Future-Focused Church
Leading through Change, Engaging the Next Generation, and Building a More Diverse Tomorrow
About
In the past few decades, the church has experienced rapid and distressing change. Hard-working pastors and leaders often know they need to embrace diversity, creatively engage younger generations, and equip their people to love their neighbors. But since they don't know how to make the changes needed, they feel stuck and wonder, "What do I do now? What steps can I take to lead our church purposefully and prayerfully into a more hopeful future?"
For these dedicated yet drained church leaders, this research-informed resource from the team at the Fuller Youth Institute offers a clear roadmap to faithfully and effectively navigate change that will revitalize your church. Through extensive research, interviews, and case studies, you will learn how to see the big picture, activate a transformation team, know your "why," discern where God is leading, communicate a compelling vision, maintain disciplined attention, and experiment toward a more fruitful, faithful, and lasting future.
This hope-filled guide for building tomorrow's church today is the resource your church has been waiting for.
Endorsements
"In an era of breathtaking change, Future-Focused Church provides leaders with a compass as well as guardrails for navigating our way forward. Practical insight combined with a hopeful vision for the church make this an essential resource for all of us."
Andy Stanley, North Point Ministries
"I am a firm believer that the best days for the church are ahead of us, not behind us. Future-Focused Church should be required reading for every pastor and leader. It provides the insights and practical tools needed to navigate through current realities and move into the hope-filled future that awaits. We have a generation to reach and a mandate to fulfill. This book shows us how."
Christine Caine, founder of A21 and Propel Women
"The experience and research in this book combine to deliver a compelling resource for a new breed of leaders. It's no secret that future-focused leaders need practical gifting and skills to lead diverse communities. In your hands are the words that will transform you into a most effective generational leader."
Rev. Dr. Charlie Dates, senior pastor, Progressive Baptist Church and Salem Baptist Church
"By drawing from their varied experiences and expertise, the authors of Future-Focused Church have done the extraordinary. This team has given us a map with compelling destinations and clear directions, while simultaneously making room for God's Spirit to take us on detours of his design. Reflections from Scripture are made concrete with real-life stories of churches in process and research from social science. This book will equip your church to get to the future, not with resigned reluctance but joyful anticipation."
Walter Kim, president, National Association of Evangelicals
"If I could summarize the purpose of Future-Focused Church, it's this quote: 'We don't want your church to go the way of Blockbuster.' Using a wealth of data from in-depth interviews, church training cohorts, and decades of hard-won personal experience, Powell, Mulder, and Chang provide a process for church leaders to think concretely about not only where their congregation will be in a decade but also how to take tangible action now to move closer to that goal."
Ryan Burge, author of The Nones and The Great Dechurching
"In a world of constant change and uncertainty, Future-Focused Church is a must-have for church leaders looking to foster a vibrant and thriving church or ministry. Packed with valuable insights and practical strategies, this book provides a step-by-step roadmap for transformational change across all faith traditions, with a particular emphasis on empowering young people. It will inspire you to embrace adaptive thinking and confidently believe that the best days of ministry are yet to come."
Christina Lamas, executive director, National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry
"Against the pull of the past and the temptation to remain in a static present, the story of Jesus and the church is that of pressing forward into the future. In Future-Focused Church, Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang not only remind us of this call and its why but also show us the what and how of being future-focused. They help us navigate the tensions of change, recognize that the "next generation" should be seen as the "now generation," and embrace the diverse tapestry of the church to be reflective of the kingdom we anticipate inhabiting. In doing so, we are encouraged to know that the best days of the church are in front of us."
Bishop Claude Alexander, pastor of The Park Church and author of Becoming the Church
"The future is brighter than we think. Many significant books have been written about the challenges faced by the church today, and we need this insight into our current reality. In this text, Powell, Mulder, and Chang offer a thoughtful analysis but even more so point us toward a potential positive prognosis. This prognosis is not based upon speculation, hyper-negativity, or ideology but upon thorough research and theologically thoughtful response. We need this book for such a time as this."
Soong-Chan Rah, Robert Munger Professor of Evangelism and Church Renewal, Fuller Theological Seminary, and author of The Next Evangelicalism and Prophetic Lament
"Most church renewal guidebooks are very big on vision or are very narrowly prescriptive; neither works very well on the ground. Future-Focused Church is wonderfully grounded in a wide and deep foundation of evidence and experience. It offers sound, comprehensive advice for churches seeking to thrive in their ministry and mission, packaged for easy adaptation in a wide variety of contexts. In our Latino/a churches, which are typically already vital and growing, Future-Focused Church could be so helpful in understanding and navigating intergenerational tensions (one of the greatest challenges we face at this historic moment). I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to ensure that their congregation becomes increasingly relevant as we move into the future."
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra, academic dean, Centro Latino, and associate professor of mission and global transformation, Fuller Theological Seminary
"Powell, Mulder, and Chang collaborate in Future-Focused Church to translate years of wisdom, research, and experience into a guide for any congregation that wants to discern God's leading and discover new life. Faith and wisdom are threaded through this clear, accessible approach to church leadership that will help any congregation chart a path forward."
Rev. Louise Johnson, executive for vision, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Authors
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Kara Powell
Kara Powell, PhD, is the chief of leadership formation at Fuller Theological Seminary, the executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute, and the founder of the TENx10 Collaboration. Named by Christianity Today as one of "50 Women to...
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Destiny Bowman Jake Mulder
Jake Mulder, PhD, is the assistant chief of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary, executive director for the non-degreed online Christian leader training platform FULLER Equip, and senior adviser for the Fuller Youth Institute and TENx10 Collaboration. He...
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Destiny Bowman Raymond Chang
Raymond Chang is the executive director of the TENx10 Collaboration (part of Fuller Seminary), which is a collaborative movement that is geared toward reaching ten million young people over ten years with the gospel. He is also the president of the Asian...
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