Phil Knox
Phil Knox is an evangelism and missiology senior specialist at the Evangelical Alliance and is trying to be a good friend. His book on the subject, The Best of Friends, was published on 16 February 2023. You can read his first book, Story Bearer at www.storybearer.com
Three must-reads for leaders of young adults and young adult leaders
10 June 20211. Changing Shape: The Faith Lives of Millennials (2020: SCM Press) Ruth Perrin is an outstanding thought leader in this area. She brings a distinctive balance of high level academic insight and years of experience as a practitioner working with students and young adults in a local church context. What you get from Ruth’s book is an extensive commentary on the culture of millennials and an authentic feel for what it is like to grow up as a young adult in 21st-century Britain. It is worth…
Read more...
Viral: a generation poised for rapid faith-sharing
10 June 2021I remember the moment my wife and I posted our first baby scan picture to Facebook. We took a deep breath and hit 'post' simultaneously. We joked about who would receive the most likes. There was no contest. She won. Within minutes, hundreds of people had offered their congratulations. This generation is unquestionably the most connected in history. Even a global pandemic forcing a world into lockdown has only hastened advances in video technology and online learning. This is why we should…
Read more...
Welcome to 7 Conversations
10 June 2021I remember reading the Evangelical Alliance’s 2009 resource The Missing Generation with a heavy heart. It found that between 1985 and 2005 the numbers of those in their 20s attending church on a Sunday more than halved. At the time I was part of that age group and grieved for my own generation. The report also found that reaching young adults was a top priority for 96 per cent of church leaders, but only 11 per cent felt well-resourced to do so. In response to this, in recognition of our…
Read more...
Is the ‘missing generation’ still missing? Welcome to the conversation
2 March 2021Today marks the launch of a new resource from the Evangelical Alliance to help us navigate the changing landscape as we emerge from effects of the global pandemic, especially with regard to young adults. Exactly a year and a week ago, I flew to Abu Dhabi to speak to a conference of hundreds of teenagers and young adults. It was an extraordinary time that usually fuels me for days and weeks ahead with the feeling that God is doing something amazing in our world and is raising a generation of…
Read more...
Snowflakes, pressure cookers and Captain Tom
22 February 2021What is happening in us is as important as what is happening to us during this relentless season of pain and loss. We can emerge from the pandemic with greater endurance and less fragility if we recognise and embrace the work it is doing in us. There’s a video on YouTube that has been viewed more than 12 million times in which author Simon Sinek describes the conditions in society that have led to today’s young adults being labelled as entitled, narcissistic, unfocussed and lazy. These…
Read more...
Your connection is unstable: why our friendships need nurturing and treasuring more than ever
1 February 2021During that time there had rarely been a day when it had not adorned my finger and, having lost it, I genuinely felt its absence on an almost hourly basis. I would wring my hands longingly, my eyes scanning every shelf and surface for a glimpse of burnished jewellery. I must have searched under the sofas over 20 times. Just in case it had fallen into the bin, I trawled through the rubbish and searched through week-old chicken carcasses and nappies in vain. There is something that happens within…
Read more...
We go again: why persevering in mission still matters in this season
18 January 2021With the infection rate still high and many families struggling to educate and even feed their children, the feeling across the country at the moment is one of struggle and lament. This week we wade through ‘Blue Monday’, the so-called most depressing day of the year. Christmas cheer is fast disappearing in the rear-view mirror and it feels too early and uncertain to joyfully anticipate the effects of the vaccine. A rallying call to persevere would be natural in a blog like this. Don’t get me…
Read more...
In this together – a call for generational unity
28 September 2020In the last few weeks young people and young adults have been specifically addressed by government and media and warned to behave responsibly. The warnings may be valid and appropriate but all to easily slide into blame and accusation. Jesus’ prayer for His church was that we would be one (John 17:23). When we think of unity, we often think across denominational lines or geographical regions. In recent years we have seen beautiful and timely expressions of unity with Christians coming together…
Read more...
“Be great friends”: a renewed call to deepen friendships amid COVID-19
8 September 2020One of these was highlighted by a BBC article that was published last week. It explained that our new rhythms and patterns “could have some long-term effects on some friendships”. As a result of lockdown, less office working, limited physical gatherings in churches and bans on mass gatherings, it is likely that friendships that previously had been significant to us can deteriorate in a relatively short amount of time. It is an interesting piece, and whilst we may not agree with Professor Robin…
Read more...
Five inescapable tensions of COVID-19
17 July 2020All of us are getting used to new ways of doing things, new habits and new ways of seeing the world. Let’s begin with the superficial changes. Before COVID, I had never elbow-bumped anyone; now, extending my arm joint seems as natural as a handshake. Before COVID, coughs used to be background noise; now, they are enough to send whole rooms reaching for their facemasks in hypervigilant panics. Before COVID, I had participated in one Zoom call; now, I sometimes think about whether I have to…
Read more...
Sharing your faith with your friends during coronavirus
5 May 2020The most significant person in helping someone becoming a Christian is a friend. We all play a part in sharing good news.
Read more...