Publisher's Synopsis
This revised study guide helps the reader of "Where have all the Young People Gone" dig more deeply and, if desired, share in an eight session discussion group. It also provides for a disciplined and documented planning process for persons preparing to welcome young people into their congregation. The first three sessions deal with the changes in family and community after World War 2 that opened the door to rapid social change. The chaos and college riots of the 1960s and 70s are evidence that the World War 2 generation and their "Boomer" children were diverging in world-view, lifestyle, and values. Then on to Generations X and Y who are still more different and tend to be deeply alienated from traditional Christianity. The next three sections focus on one-on-one response to alienation within family, community, and congregation: getting back in touch with the Gospel and how our faith has been shaped, learing to tell our story of our personal walk with our Lord, and learning to share that story with an alienated person. The last three sections presents an over-view of what may be required for effective outreach to new people in general and to the younger generations in specific. For readers who have been asked to draw up a plan for outreach for their congregation, various instruments are provided to turn their reading into a data-driven assessment of the strengths and weakness of their congregation for change and growth. This includes understanding how their ways of "doing church" may be seen as cultural barriers by Generation X and Y. Change is difficult for many people to take and should not be done without careful thought, planning, buy-in by the people, and prayer. We're called to live the Gospel toward the alienated person and to "take up our cross" by accepting changes in packaging that we have come to love but which are barriers to the alienated who come from a different culture. This is always the task of the missionary. Old dogs can learn new tricks when it's all for the glory of God.
