LOST AND FOUND

the younger unchurched and the churches that reach them

ED STETZER

richie stanley and jason hayes

nashville, tennessee

Copyright © 2009

by B&H Publishing Group and LifeWay Research

All rights reserved.

978-0-8054-4878-8

Published by B&H Publishing Group,

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal classification: 269.2

Subject Heading: EVANGELISTIC WORK \ NON-CHURCH-AFFILIATED PEOPLE \ YOUNG ADULTS

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

Scripture references marked nasb are from the New American Standard Bible, © the Lockman Foundation, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977; used by permission.

Scripture references marked hcsb are from Holman Christian Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture references marked nlt are from the New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Part 1: Polling

Chapter 1: Types of the Younger Unchurched

Chapter 2: What They Believe

Chapter 3: What Does the Future Hold?

Part 1 Wrap-Up

Part 2: Listening

Chapter 4: Marker #1: Community

Chapter 5: Marker #2: Depth (and Content)

Chapter 6: Marker #3: Responsibility

Chapter 7: Marker #4: Cross-Generational Connection

Part 2 Wrap-Up

Part 3: Reaching

Chapter 8: How Churches Are Creating Deeper Community

Chapter 9: How Churches Are Making a Difference through Service

Chapter 10: How Churches Are Leading Young Adults to Experience Worship

Chapter 11: How Churches Are Delivering Content

Chapter 12: How Churches Are Connecting Young Adults

Chapter 13: How Churches Are Being Cross Generational

Chapter 14: How Churches Are Being Authentic

Chapter 15: How Churches Are Leading with Transparency

Chapter 16: How Churches Are Leading with Team

Part 3 Wrap-Up

Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

We’ve all done it—misplaced an important set of keys, a cell phone, a watch, or maybe even an iPod. It’s always frustrating, and if we get really desperate, some of us even pray that God would help us find what we have lost! We also know the excitement of finding a valuable item we had lost. That’s why we are writing this book. Many in this generation are unchurched, and we want to help the church find and reach these lost young people.

After all, Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost, not just point out how bad it was that people are lost. He told parables about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. In those stories He also pointed out how excited heaven gets when lost people are found.

Much has been written and said about younger adults and their view of church. You don’t need a lot of research to tell you what you already know. Young adults (and some who care ...

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About Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them

Who are the young unchurched, and how can they be reached with the good news of Jesus Christ?

In a poll result highlighted by CNN Headline News and USA Today, nearly half of nonchurchgoers between the ages of twenty and twenty-nine agreed with the statement, "Christians get on my nerves." Now, researchers behind the larger study present Lost and Found, a blend of dynamic hard data and modern day parable that tells the real story of an unchurched generation that is actually quite spiritual and yet circumspect, open to Jesus but not the church.

As such, Lost and Found is written to the church, using often-surprising results from the copious research here to strike another nerve and break some long established assumptions about how to effectively engage the lost. Leading missiologist Ed Stetzer and his associates first offer a detailed investigation of the four younger unchurched types. With a better understanding of their unique experiences, they next clarify the importance each type places on community, depth of content, social responsibility, and making cross-generational connections in relation to spiritual matters.

Most valuably, Lost and Found finds the churches that have learned to reach unchurched young adults by paying close attention to those key markers vetted by the research. Their exciting stories will make it clear how your church can bring searching souls from this culture to authentic faith in Christ.

Those who are lost can indeed be found. Come take a closer look.

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