Churchless people are all around us: among our closest loved ones, at our workplaces, in our neighborhoods. And more and more, they are becoming the norm: The number of churchless adults in the US has grown by nearly one-third in the past decade. Yet the startling truth is that many of these people claim they are "looking" for a genuine, powerful encounter with God--but they just don't find it "in church." What are they (or we) missing? How can we better reach out to them? What can we say or do that would inspire them to want to join a community of faith? Containing groundbreaking new research from the Barna Group, and edited by bestselling authors George Barna ("Revolution") and David Kinnaman ("You Lost Me"), "Churchless" reveals the results of a five-year study based on interviews with thousands of churchless men and women. Looking past the surface of church attendance to deeper spiritual realities, "Churchless" will help us understand those who choose not to be part of a church, build trust-based relationships with them, and be empowered to successfully invite them to engage.
My thoughts: This book came into being at a good time, with a lot countries becoming post-Christian, and then with more and more Americans opting to no longer attend church. It has long been a top priority at congregations to figure out just how to reverse these statistics and help people to find what they are seeking at church and in a personal relationship with the Lord. This book is just the resource needed to accomplish that! Filled with data and ways to apply the information to helping those around you find a church home, this book is excellent!
I received a copy of this book from Tyndale in exchange for my honest review.
That sounds like an interesting book. I've noticed that churches around here have been changing a lot in the last ten years. A church near us that used to have a huge membership is now down to half its membership and almost no youth. We're going to a fairly new church start and membership growth is often a topic. Looks like your book review is timely for me.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem like churches can change a lot over the years! I suppose it is like everything in life, if you aren't moving forward, you are moving backwards. We like to think that things can remain the same without any upkeep.
DeleteThis does sound like a good book for your congregation!