The Multigenerational Church Crisis
Why We Don’t Understand Each Other and How to Unite in Mission
About
Every generation has its strengths--and its blind spots.
Discover how we can help each other create a church that endures.
Christians who are now over the age of fifty were raised during an era when 90 percent of Americans identified as Christian. These older believers grew up as part of a majority group that understood the mission of the church was to take control of the culture to halt its evils. At the same time, Christians under fifty have lived their entire lives perceiving themselves as a minority group that needs to make credible their faith to a secular, pluralistic culture.
These distinct experiences and perceptions have a profound impact on the priorities different generations have for church ministry. It's no wonder that younger and older believers don't always see eye to eye! But imagine what could be accomplished in the name of Christ if we could better understand each other and turn that understanding into shared purpose and aligned priorities.
Backed by thorough research, this eminently practical and hopeful book from pastor and scholar Bryan Chapell shows you how to open the lines of communication, appreciate the experiences that shaped each generation in your church, and unite in one mission to impact your community and the world.
Endorsements
"Many have noted the sweeping changes in American culture and the impact of such changes on the church, but few from the angle that Bryan Chapell takes--which is what makes The Multigenerational Church Crisis so helpful. The crisis is real, as generations struggle to relate to one another, and Chapell offers a wealth of statistical information and spiritual encouragement to face the challenges of today. This book will help you and your team to navigate our cultural moment."
Ed Stetzer, dean of Talbot School of Theology
"All across the country you can see a generational crisis in our churches. Older and younger Christians often don't understand each other and their differing priorities and perspectives. In this book Bryan Chapell demonstrates remarkable breadth and depth of understanding of these issues. Even better, he sketches a way forward that will keep the church on mission during our turbulent times."
Collin Hansen, vice president of content for The Gospel Coalition; author of Timothy Keller: His Spiritual and Intellectual Formation
"In The Multigenerational Church Crisis, Bryan Chapell has done two very important things: He has perceptively described the generational differences affecting how the church engages our challenging culture, and he has given us helpful warnings and guidelines for how best to navigate the moment we are facing. If evangelical church leaders would study, discuss, and apply Bryan's insights, the church would be richly blessed and also be a greater blessing."
Sandy Willson, interim president for The Gospel Coalition; pastor emeritus at Second Presbyterian Church, Memphis, Tennessee
"As church leaders, we lament the present decline in church attendance, the continuing secularization of our culture, and the divisions among Christians that have emerged in response to these challenges. You don't have to agree with every point of Chapell's assessment and proposals to find him a helpful guide in identifying the various pressure points that have created a crisis for the evangelical church. In The Multigenerational Church Crisis, he aims to prepare the church to make a way for the gospel that transforms individuals and unites the church to gain a hearing in our day. That is our mission. And that is our only hope."
Juan R. Sanchez, senior pastor at High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, Texas
"Bryan Chapell's The Multigenerational Church Crisis offers timely and crucial insights for churches seeking to bridge the gap between generations. With a clear focus on fostering unity and mission, Chapell helps leaders and congregations understand the challenges of today while offering hope and strategies for nurturing faith across all ages."
Ryan Burge, author of The Nones
"The Multigenerational Church Crisis is a must-read for pastors, church leaders, and anyone seeking to navigate intergenerational challenges within the church. With a clearly hopeful tone, Chapell doesn't frame the generational divide as a problem to be fixed but rather an opportunity to speak Christ's healing, vision, and restoration to a lost and hurting world. It's an invitation not to talk across one another but to build bridges that unite believers of all ages in a shared calling to do the hard work of discipleship in a world that has forgotten God."
Andrea Minichiello Williams, chief executive at Christian Concern and Christian Legal Centre
"In this well-researched and comprehensive doctrinal manifesto, Dr. Bryan Chapell gives the church a road map to reclaiming and stewarding intergenerational faith through biblical principles. His engaging prose coupled with irrefutable evidence compels readers to enter the battlefield for the Lord clothed with knowledge and truth, shod with the gospel of peace, and encouraged by the wisdom of history. This work is pivotal for the future of the church willing to seek God's face."
Dr. Robert Smith Jr., Distinguished Professor of Divinity at Beeson Divinity School, Samford University
"For those who have followed--or been part of--American evangelicalism over the past few decades, The Multigenerational Church Crisis is an ambitious attempt to explain the change that is happening. Chock full of trend lines and statistics, it offers plenty of food for thought for evangelical churchgoers of any generation. Serious about the challenges but also bright with hope, Chapell's work is not only a great read individually but would spark good discussions in book clubs or Sunday school classes."
Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra, senior writer for The Gospel Coalition; coauthor of Gospelbound
"I have long appreciated Dr. Chapell for his theological acumen, pastoral precision, and thorough research and wisdom. In The Multigenerational Church Crisis, he delivers all those things to us again but with an added bonus: extraordinary timeliness. This book comes to God's people at the perfect time as we are indeed facing a multigenerational crisis in the American church. What many in the church have recently felt and experienced along generational lines, Dr. Chapell supports with clear data, statistics, and personal stories that help us embrace the challenge we face . . . but not without hope! True to fashion, he helps us see the great hope that still lies ahead for God's church as we grow in our understanding of one another and unite together around God's mission. This is a must-read for every Christian!"
Jeff Norris, senior pastor at Perimeter Church, Johns Creek, Georgia
"The Multigenerational Church Crisis is Bryan Chapell's pastoral rallying cry to deploy generational bridge builders dedicated to cultivating rich multigenerational discipleship cultures in their churches. Its compelling content urges us to forsake the anxiety and fear surrounding our current cultural challenges and instead to step compassionately and boldly toward the next generation in faith, clinging to God's covenant promises to build his church."
Karen Hodge, coordinator of women's ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA); author of Transformed and Life-Giving Leadership
"'Any church that does not become multigenerational dies.' This simple yet profound statement from Bryan Chapell makes this book worth our full attention. In this age where we are experiencing new challenges to the current generation embracing faith in Christ, Dr. Chapell helps us understand where the challenges are coming from. And, more importantly, he has done us a service in demonstrating how to non-anxiously move forward in hope."
Dr. Irwyn L. Ince Jr., adjunct professor of pastoral theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Washington, DC; coordinator of PCA Mission to North America; author of The Beautiful Community and Hope Ain't a Hustle
The Author
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© Jay Fram Bryan Chapell
Bryan Chapell, PhD, is a pastor and author known for presenting the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. He is president of Unlimited Grace Media, daily broadcasting grace-filled messages in major US cities and streaming coursework for the...
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