Growing Young Six Essential Strategies to help Young People Discover and Love Your Church

Abstract

As you’ll discover in the following pages, remarkable churches never rely on a sole leader to energize their community to grow young. There is always a team. Always. We believe the same is true of the best research. In this nationwide study of churches growing young, we’ve linked arms with an unbelievable cadre of over 60 researchers, leaders, and supporters who believe it’s time to change the way the world views young people. The core of our lineup is the staff at the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI). Steve Argue, Irene Cho, Macy Phenix Davis, Meghan Easley, Johanna Greenway, Tyler Greenway, Jennifer Guerra Aldana, Quinn Harkless, Brian Nelson, Daisy Rosales, and Matthew Schuler, you are the secret sauce of our work and this book. Every step of the FYI journey is better (and often faster) thanks to our advisory council: Mary Andringa, Jim Bergman, Judy Bergman, April Diaz, Tim Galleher, Cindy Go, Wally Hawley, Megan Hutchinson, Ken Knipp, Janet Labberton, Mark Maines, Jeff Mattesich, Christa Peitzman, Linda Prinn, Judi Shupper, Albert Tate, Jeremy Taylor, and Jeff Wright. Our four years of research were made possible by the vision of four foundations who imagine a better future for the church and are giving sacrificially to make that vision a reality. We are forever grateful to the Hanson Family Charitable Foundation, Lilly Endowment Inc., the Tyndale House Foundation, and the Vermeer Charitable Foundation for their financial investment. More importantly, so is every teenager and emerging adult who will be shaped by congregations that gain the help they need to grow young.