magnetic church when leaders gently and firmly guide them toward a Scripture-grounded vision of God’s multigenerational household (Eph. 4:11–13; Titus 2:1–8; 1 Pet. 5:2–3; 1 John 2:12–14). When employed wisely by pastoral leaders, multigenerational teams can play an invaluable role in this process by modeling intergenerational ministry, catalyzing young-adult outreach and discipleship, and contributing to congregation-wide efforts to become a magnetic church. 4. Cultivate hospitality and community. For many, the notion of reaching young adults evokes images of extensive evangelistic campaigns. Yet reaching twentysomethings doesn’t begin with programs but with hospitality. Tim Keller says, “Hospitality is an attitude of heart and a practice . . . that seeks to turn strangers into guests, friends, and eventually brothers and sisters.” In magnetic churches, young adults personally invite their friends, and then other older members of the congregation warmly welcome them. Simply inviting to take a group of twentysomethings out for lunch after church can open the gate onto a pathway toward deeper engagement with the church. After all, when young adults more regularly attend corporate worship and sit under the preaching of God’s Word, they’re experiencing the means God uses to convert sinners. Community marked by mutual dependence and love (Rom. 12:4-5; 9–11; 1 Pet. 3:8) also plays a critical role in reaching young adults. As one pastor puts it, “Our most powerful tool of evangelism [with respect to young adults] is our life together as the people of God.” Magnetic churches encourage young adults to develop friendships with each other and with those from other life stages. Small groups, shared meals, serving together inside and outside the church, and corporate worship are all ways churches can cultivate community. Such churches provide young adults with a rare commodity in today’s world: a place to belong as they learn what it means to be Jesus’s disciples. 5. Disciple and evangelize concurrently. Magnetic churches recognize that discipleship pathways for young adults often serve dual purposes—edifying believers while evangelizing the curious (1 Cor. 14:23–25). This can be a protracted process. Keller emphasizes that Christ-centered preaching and ministry “both grows believers and challenges non-believers.” In such an environment, young adults of various stripes are both discipled in the gospel and introduced to gospel truths for the first time. Magnetic churches soberly embrace their disciple-making mandate and carefully consider how to present everyone, including young adults, mature in Christ (Col. 1:28–2:3). Across these congregations, common discipleship pathways emerged in our study: contextualized, rigorous biblical instruction; small groups; meaningful service; and mentoring. Young adults consistently expressed a desire for biblical instruction that’s theologically rich and attentive to their lived experience. Moreover, they expressed a longing to develop deep relationships with their peers and older adults. Many were motivated to learn from a mentor. 6. Prepare young adults for the long haul. Young adults want to live purposeful lives. Mindful of this impulse, magnetic churches help this demographic understand that Christian discipleship encompasses all of life. Leaders instruct young adults in the creation mandate (Gen. 1:27–28; 2:15). These churches aim to ground young adults in their identity as redeemed image-bearers and to equip them with a biblical understanding of vocation. In this way, magnetic churches direct young adults away from self-focus and toward obedience to God’s commands for “every square inch” of life. Magnetic churches direct young adults away from self-focus and toward obedience to God’s commands for ‘every square inch’ of life. Magnetic churches also equip young adults to live in light of the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20) by providing personal evangelism training and encouraging participation in community outreach, global missions, and church planting initiatives. Becoming a magnetic church is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s a process that calls leaders to continually count the cost and place their confidence not in strategies but in the Lord. Engaging twentysomethings will require a willingness to experiment, to learn from mistakes, and, especially, to persevere. But as you undertake this task, be assured of the promise that Christ will build his church; not even the gates of hell can prevail against it (16:18).