Young adults are leaving the church in masses. This departure crosses all denominational lines.  According to George Barna’s research, young adults are leaving the church in greater number than ever before. The Church of the Nazarene is experiencing this and has conducted many conversations and much research to determine how to minister more effectively to young adults.

One step in the process was to invite 400 twentysomethings to attend M7, the missional conference held in Kansas City in February 2007. As part of the event, these college students and other young adults participated in discussions over lunch. Specific questions were asked and responses were recorded.  David and Rhonda Kyncl along with Jeff Edmondson used these insights to write Listening Inside Out. Continuing Lay Training (CLT) selected this book as the denominational study book for 2009. CLT prepared a study guide to assist local churches and small groups as they studied Listening Inside Out.

Ideally the groups that read and discuss Listening Inside Out will be intergenerational. As the groups read the book and hear young adults talking, they can also listen to the young adults in their congregation. As will a good conversation, the discussion will flow back and forth among all the group members, providing opportunities to hear what others are thinking, too.

Listening Inside Out is uniquely organized. Each chapter begins with interviews with at least one twentysomething. This is followed by a summary of the responses from the roundtable discussions during M7. At the end of each chapter is a testimonial written by an individual experiencing that specific topic in his or her daily life. The concluding portion of each chapter is “Food for Thought” designed to spark the readers to consider the chapter within the context of their ministry.  The CLT study guide can be found at http://clt.nazarene.org/.

As you read Listening Inside Out, please let us know how the book and/or discussions have influenced you and your ministry. Send your thoughts to Young Adult Ministries at breckenridge08@nazarene.org. We look forward to partnering with you as we develop ministry strategies for young adults.