CONNECTED OR DISCONNECTED? DISCERN THE MYTHS OF THE DIGITAL AGE. The Hyperlinked Life is for anyone who would struggle to go a day without internet access. Information overload. You live it everyday. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram ... You're more informed and connected than ever. Yet if you're honest, you're probably feeling more distracted than ever. More lonely. More restless. It is possible to live with wisdom in this hyperlinked life---and in these pages, you'll learn how. They Hyperlinked Life is part of the FRAMES series - short yet meaningful reads on the top issues facing us in today's complex culture. A new kind of book brought to you by Barna Group, to help you read less, and know more. To sign up for updates about FRAMES, see videos, and learn more about these products, visit www.BarnaFrames.com.

Self-initiation is killing our young men. Without strong mentors, boys are walking alone into a wilderness of conflicting messages about who they should be as men. It's no wonder that our sons are confused about what the world expects from them and what they should expect of themselves. The Intentional Father is the antidote. This concise book is filled with practical steps to help men raise sons of consequence--young men who know what they believe, know who they are, and will stand up against the negative cultural trends of our day. Jon Tyson lays out a clear path for fathers and sons that includes specific activities, rites of passage, and significant "marking moments" that can be customized to fit any family. It's not enough to hope our sons will become good men. We need them to be good at being men. This book shows how fathers, grandfathers, and other male mentors can lead the way.

What should I do with my life? Whether you're just starting out on your journey or you've found yourself at a crossroads and feel the need to change direction, each of us wants to know what our purpose is on this earth. We want our work and our lives to have meaning and impact far beyond our immediate context. But how do you know what you were meant to do? And once you know . . . then what?

Based solidly in the most up-to-date Barna research, You on Purpose offers you a clear and simple 4-step process for discovering and carrying out your calling with confidence:

Define: set your intention for what you want to achieve

Discover: dig deep into who and where you are

Decide: narrow your choices and zero in on your calling

Do: start acting on your calling, one step at a time

Each chapter dismantles a common myth about calling, replacing it with truth born from solid, current research. If you long to discover your unique place in the world, this book will help you catch that vision and make a plan to pursue it.

What makes people lonely? And how can Christian communities better minister to the lonely? In The Loneliness Epidemic, behavioral scientist and researcher Susan Mettes explores those questions and more. Guided by current research from Barna Group, Mettes illustrates the profound physical, emotional, and social toll of loneliness in the United States. Surprisingly, her research shows that it is not the oldest Americans but the youngest adults who are loneliest and that social media can actually play a positive role in alleviating loneliness. Mettes highlights the role that belonging, friendship, closeness, and expectations play in preventing it. She also offers meaningful ways the church can minister to lonely people, going far beyond simplistic solutions--like helping them meet new people--to addressing their inner lives and the God who understands them. With practical and highly applicable tips, this book is an invaluable tool for anyone--ministry leaders, parents, friends--trying to help someone who feels alone. Readers will emerge better able to deal with their own loneliness and to help alleviate the loneliness of others. Foreword by Barna Group president David Kinnaman.

Are you tired of hearing people dismiss the church as an irrelevant relic? (Do you secretly wonder if they are right?) Don Everts explores an exciting reality that is revealed in Scripture, shown throughout history, and confirmed in the latest research: when Christians pursue the common good of the neighborhood, the world stands up and notices. It turns out this is exactly what we're called to do. When Christians make good things, we bring blessings and hope to our local community. With original research from the Barna Group and Lutheran Hour Ministries on how Christians relate to our neighborhoods, this book is filled with constructive, practical ways that Christians and churches bless those around us. As Christians join together for the common good, we bring hope to the world, credibility to the church, and glory to God.

