Issues Paper

Topic selection has been the death of me this semester. I am not used to picking my own topic ever. It has always been a prompt given. Now, this doesn't necessarily make the prompt exciting or interesting to me, but it at least gives me a narrow, specific topic to write about which I have recently learned is a lot less stressful than trying to form your own topic. However, with this issues paper I have found it very helpful to follow the instruction given in class about having a few questions at the beginning of something you may want to write about. I have found that as I have researched answers to the questions that I would like to answer, I have been able to more narrowly define my topic. My topic is how social issues like gay marriage and church's trying to provide the "cool" factor in their services is fueling the withdrawal among young adults from their religion. This is my topic now. When I started, I was looking for answers about abortion, pornography and a lot of other factors but as I researched, it was naturally narrowed down to what it is now. The audience is the religious council and I intend to not only address the issue of same-sex marriage, but how this religious council can help retain the young adults by providing doctrine and application instead of bands and pizza parties. Other concerns I have  are just how to effectively address the council and then just making sure the information flows.