Cast Your Bread on the Water (Ecclesiastes 11:1-2)

Tom Steed
November 27, 2011

Home: Coming and Going (Homecoming Morning Service)

Bob Gudauskas
November 20, 2011

Leaving Home (Homecoming Bible Class)

Jim Brinkerhoff
November 20, 2011

Additional Resources
During the Homecoming class, I only had time to “whet the appetite” regarding the massive number of our children who are leaving the church as they make the transition between high school and college. As I hope I was able to get across, this has reached epidemic proportions nationally — 75%! (give or take). The question that should have it’s fair share of the front-burner (if not the sole proprietorship) is “What will it take for us to reach our children?” I find hope in the fact that throughout history God has a way of “breaking in”, but I also realize that neither does God coerce — We must be Willing; He must be Invited… And no default status will get us there. By the very design of our message, we offered the hope of our “resurrection” (and by all means, we should cling to this), but first we must face our “cross” (2 Corinthians 4:11-13).

Given that this is finally beginning to receive attention on the national scene (motivated in large part by the National Study of Youth and Religion — NSYR), a good deal of research, thought, and other resources are appearing on the scene to help us navigate this. As promised, below are some of the resources for you to be able to look into and glean from. This is about “our” children, and, thus, warrants our sweat-equity. So, a place to begin…

Books…
1. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers by Christian Smith (lead researcher for the NSYR)
2. Souls In Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults by Christian Smith
3. Lost In Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood by Christian Smith
4. Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church by Kenda Creasy Dean
5. You Lost Me: Why Young People Are Leaving The Church by David Kinnaman (President of Barna Research Group)
6. They Like Jesus But Not The Church by Dan Kimball
7. No Perfect People Allowed by John Burke
8. Exiles: Living Missionally in a Post-Christian Culture by Michael Frost

Web Resources…
1. www.fulleryouthinstitute.org : Here you will find dialogues and articles specifically on what it will take to pass on a substantive faith to our children. Also, you’ll encounter their “Sticky Faith” initiative which is well worth familiarizing yourself with.

2. www.barna.org : Barna has taken the lead in researching the religious landscape in American culture. The have a plethora of articles and books which are designed to help us face the “realities” of where we’re at and where we’re going (note book above).

~Jim Brinkerhoff

Time and Chance (Ecclesiastes 9&10)

Tom Steed
November 13, 2011

Learning From Adversity (Ecclesiastes 7:1-6)

Tom Steed
November 6, 2011