Book Review: Lost and Found

Ed Stetzer's newest book is out now: Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them, written with Richie Stanley and Jason Hayes (B&H 2009). I was given a copy for review.

This book comes out of a LifeWay study of young adults starting in 2005 as part of their "Threads" initiative. As part of that research, they contacted young adults and did nearly 800 total surveys (254 ministry leaders, 271 churched, 272 unchurched) and nearly 100 face-to-face interviews. They also surveyed 149 churches that were reaching young adults, and then conducted telephone mterviews with fifty specific churches from the survey group.

Lost and Found is in three parts: The first part looks at the research into who young adults are. The second examines four "markers" of young adult ministry, and the third section outlines nine trends in churches reaching young adults.

In the first part, the research shows challenges and opportunities within the mindset of the newest generation entering adulthood. Among the books examining trends among young adults, Lost and Found takes the extra step of comparing the opinions of young adults with other generations. What the authors found was greater openness among twenty-somethings than among any other adult generation to discussing spiritual topics and accepting invitations to Bible study.

In the second part, the authors examine four "markers" of young adult ministry:

Marker #1: Community. For young adults, life is meant to be experienced together, and they sense a need to be connected.

Marker #2: Depth (and Content). Young adults also have interest in addressing the hard-to-talk-about" topics.

Marker #3: Responsibility, Young adults know their choices make a difference.

Marker #4: Cross-Generational Connection. They want to learn from those who have already experienced the things they are about to face.

From the research in Part One and the review of necessary "markers" for young adult ministry in Part Two, the authors look at nine ways churches are successfully engaging twenty-somethings:

How Churches Are Creating Deeper Community

How Churches Are Making a Difference Through Service

How Churches Are Leading Young Adults to Experience Worship

How Churches Are Delivering Content

How Churches Are Connecting Young Adults

How Churches Are Being Cross Generational

How Churches Are Being Authentic

How Churches Are Leading with Transparency

How Churches Are Leading with Team

In this third section, I was particularly interested in the chapter on cross-generational ministry, since this is a necessary action we've been working on for years at Hillcrest. With our recent decision to combine our contemporary and traditional services into one service it has become even more important to keep cross-generational ministry on the front burner.

The one complaint I would have of the book is that it began with the dullest part: stats and research findings. Only sociologists and researchers could find this an interesting way to begin a book. It would have been better for the book to be "driven" by the actionable items required for churches to engage young adults, using the research findings as support material to reinforce the importance of these points. Readers might want to start with Part Three and then back up and read the research in Part One and the "markers" in Part Two.

Aside from this caveat, church leaders will find Lost and Found helpful as they shape their churches to reach younger adults.