Ministering to Millennials: The Challenges of Reaching Generation "Why"


Book Description

The Millennials are next in line to lead the World. Is the church investing enough into this Generation? Generation Y has questions about life, ministry, marriage, and church that can be summed up by calling them Generation "Why." Is the church ready for Millennial questions? Are Ministers and Pastors prepared to lead this generation into their specific purposes in Christ? Ministering to Millennials: 2nd Edition will inform and challenge the Body of Christ regarding a generation that is forging forth to do great things but is still seeking purpose.




Millennials in Ministry


Book Description

Based on a qualitative study of more than thirty young adults (ages 18¿35) from diverse denominations and countries serving in various ministry positions, Millennials in Ministry unveils the heart and vision of young leaders for the Christian church today. Highlighting the generational traits, values, and needs of Millennials in ministry, this book offers helpful insights for churches and organizations that are hiring, retaining, and equipping this new generation of leaders.




Meet Generation Z


Book Description

Move over Boomers, Xers, and Millennials; there's a new generation--making up more than 25 percent of the US population--that represents a seismic cultural shift. Born approximately between 1993 and 2012, Generation Z is the first truly post-Christian generation, and they are poised to challenge every church to rethink its role in light of a rapidly changing culture. From the award-winning author of The Rise of the Nones comes this enlightening introduction to the youngest generation. James Emery White explains who this generation is, how it came to be, and the impact it is likely to have on the nation and the faith. Then he reintroduces us to the ancient countercultural model of the early church, arguing that this is the model Christian leaders must adopt and adapt if we are to reach members of Generation Z with the gospel. He helps readers rethink evangelistic and apologetic methods, cultivate a culture of invitation, and communicate with this connected generation where they are. Pastors, ministry leaders, youth workers, and parents will find this an essential and hopeful resource.




The XYZ of Discipleship


Book Description

Today’s key challenge for the church in the West is to reach and raise the next generations – often missing or misunderstood – yet vital to the future of contemporary society and to Christianity. Drawing on 20 years of fruitful experience, and carefully analysing Britain’s present cultural context this book explores how to disciple today’s Millennial (Gen Y) generation and their teenage/early adult successors Gen Z. With plenty of positive insights into the opportunities these generations possess, it speaks into how to help build solid foundations of identity and purpose for young adults and assesses some of the biggest challenges to Christian discipleship in today’s culture. It will equip individuals who seek to mentor, parent or lead young adults into discipleship in the everyday and within church, as well as those of Y & Z age who are passionate to understand and disciple your own generation. It concludes with practical guidance and a passionate challenge to established churches who wish to reach these generations.




Millennials and Mission


Book Description

This book focuses on the passing of the torch in cross-cultural missions and church ministry to the Millennial generation. Jim and Judy Raymo grapple with big questions and concerns in Millennials and Mission, while giving an in-depth look at this up-and-coming generation of young people and the future of missions in its hands. They highlight the strengths and weaknesses of this populous group born between 1982 and 2000, comparing and contrasting its characteristics with those of the Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. In spite of the challenges ahead, Millennials and Mission gives a clearly optimistic picture of the Millennial generation’s potential contribution to the accomplishing of the Great Commission.




Saving the Millennial Generation


Book Description

Meaningful relationships, genuine connections, and real love: if those are the things this generation of teens-- the Millennial Generation--is crying out for, who can deliver? You can, says Dawson McAllister. Yes, you the parent, you the youth worker, you the teacher--anyone who wants to show teens the real love of Jesus Christ. But if you want to give Millennials what they're looking for, you've got to be willing to meet them on their own turf. And that's not always easy because the Millennial Generation is one of the most skeptical generations in history. You don't have to let them down. Saving the Millennial Generation will help you understand Millennials--what makes them tick and what ticks them off when it comes to school, church, and home. You'll have to earn their trust, but it'll be well worth the effort. Because in the end, you'll build relationships that will bring fruit both today and into all eternity-- for you and for the Millennials.




