Growing Young - Day 5

Unleashing the passion of young people in your church is possible!

 

This track from the Catalyst App, features Kara Powell, Jake Mulder and Brad Griffin’s new book, Growing Young.

 

When you complete each daily assignment from the track, you will be entered in to win a copy of his book! There are 5 available!

 

Churches need young people and young people need churches. But do you wonder whether a watered-down gospel would help you attract young people to your congregation? You're not alone. But there's good news. Young people are drawn to churches that take Jesus' message seriously-- not just churches that try to be cool.

 

Based on groundbreaking research with over 250 of the nation's leading congregations, the book GrowingYoung provides a strategy any church can use to involve and retain teenagers and young adults. This track will touch on some of the book’s ideas for promoting church growth--spiritually, emotionally, missionary, and numerically.

 

Get ready to start growing young!

 

Day 5 – Grow Young

 

“This is a changing church, and we’re part of a changing world. I’ve learned that I need to be big enough to change with it.” —Hank, age 76

 

The thousands of US churches growing older have good reason to be concerned.

 

But they don’t have to admit defeat.

 

The overarching great news is that deep and lasting change really is possible. The churches involved in the Growing Young study prove it.

 

But at the end of the day, the decision to grow young is not rooted in statistics or strategies (even though, as you can tell by now, we love both).

 

It’s rooted in prayerfully seeking God’s call for your congregation.

 

So gather your church’s staff, volunteer leaders, and anyone else who cares about teenagers and young adults as you prayerfully ask God for guidance. Take courage in the fact that millions of churches in the last 2,000 years have successfully navigated significant obstacles to adapt to new realities. Your church can too.

 

Challenge: To whom does your leadership team need to listen? What conflict might you encounter when beginning to grow young? What are markers along that growth journey that your church can pay attention to and celebrate?

 

Don’t forget to tell us your response to each daily reflection on Twitter (via @catalystleader) and be entered into WIN a copy of the book, Growing Young. 

 

Check out additional tracks, podcast downloads, and more on the Catalyst App.