Building Church Leaders is sharing some information from my newest book, Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and the Churches that Reach Them, pointing the nine traits common to churches who are effectively reaching young adults. I am a contributor to the site, but it turns out I don't contribute as much as I should. So, when they use what I have already written, I say, "Thanks."

Let me encourage you to check them out here: Building Church Leaders

Creating Deeper Community Churches that are effective at attracting and developing young adults place a high value on moving people into a healthy small group system. Young adults are trying to connect and will make a lasting connection wherever they can find belonging.

Making a Difference through Service
Churches that are transforming young adults value leading people to serve through volunteerism. More than being pampered, young adults want to be part of something bigger than themselves and are looking to be part of an organization where they can make a difference through acts of service.

Experiencing Worship
Churches that are engaging young adults are providing worship environments that reflect their culture while also revering and revealing God. More than looking for a good performance, young adults desire to connect with a vertical experience of worship.

Leveraging Technology
Churches that are reaching young adults are willing to communicate in a language of technology familiar to young adults. Young adults sense that these churches are welcoming churches that value and understand them, engaging them where they are.

Building Cross-Generational Relationships
Churches that are linking young adults with older, mature adults are challenging young adults to move on to maturity through friendship, wisdom, and support. Young adults are drawn to churches that believe in them enough to challenge them.

Moving Toward Authenticity
Churches that are engaging young adults are reaching them not only by their excellence but by their honesty. Young adults are looking for and connecting to churches where they see leaders that are authentic, transparent, and on a learning journey.

Leading by Transparency
Churches that are influencing young adults highly value an incarnational approach to ministry and leadership. This incarnational approach doesn't require revealing one's personal sin list so much as it does require that those in leadership must be willing to express a personal sense of humanity and vulnerability.

Leading by Team
Increasingly churches reaching young adults seem to be taking a team approach to ministry. They see ministry not as a solo venture but as a team sport--and the broader participation it creates increases the impact of ministry.

Is your church reaching young adults? If so, are any of these traits proving to me more instrumental than the others in your context?

Many moons ago, I asked your help on picking out a book cover. I'd like to ask your help again.

My next book will be released at the Atlanta Catalyst Conference. I will present the data in one of the main sessions and talk about what it means as we engage emerging generations. Some of the research will be included in each of the packets and then a pre-release copy will only be available at Catalyst. The book will then be available for general release in January.

The book is called Lost and Found: The Younger Unchurched and Churches that Reach Them. We are excited about the book because there are so many saying that emerging generations are increasingly distant from the Christian faith, but often not providing solutions (with some notable exceptions). Our book is not called, Lost, and We Just Wanted to Let You Know. We look at some new research on emerging generations and then look at churches that are reaching them. I am excited about the book and think it will be a great help for those who care about reaching increasingly unchurched future generations.

Well, the publisher wants your feedback. They have two designs that they have sent me.. The first problem with the design is that they lack the name of my co-authors, Richie Stanley and Jason Hayes. However, the publisher has rightly repented for this omission but still wanted your feedback and time is short. They have a concept meeting tomorrow.

So, if you don't mind, take a look at these two versions and give me your feedback. Option 1 is called "yellow" and option 2 is called "white." At the end of the thread, I will jump in with my opinion (and I do have one). However, I hated the design of Comeback Churches, and it ended up winning some sort of graphics award, so I have no talent at this.

So, your help is solicited!

Option 1: "yellow"


Option 2: "white"

I just escaped the blizzard moving into Dayton, OH and landed in Georgia to pick up a dear personal friend.

You see, a terrible thing happened last week and my friend and I were separate for seven long and painful days..

On Tuesday night, I flew the red-eye back from my dinner and panel with Rick Warren, Eric Bryant, and several other California pastors. You will notice that while I am bringing a clear and compelling answer to an important question, Rick Warren is doodling his plan for world domination. Sigh.

Anyway, I flew back on the red-eye overnight flight to present some Cooperative Program research to the SBC Executive Committee. It is not particularly exciting and won't make CNN, but it is very important research for the future of cooperation in my own denomination. I flew all night to present about 10a.m. in the morning.

Needless to say, I slept on the plane. But, I had to do some work before I went to bed so I took our my laptop. When it was time to sleep, I folded up the laptop and stuck it in the seat pocket in front of me. Three hours of airline quality sleep later, I was up and leaving the plane to catch a connecting flight in Atlanta... forgetting the laptop behind. Sigh.

Now, I must confess that I love my laptop... not just like, I LOVE it. When I came to LifeWay, they actually let me choose what laptop I had. (NAMB, like many organizations had a standard laptop with two options, take it or leave it, so picking my own laptop was quite an exciting moment for me...) It is a constant companion and help!

So, as I boarded the next flight and noticed that "my precious" was missing, panic set in. But, due to the crack service of the Delta pilot, they called over to the other plane, found the laptop, and put it in lost and found.

I actually thought about getting off the plane and going back for it, but this was important research for the Executive Committee that's been scheduled for a while.

So, today, just moments ago in the Atlanta airport, we were "re-united and it feels sooo good." One week apart... with my laptop all alone in the Delta lost and found... is just not good.

Blogging will be more consistent, email more rapid, sermons more Biblical, and the sky filled with more sunshine for the rest of this week.

Off to the Georgia Evangelism Conference