Growing Young - by Kara Powell & Jake Mulder & Brad Griffin

About the Book

The team that brought you Sticky Faith reveals a landmark study to provide a customizable roadmap of six essential strategies of churches that engage and retain teenagers and young adults, thus invigorating the entire church.

Book Synopsis

All churches grow old. Strategic churches grow young.

Churches are losing both members and vitality as increasing numbers of young people disengage. Based on groundbreaking research with over 250 of the nation's leading congregations, Growing Young provides a strategy any church can use to involve and retain teenagers and young adults.

This strategy includes six core commitments for growing young:

● Unlock keychain leadership
● Empathize with today's young people
● Take Jesus' message seriously
● Fuel a warm community
● Prioritize young people (and families) everywhere
● Be the best neighbors

Growing Young also profiles innovative churches that are engaging 15- to 29-year-olds and as a result are growing--spiritually, emotionally, missionally, and numerically.

Packed with both research and practical ideas, this book shows pastors and ministry leaders how to position their churches to engage younger generations in a way that breathes vitality, life, and energy into the whole church.

From the Back Cover

All churches grow old. Strategic churches grow young.

"Growing Young carries an urgent message. Young people need the body of Christ--and vice versa. This book is theologically informed, research savvy, and pragmatically outstanding. Read it now, before you get any older."--John Ortberg, senior pastor of Menlo Church, author of All the Places to Go

"What's irresistible about Growing Young is that it's not primarily about age--it's about hope. Through story after compelling story, the authors demonstrate how prioritizing the young is a church-changing strategy."--Kenda Creasy Dean, Princeton Seminary, author of Almost Christian

"If you're a leader who cares about helping all generations in your church grow and thrive, this book should be on the top of your list."--Mark Batterson, New York Times bestselling author of The Circle Maker, lead pastor of National Community Church

"My strongest recommendation for those committed to reaching the next generation of believers is to purchase, read, engage, and apply this book."--Soong-Chan Rah, North Park Theological Seminary, author of Prophetic Lament

"Parents, families, and churches often struggle with how to get and keep children and young people interested and invested in Christian faith and church life. . . . Growing Young provides practical answers to this question based on serious empirical research. I know of no book quite like it."--Christian Smith, University of Notre Dame, National Study of Youth and Religion, author of Soul Searching and Lost in Transition

"You can't afford not to read this book."--Margaret Feinberg, author of Fight Back with Joy and Live Loved

About the Author

Kara Powell is the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary. Named by Christianity Today as one of "50 Women to Watch," Kara is the author or coauthor of several books, including Sticky Faith, and a regular speaker at national leadership and youth ministry conferences across the country.

Jake Mulder is the director of strategic initiatives at the Fuller Youth Institute. He has worked in a variety of ministry and professional roles, including as a youth pastor in the Reformed Church of America, ministry director with Youth for Christ, and missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) in Europe and Asia.

Brad Griffin is director of the Fuller Youth Institute. A speaker, blogger, and youth pastor, Brad is the coauthor of several Sticky Faith resources as well as Can I Ask That? 8 Hard Questions about God and Faith. He speaks nationally at churches, denominational training events, and youth ministry conferences.