First Third Conversations

Here's the next awesome feature in our series of MA thesis posts. This one, by Aaron Fuller asks the question if the problem with twenty-somethings and the church has to do with the structure of leadership.  And yes, that really IS Aaron in the picture. 

How do we get young adults to come to church?   That’s the question that drives most churches these days.  However, they understand that to mean, “what types of ministry will draw them in?”  Those are not …

By Neil Christianson

David Kinnaman, author of the book unChristian , tells us that we are operating out of an old model that isn’t effective for young adults today. In his new book You Lost Me , he says that close to 60% of young people who went to church in high school drop out after high school. Why? Barna Research gives us six reasons. You can check out the details online HERE , but the six reasons are:

1. The church is overprotective. They have an isolation mentality “us verses …

In light of Nancy's blog post Looking for the "Nones" and the recent Pew study that showed one in five adults have no religious affiliation, you might be wondering why people are leaving the church. 

A five-year project headed by Barna Group president David Kinnaman explores the opportunities and challenges of faith development among teens and young adults within a rapidly shifting culture. 

Overall, the research uncovered six significant themes why nearly three out of every five young …

"Everyone has a calling. Discovering it is what life is about and that calling does not come from God's voice thundering from above; but it more often comes from whispers deep within you, from the very essence of your being. God expects nothing more from you than to live that life for which you were created!" — ( Living Your Strengths )

A strengths-based journey focuses on fulfilling the calling for which you are uniquely equipped. In turn, that contributes to the fulfillment of God's …

In September 2010, Luther Seminary's Center for First Third Ministry, hosted a First Third Dialogue on the topic of Children of Divorce.

This conference was for those on the front-lines of ministry with children and youth who know the realities of divorce. Participants shared their own powerful experiences of divorce and heard from experts in the field about the impact of divorce on youth and young adults particularly in regards to sociology and faith.

The goal was to provide space to share stories …