The Passion Generation


Book Description

Millennials have disrupted almost every major industry. Whether you’re a parent trying to raise them, a pastor trying to reach them, or an employer trying to retain them, they’re disruptive. As the largest living generation, millennials are one of the most studied but misunderstood groups of our day. And the chasm between the generations is only getting wider. Speaker and founder of the Initiative Network Grant Skeldon pulls back the confusing statistics about millennials to reveal the root issue: it’s not a millennial problem, it’s a discipleship problem. Millennials are known for their struggle to hold jobs, reluctance to live on their own, and alarming migration away from the church. And now our culture is feeling the results of a mentor-less, fatherless generation. But how do you start discipling young people when you struggle to connect with them? Written by a millennial, The Passion Generation will guide you beyond the stats of what millennials are doing to the why they’re doing it and how we can all move toward healthy community. With wit, compassion, and startling insights, this book shares stories and studies drawn from Skeldon’s years of working to bridge generational gaps. In his signature conversational style, Skeldon offers researched strategies that will spark healthy connections, and practical methods that will help you disciple the millennials you love. This book is your guide to understanding the millennials in your life who are seemingly reckless but far from hopeless, for the future of the church that depends on them.




Engaging Generation Z


Book Description

A holistic approach to reaching Generation Z in your local church To disciple the youth in our student ministries today, we have to understand the unique characteristics of Generation Z, and apply lessons learned from recent decades of youth ministry. In this thoroughly revised second edition of Raising the Bar: Student Ministry for a New Generation, pastor and professor Timothy McKnight brings a wealth of new insights, resources, and guidance for reaching today's adolescents. Following an overview of the beliefs, attitudes, and practices of Generation Z, McKnight provides youth pastors and volunteers with a complete plan for discipling adolescents through the local church. This includes practical advice on topics such as: • Engaging parents in youth ministry • Holistically guiding students in their beliefs, behavior, and affections • Equipping adult leaders who can serve as role models • Working with pastors, staff, and church leaders • Helping parents develop rites of passage for their children as they move into adulthood • Raising expectations for adolescents to encourage them to grow toward maturity Based on years of personal experience and practice, Engaging Generation Z provides everything youth ministers need to equip, grow, and encourage today's generation of young people to follow Christ, and to take their student ministry to the next level.




The Next Mormons


Book Description

American Millennials--the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s--have been leaving organized religion in unprecedented numbers. For a long time, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was an exception: nearly three-quarters of people who grew up Mormon stayed that way into adulthood. In The Next Mormons, Jana Riess demonstrates that things are starting to change. Drawing on a large-scale national study of four generations of current and former Mormons as well as dozens of in-depth personal interviews, Riess explores the religious beliefs and behaviors of young adult Mormons, finding that while their levels of belief remain strong, their institutional loyalties are less certain than their parents' and grandparents'. For a growing number of Millennials, the tensions between the Church's conservative ideals and their generation's commitment to individualism and pluralism prove too high, causing them to leave the faith-often experiencing deep personal anguish in the process. Those who remain within the fold are attempting to carefully balance the Church's strong emphasis on the traditional family with their generation's more inclusive definition that celebrates same-sex couples and women's equality. Mormon families are changing too. More Mormons are remaining single, parents are having fewer children, and more women are working outside the home than a generation ago. The Next Mormons offers a portrait of a generation navigating between traditional religion and a rapidly changing culture.




Mobilizing Gen Z


Book Description

A God-Designed Generation for a God-Given Task The scale and scope of the global, technological, and cultural changes of the past two decades are unprecedented. For the first time in history, American churches and agencies are mobilizing from a post-Christian cultural context and to new collaborations with a global mission force. Amidst these rapid changes, how can mission leaders continue to ensure that we fulfill the Great Commission mandate to disciple Christ-worshippers from every tribe, tongue, and nation? In Mobilizing Gen Z, Jolene Erlacher and Katy White blend leading research with the voices of current mission practitioners to unpack the dynamics behind our changing culture and the resulting impact on the church. And perhaps not-so-surprisingly, they reach the conclusion that God has already provided a solution for such a time as this—Gen Z (b. 1996– 2010). Through an in-depth profile of this rising cohort—their characteristics, worldview, strengths and weaknesses—the authors illustrate both why Gen Z is sorely needed and why we must seek to engage them differently than previous generations. Encouraging and winsome, Mobilizing Gen Z provides practical tools and strategies for engaging, equipping, and retaining Gen Z missionaries. Are we ready to pass the torch?