How can pastors become resilient in a rapidly changing world? Is it possible to love well and lead faithfully? In the wake of crises that have exposed and accelerated massive cultural shifts, we see more clearly the seismic shifts of post-Christendom, the surging storms of a new paganism and pluralism, and the scattered debris of the cultural aftermath. Drawing on new research from the Barna Group, Scripture, and church history, pastor, theologian, and researcher Glenn Packiam addresses some of the most pressing questions for today's leaders, including - What is a pastor's calling and vocation? - How do church leaders regain credibility in a disillusioned world? - How do church leaders cultivate a deeper life with God? - How do pastors develop meaningful relationships? - Why does the church gather in worship? Does it still matter if we do? - How do we actually make disciples in this new landscape? - How can we face the challenges to unity presented by nationalism and racism? - What is the church's mission in the world? - How do we welcome the presence and power of God in our churches? This book is for all who are burdened by the challenges facing the church as well as the turbulence of our times. With infographics, enlightening data, and insights from other ministry leaders, this book is the perfect resource for church leaders who want to cultivate resilience in their ministry today.

There's more to college than classes, credits, and a nonstop social life. It's more than getting a degree to improve one's job prospects. College is a time where students develop into the adults they will be for the rest of their lives, a time to explore the big questions about life and human destiny, a time when they form their character and faith. The perfect gift for high school graduation, Make College Count helps students make the most of their time in college. It encourages young people to ask important questions of themselves, such as Why are you going to college? What kind of person do you want to be? How do you want your life to influence others? With whom will you surround yourself? What do you believe? and more

Christianity has an image problem. Christians are supposed to represent Christ to the world. But according to the latest report card, something has gone terribly wrong. Using descriptions like "hypocritical," "insensitive," and "judgmental," young Americans share an impression of Christians that's nothing short of . . . "unChristian."
Groundbreaking research into the perceptions of people aged 16-29 reveals that Christians have taken several giant steps backward in one of their most important assignments. The surprising details of the study, commissioned by the Fermi Project and conducted by The Barna Group, are presented with uncompromising honesty in "unChristian." Find out why these negative perceptions exist, learn how to reverse them in a Christlike manner, and discover practical examples of how Christians can positively contribute to culture.
Now available in trade paper.

Christians need a compelling way to share their faith that combines the timeless practices of Jesus with timely perspectives about our post-everything era. In a post-Christian, post-modern, post-truth society where Jesus followers aren't often well regarded, modern evangelism methods and efforts are eroding and increasingly ineffective. Christians often talk more than we listen, confront when we should converse, and demand that people believe before they belong. Author and Executive Director of Alpha US Craig Springer believes that reaching non-Christians is possible, but only if we are willing to shift our perspectives, abandon ineffective methodologies, and consider the unique cultural moment in which we live. In How to Revive Evangelism, he shares the often-overlooked evangelistic approaches of Jesus himself and demonstrates how returning to these fundamentals are the key to reviving evangelism in the 21st century. Incorporating groundbreaking and often startling data, Springer offers Christians seven shifts in how to share their faith--with friends and family members, neighbors and coworkers--that create greater potential for life change and interest in Jesus.

Many Christians today feel overwhelmed as they try to live faithfully in a culture that seems increasingly hostile to their beliefs. Politics, marriage, sexuality, religious freedom--with an ever-growing list of contentious issues, believers find it harder than ever to hold on to their convictions while treating their friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family members who disagree with respect and compassion. This isn't just a problem that affects individual Christians; if left unaddressed, the growing gap between the faithful and society's tolerance for public faith will have lasting consequences for the church in America. Now the bestselling authors of unChristian turn their data-driven insights toward the thorny question of how Christians talk with people they know and love about the most toxic issues of our day. They help today's disciples understand what they believe and why, and how to keep believing it without being judgmental and defensive. Readers will discover the most significant trends that offer both obstacles and opportunities to God's people, and how not only to challenge culture but to create and renew it for the common good. Perhaps most importantly, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons invite fellow Christians to understand the heart behind opposing views and show them how to be loving, life-giving friends despite profound differences. This will be the go-to book for young adult and older believers who don't want to hide from culture but to engage and restore it.

