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In Search of Authentic Faith: How Emerging Generations Are Transforming the Church
Vital lessons from the Postmodern
How emerging generations are transforming the church.
There is no one right way to “do church” for Generations X and Y and for the generations that will follow. But one thing is The traditional baby-boomer church model isn’t cutting it for many young people seeking an authentic expression of Christian faith. Now noted author and journalist Steve Rabey takes a close look at the church in the midst of wrenching social, cultural, and philosophical changes. Drawing from thorough research and extensive interviews with emerging church leaders, he has written a comprehensive guide to what post-boomer leaders are thinking, doing, and trying in order to reach new audiences of largely unchurched but spiritually hungry people.
Rabey examines such vital questions
>How can we overcome the inherent distrust young people have toward institutions such as the church?
>How can worship services provide both an intimate spiritual connection for believers and a winsome spiritual reality for unbelievers?
>How can the church build relationships with postmodernists who have little use for absolute truth?
>How can we understand and reach out to the vast array of distinct subcultures among the emerging generations?
The emerging generations are yearning for something authentic and compelling. Something satisfying and hopeful. In Search of Authentic Faith provides Christians with fresh insight into these intriguing minds and the hearts behind them and how these new leaders will transform ministry in the twenty-first century.
How emerging generations are transforming the church.
There is no one right way to “do church” for Generations X and Y and for the generations that will follow. But one thing is The traditional baby-boomer church model isn’t cutting it for many young people seeking an authentic expression of Christian faith. Now noted author and journalist Steve Rabey takes a close look at the church in the midst of wrenching social, cultural, and philosophical changes. Drawing from thorough research and extensive interviews with emerging church leaders, he has written a comprehensive guide to what post-boomer leaders are thinking, doing, and trying in order to reach new audiences of largely unchurched but spiritually hungry people.
Rabey examines such vital questions
>How can we overcome the inherent distrust young people have toward institutions such as the church?
>How can worship services provide both an intimate spiritual connection for believers and a winsome spiritual reality for unbelievers?
>How can the church build relationships with postmodernists who have little use for absolute truth?
>How can we understand and reach out to the vast array of distinct subcultures among the emerging generations?
The emerging generations are yearning for something authentic and compelling. Something satisfying and hopeful. In Search of Authentic Faith provides Christians with fresh insight into these intriguing minds and the hearts behind them and how these new leaders will transform ministry in the twenty-first century.
- GenresDiscipleship
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 16, 2001
7 people want to read
About the author
Steve Rabey
38 books9 followersSteve Rabey is an award-winning author who has written nearly twenty books for both the ABA and CBA markets as well as more than 2,000 articles about religion, spirituality, and popular culture for magazines, websites, and newspapers. His articles have been published in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, The American Spectator, Christian Retailing, Charisma, and Publishers Weekly, among many others. He speaks on a regular basis to groups such as Christian Management Association, Evangelical Press Association, and Current Thoughts and trends. Rabey serves as a member of the adjunct faculty at Fuller Theological Seminary.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 20, 2025
A ‘GUIDED TOUR OF THE CHANGING FACE OF PROTESTANT CHRISTIANITY’
Author Steve Rabey wrote in the Introduction to this 2001 book, “During the 1990s, hundreds of articles and books examined the many ways in which the Western world’s philosophical moorings and generational makeup were undergoing profound changes. In this book we will examine some of the many new churches and underground ministries that have emerged in response to these cultural changes… The chapters that follow attempt to provide a guided tour of the changing face of Protestant Christianity in America in the dawn of the church’s third millennium.” (Pg. 1-2)
Later, he adds, “Dozens of books have explored the theories of ministry to Generation X, but none has explored the ecclesiastical terrain and provided a portrait of some of the hundreds of emerging churches and ministries that may be our best indication of the shape ... tomorrow’s church will take. Such a survey is the primary goal of this book.” (Pg. 11)
He observes, “until recently, many people still subscribed to the myth of a monoculture, believing that America was---or at least could be---‘one nation under God.’ Now, most people see culture not as one but as many… today’s kaleidoscope of distinct subcultures is one of the most important differences between the relatively stable social world of the twentieth century and the fluid and fluctuating culture to be inhabited by the emerging generations. This profusion of distinct subcultures challenges long-cherished ministry models. Gone are the days when churches could be all things to all people by attempting to appeal to the broadest possible audience.” (Pg. 51)
