Friday was so full of great moments — from the impassioned, civil debate over the proposed Statement of Conscience on ethical eating to the late-breaking news of the victory for marriage equality in New York — but one experience stands above the rest.

In the UU community, Bridging is the ceremony in which we recognize and celebrate the transition of our youth to adulthood. As the parent of two birthright UU’s, now 24 and 29, I still remember their bridging vividly. My son Danny participated in the GA bridging ceremony in 2004, as I watched online, teary-eyed. Both were active leaders in our congregational and district youth groups. While neither is currently active in a UU church, they are both unmistakably Unitarian Universalist in their thinking and their actions.

The service last night reminded us that our youth and young adults are not only the future; they are the progressive edge of today’s Unitarian Universalism. They are deeply involved in all of our major social justice efforts, very often in leadership positions. They are less often affiliated with brick and mortar churches, for many complex reasons. We need that same leadership in our congregations in order to pull us along toward necessary change: change in worship, music, social justice efforts, just to name a few.

Each congregation probably has its own barriers and challenges when it comes to engaging and empowering youth, and attracting (or retaining) young adults. The solutions cannot be developed by older adults alone, but must emerge through multigenerational dialog.

I would love to hear about what’s working and what’s not.