Is the Church Losing the Next Generation? More than half of all Christian teens and twentysomethings leave active involvement in church. Based on research conducted by the Barna Group, You Lost Me exposes ways the Christian community has failed to equip young adults to live "in but not of" the world--to follow Christ in the midst of profound cultural change. This wide-ranging study debunks persistent myths about young dropouts and examines the likely consequences for young adults and for the church if we maintain the status quo. The faith journeys of the next generation are a challenge to the established church, but they can also be a source of hope for the community of faith. Kinnaman, with the help of contributors from across the Christian spectrum, offers ideas for pastors, youth leaders, parents, and educators to pass on a vibrant, lasting faith, and ideas for young adults to find themselves in wholehearted pursuit of Christ.

Close to 60 percent of young Christians who went to church as teens drop out after high school. In "You Lost Me," the bestselling coauthor of "unChristian" trained his researcher's eye on Christians aged 16-29, exposing why they leave the church and rethink their faith. Now small groups can study this groundbreaking book with a new DVD and discussion guide.
This DVD and discussion guide will inform, equip, and empower groups and churches to understand the unique challenges that are affecting younger Christians. It's not eough for us to know that they are dropping out and rethinking their faith; this video study and discussion guide provides key insights and practical ways that we can actively enage this generation with thoughtful conversation.

Many teenagers leave home for college but don't take their faith with them. Popular writer and speaker Sean McDowell offers a solution for this problem: a new way of approaching faith that addresses the questions the emerging generation is asking and that incorporates a radically humble and relational approach.

An impressive list of contributors including Dan Kimball ("They Like Jesus but Not the Church"), Brian Godawa ("Hollywood Worldviews"), and Josh McDowell show that today's apologetics must employ... a clear connection with everyday life an invitation for people to express their doubts and wrestle with tough questions a culturally savvy understanding of the way secular people view Christians an engaging methodology that captures the imagination before engaging the mind a strong emphasis on the resurrection and how it changes everything

This resource is imperative for leaders who are ready to engage a new generation with the claims of Christ.

Discover What's Working and Find Hope Negative perceptions. Church dropouts. Prodigals and nomads. It's easy to get discouraged by all that's going wrong when it comes to Christianity and the emerging generation. Yet what's going right? In fact, signs of hope are springing up all around. In Faith for Exiles, the author of unChristian and You Lost Me unveils major new Barna research that uncovers what's working--five practices that contribute to resilience. Enter the world of resilient young adult Christians and learn how they are sustaining faith. Finally, you can find hope in all that God is doing among young disciples today. Caught Between Cultures In a world where always-connected smart devices and search algorithms educate and entertain, digital Babylon is the new context for discipleship. Faith for Exiles reveals findings from a groundbreaking three-year research study of young Christians whose faith remains resilient even in exile. Barna president David Kinnaman teams up with former executive director of Youth Specialties Mark Matlock to help you: * Make sense of chaotic cultural changes and respond with compassion to the next generation of believers * Recognize the biblical concept of exile as an essential framework for following Christ today * Discover five research-based practices that cultivate faithfulness in digital Babylon * Prepare young Christians to be on mission with Jesus in the world * Empower Jesus followers of all ages to thrive in our current exile

Cerca del 60 por ciento de los jovenes que asistieron a la iglesia cuando eran adolescentes la dejaron despues de la secundaria. Ahora el autor del exitoso libro: Casi Cristiano, concentra sus ojos en una investigacion que apunta directamente a estos jovenes creyentes. En este magistral libro David Kinnaman muestra con total agudeza por que los jovenes Cristianos entre 16 y 29 anos estan dejando la iglesia y como estan repensando su fe. Basado en una nueva y certera investigacion, Me perdieron, muestra como pastores, lideres de la iglesia y padres hemos fallado al equipar a los jovenes para vivir en y no fuera del mundo y como esto tiene serias consecuencias en el largo plazo. En este libro, Kinnaman, ofrece ideas practicas de como ayudar a los jovenes a desarrollar y mantener una fe vibrante que puedan abrazar por el resto de sus vidas. Y lo mas importante, al leer cuidadosamente estas paginas seras animado a mirar el futuro con esperanza y continuar la emocionante mision de comunicar las buenas noticias de Jesus."