Not a Hopeless Case: 6 Vital Questions from Young Adults for a Church in Crisis

by Halee Gray Scott

Is America the next missionary graveyard? Or is it ripe for spiritual revolution? The statistics seem grim. Every year, the decline of Christianity continues at a rapid pace, especially among young adults. Churches across the country are closing their doors, dying, or are being "adopted" by nearby larger churches. What is the story church leaders hear? We've lost the next generation. But this decline in religious affiliation has not made us less spiritual. Young adults are still asking questions that only faith (or religion) can fully answer. Questions are like seeds buried in the rich, dark soil of our hearts. Nurtured with oxygen and water, they unfold into that which they were meant to become. Absent these conditions, they wither in the dark. Those most resistant to Christianity are those whose questions did not receive oxygen in their faith communities while they were children and teenagers. Not a Hopeless Case is the story of questions, the questions of young adults about faith and spirituality--young adults who are lost and want to be found--and the questions of pastors who seek to find them.

240 pages, Paperback

Published April 25, 2023

Reviews

[Matthew Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Church leaders read this book

As a former young adult wrangler, I feel that this book is what the church world needs. This book is a great first step for those in church leadership that are looking to make an impact with young adults.

While it is a great book, it does not have all the answers, church leaders need to do the work. There is not a silver bullet that will fix the problem. There is not a field of dreams that if you build it they will come. Like any group of people that have a choice, you have to invest in them and show you care. Build relationships and meaning.

Buy this book and open a discussion about what it would look like, but don’t get discouraged when things don’t happen over night.

[Michael Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting project (Kaleo Project), so it was really cool to hear about the results there. In terms of who this book is for, I think it might be most helpful for older generations of church leaders who may not think younger generations care about faith or being a part of the church.

[Megan Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Halee basically reiterated much of my dissertation findings from 2013. It's written like a GenX writing about millennials and Gen Z. However, it is well researched and written.