Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

Why do so many young adults (18 to 22) leave the church, and what will it take to bring them back? This important question is examined and duly answered in Essential Church?, a follow-up to Thom S. Rainer’s best-selling Simple Church cowritten this time with his son, research expert Sam Rainer.

The book is based on a study of one-thousand so-called "church dropouts" who were interviewed about why they left. Their answers are quite surprising, having less to do with "losing their religion" and more about the desire for a community that isn’t made stale by simply maintaining the status quo.

In turn, the Rainers offer churches four concrete solutions toward making their worship community an essential part these young people’s lives again:

 Simplify - develop a clear structure and process for making disciples.

Deepen - provide strong biblical teaching and preaching.

Expect - let members know the need for commitment to the congregation.

Multiply - emphasize evangelism, outward focus, and starting new churches.

1112711385
Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

Why do so many young adults (18 to 22) leave the church, and what will it take to bring them back? This important question is examined and duly answered in Essential Church?, a follow-up to Thom S. Rainer’s best-selling Simple Church cowritten this time with his son, research expert Sam Rainer.

The book is based on a study of one-thousand so-called "church dropouts" who were interviewed about why they left. Their answers are quite surprising, having less to do with "losing their religion" and more about the desire for a community that isn’t made stale by simply maintaining the status quo.

In turn, the Rainers offer churches four concrete solutions toward making their worship community an essential part these young people’s lives again:

 Simplify - develop a clear structure and process for making disciples.

Deepen - provide strong biblical teaching and preaching.

Expect - let members know the need for commitment to the congregation.

Multiply - emphasize evangelism, outward focus, and starting new churches.

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Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

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Overview

Why do so many young adults (18 to 22) leave the church, and what will it take to bring them back? This important question is examined and duly answered in Essential Church?, a follow-up to Thom S. Rainer’s best-selling Simple Church cowritten this time with his son, research expert Sam Rainer.

The book is based on a study of one-thousand so-called "church dropouts" who were interviewed about why they left. Their answers are quite surprising, having less to do with "losing their religion" and more about the desire for a community that isn’t made stale by simply maintaining the status quo.

In turn, the Rainers offer churches four concrete solutions toward making their worship community an essential part these young people’s lives again:

 Simplify - develop a clear structure and process for making disciples.

Deepen - provide strong biblical teaching and preaching.

Expect - let members know the need for commitment to the congregation.

Multiply - emphasize evangelism, outward focus, and starting new churches.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780805449372
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group
Publication date: 10/01/2010
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 200
File size: 3 MB
Age Range: 3 Months to 18 Years

About the Author

Sam S. Rainer III serves the church as a senior pastor. He is a frequent speaker on church health issues. He also serves as the president and CEO of Rainer Research, coauthored Essential Church? Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts, and writes a column for Outreach magazine. He is married to Erin.

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments     ix
Introducing the Essential Church     1
Why People Leave the Nonessential Church
My Faith Is Not My Parents' Faith     25
Looking for a Different Kind of Community     45
That's Life! It Changes     69
A New Spin on Hypocrisy     91
All Eyes on the Main Man     111
How Essential Churches Close the Back Door
The Essential Church and the Back Door     137
Simplify: Getting the Structure Right     159
Deepen: Getting the Content Right     181
Expect: Getting the Attitude Right     201
Multiply: Getting the Action Right     221
Conclusion: Building an Essential Church: A Case Study     241
About the Authors     255
Notes     257
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