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Listening Inside Out: Conversations with Twentysomethings About Faith, Culture, and the Church
Listening Inside Out Conversations with Twentysomethings About Faith Culture and the Church Author:David & Rhonda Kyncl College students today are leaving the church in larger and larger numbers. Studies show that even students who were active in their churches as teenagers are abandoning the church in their college years. And while this decline may be a typical trend for twenty-somethings, members of past generations returned to the church as they grew older and... more » began to raise children; but the postmodern generation isn't following this trend. Even though their interest in faith and spirituality is at an all time high, most churches have failed to engage them in a way that seems relevant or significant. As the world moves into a new era of virtual communication, global awareness, and community-focused relationships, the Church today faces a significant challenge: to reestablish relevancy and connection with a post-Christian generation who claim to love Christ but not the Church. Do the Ears Have Walls? is a unique attempt to give the younger generation a chance to be heard inside the boundaries of the church. It's a compilation of the responses of over 400 college students who came together at a denominational conference in 2007 to share their insights, feelings, frustrations, and impressions on faith, today's culture, and the church. These transcribed discussions cover six main topics including personal growth; lifestyle; the church & society; and compassion & justice. Their comments are disconcerting, uncomfortable, inspiring, and honest; and return again and again to a deep desire for authentic Christian community and the need for mentors who will guide and walk with them on their journeys. Do the Ears Have Walls? encourages the postmodern generation to add their voice to the ongoing discussion of faith and Christian ministry; and supplies pastors, teachers, church leaders, and youth workers with beneficial suggestions and though-provoking insight to use as they continue this dialogue within the walls of their own church communities.« less