Today marks the launch of 7 Conversations, which is the culmination of more than two years of research and hundreds of consultations. Our prayer is that this resource helps the church to thrive among all generations and results in significant numbers of young adults coming to faith in Jesus. Head of mission to young adults, Phil Knox, unpacks what we can expect.
I 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 commitment to serve the church and make Jesus known, the Evangelical Alliance has intensified its efforts in this area. My appointment in September 2018 has been a part of that journey, and I have spent the last two and a half years listening to God, to leaders in churches and to young adults themselves. As I have done so, several themes have emerged repeatedly; and these form the basis for Seven Conversations.
7 Conversations has been designed to facilitate and focus a discussion for leaders in local settings about how to reach, disciple and engage young adults. We hope that thousands of churches across the UK use it to increase their fruitfulness in this vital area of ministry. It’s been tried and tested in different contexts and denominations and can help all sizes and styles of church family.
7 Conversations does three things:
1. Gives a broad overview of the dramatic cultural changes that have impacted this generation and the implications for evangelism and discipleship in church life.
2. Provides the defining questions to help you consider what might enable you to be more effective in this area of ministry and invites you to discuss these as a leadership team.
3. Tells stories and gives examples through case studies of ideas and innovations that we hope inspire you to think about your own context and practices.
The setting for the resource is a house. Each conversation is mapped onto a room. Our invitation to you is to spend some time as a church in our home, watching the videos, reading the blogs and digesting the 36-page booklet. As we emerge slowly from the pandemic, it seems like an appropriate time to ask the deeper questions of why and how we do what we do and think about the future of evangelism and church life.
So, allow me to open our proverbial front door and warmly usher you in. Thank you for stopping by. My prayer for you as I greet you on the doorstep is that you are deeply encouraged by the opportunities we will talk about and that our conversation results in a stronger intergenerational church and many young adults encountering Jesus. Welcome home.
This blog is part of 7 Conversations, a suite of interactive, integrated resources for leaders in local settings seeking to understand young adults and bring them into a rock-solid relationship with Jesus.
