YouthNet in Winona Lake
I always promise myself before I leave on trips to write my post, but I never seem to get to it. I'm at CE National in Winona Lake, Indiana for YouthNet meetings, which have just ended. Great discussions and conversations with youth pastors from around the country. I want to wait until I return back home before I share some of my thoughts on the past week and hope to write an article for a couple of publications as well.
When I travel, I usually lose touch with what is happening in the world. I'm not a lap-top person. I'm still trying to figure out my cell phone. I can't even set up my phone to receive messages. So, needless to say that I am not the most connected person in a world that thrives on always being connected. David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, who has no problem with being connected to what is happening with youth today, has just released his book entitled UnChristian. It covers the ages from 16-29 and explores the views of those outside the Church. The research confirms a lot of what others have been saying for a while, that those young people outside the Church really don't like what Christians have to offer. You can easily get discouraged after just a few short pages. There's not much good that they see in the Church, and what even gets more depressing is that many young Christians agree with those negative views of Christianity.
There are a lot of reasons Kinnaman gives for their harsh attitudes towards the Church. He gives detailed insight and clear research that he (and his staff) have done. Kinnaman does show us ways to win back their trust, but still you can't shake the feeling that this is not good news for us. It's like hearing your pilot over the loud speaker say in a low voice,"Oh-oh." No apology or explanation from him will make you feel any better. Something bad is coming your way and that's not good. It's not all gloom. It never is when God is leading. Times of transitions are always difficult, and the Church is going through one right now. There are many churches that are having a significant impact on young people today, but I admit that they are few and far between. In a month, I meet with a handful of college pastors from around the country to discuss and pray about why this generation from 16-29 years old is turning away from God. Pray for us and others who desperately desire to see God reach this generation.
When I travel, I usually lose touch with what is happening in the world. I'm not a lap-top person. I'm still trying to figure out my cell phone. I can't even set up my phone to receive messages. So, needless to say that I am not the most connected person in a world that thrives on always being connected. David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group, who has no problem with being connected to what is happening with youth today, has just released his book entitled UnChristian. It covers the ages from 16-29 and explores the views of those outside the Church. The research confirms a lot of what others have been saying for a while, that those young people outside the Church really don't like what Christians have to offer. You can easily get discouraged after just a few short pages. There's not much good that they see in the Church, and what even gets more depressing is that many young Christians agree with those negative views of Christianity.
There are a lot of reasons Kinnaman gives for their harsh attitudes towards the Church. He gives detailed insight and clear research that he (and his staff) have done. Kinnaman does show us ways to win back their trust, but still you can't shake the feeling that this is not good news for us. It's like hearing your pilot over the loud speaker say in a low voice,"Oh-oh." No apology or explanation from him will make you feel any better. Something bad is coming your way and that's not good. It's not all gloom. It never is when God is leading. Times of transitions are always difficult, and the Church is going through one right now. There are many churches that are having a significant impact on young people today, but I admit that they are few and far between. In a month, I meet with a handful of college pastors from around the country to discuss and pray about why this generation from 16-29 years old is turning away from God. Pray for us and others who desperately desire to see God reach this generation.
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on Friday, September 28, 2007 at 7:32 AM.
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