He wonders, “While we should thank God for the men and women who are doing subcultural ministry with people who have been ignored or marginalized by the mainstream church, their work also raises questions about growing divisions in the body of Christ. What, for example, would the apostle Paul make of it all?... Many of today’s emerging leaders take an approach that focuses on ministry to the generations and subcultures they feel have been largely ignored by the mainstream church. And even though most of these leaders affirm their belief in the unity of the body of Christ, some of their ministries seem destined to widen the divisions in that body, not heal them.” (Pg. 67)
He notes, “Protestants have had an uneasy relationship with the visual arts ever since iconoclastic Protestant reformers destroyed icons and statues in the name of God. In the centuries after the Reformation, the church, which for centuries had been a patron of the arts, grew increasingly distant from them. Some emerging leaders are trying to change that by encouraging young artists, featuring art in their services and buildings, and holding gatherings at art galleries. But in doing so, they’re fighting against centuries of Protestant assumptions about how words are deemed important to God but visual beauty is treated as irrelevant.” (Pg. 106)
He reports, “Author Douglas Coupland wrote eloquently [in 'Generation X'] of the power of stories… If anything has become clear about the emerging generations of Christian leaders in the decade since Coupland wrote… it is that they are returning to the lure and power of stories. Sure, many Christians continue to treat the gospel message as if it were primarily a set of rational propositions about God, or a series of therapeutic techniques, or even a body of ‘evidence that demands a verdict.’ But the emerging pastors and leaders widely disregard such approaches. Stories are flourishing in postmodern preaching, both stories from the Bible and stories from people’s lives. And pro-story preachers cite a number of reasons for adopting this approach, including the fact that stories communicate effectively in a visually oriented, postmodern age that lacks an overarching metanarrative.” (Pg. 110-111)
He points out, “And hypocrisy, which has been a problem in the church for ages could be a fatal failing today. In the past, preachers could get by with various inconsistencies, such as teaching about prayer while living personal lives that were too hectic for silence and solitude, or preaching about relationships while having no solid, intimate relationships of their own… among the many cynical and cautious Xers, such behaviors provide such a powerful anti-apologetic that the seen gospel might overpower the preached one.” (Pg. 125)
He suggests, “if there is one word that summarizes the period churches are going through at the dawn of the millennium, the word ‘transitional’ probably captures it better than any other.” (Pg. 179)
He asks, “Has this shift from a pastoral model to the ecclesiastical CEO model been good for the church? Undoubtedly, better management techniques have helped some churches become more effective in serving God and their communities. But the shift in approaches also has left a legacy of success-driven pastors who frequently burn out and megachurches that are more broad than they are deep. One thing’s for sure: Many emerging leaders are seeking different models as they begin pastoring their flocks.” (Pg. 199)
He concludes, “Caught between the past and the future, many young leaders want to reinvent the church for their own generations. And if they don’t do it in existing buildings, they will do it somewhere else. Either way, these emerging leaders are the architects of the church of the future, and [some] say it’s time to let them start designing it. It’s too early to tell what this future church will look like, but it’s unlikely that the emerging generations will either radically reinvent Christianity---as some of their optimistic boosters believe---or drive it into extinction---as some of their harshest critics fear. Instead, it’s more likely that they will modify Christianity with their unique generational and cultural perspectives, much like believers have been doing throughout the first two thousand years of church history.” (Pg. 210)
Though nearly 25 years old, this book will still be of keen interest to those studying the ‘emerging church.’
Author Steve Rabey wrote in the Introduction to this 2001 book, “During the 1990s, hundreds of articles and books examined the many ways in which the Western world’s philosophical moorings and generational makeup were undergoing profound changes. In this book we will examine some of the many new churches and underground ministries that have emerged in response to these cultural changes… The chapters that follow attempt to provide a guided tour of the changing face of Protestant Christianity in America in the dawn of the church’s third millennium.” (Pg. 1-2)
Later, he adds, “Dozens of books have explored the theories of ministry to Generation X, but none has explored the ecclesiastical terrain and provided a portrait of some of the hundreds of emerging churches and ministries that may be our best indication of the shape ... tomorrow’s church will take. Such a survey is the primary goal of this book.” (Pg. 11)
He observes, “until recently, many people still subscribed to the myth of a monoculture, believing that America was---or at least could be---‘one nation under God.’ Now, most people see culture not as one but as many… today’s kaleidoscope of distinct subcultures is one of the most important differences between the relatively stable social world of the twentieth century and the fluid and fluctuating culture to be inhabited by the emerging generations. This profusion of distinct subcultures challenges long-cherished ministry models. Gone are the days when churches could be all things to all people by attempting to appeal to the broadest possible audience.” (Pg. 51)
He wonders, “While we should thank God for the men and women who are doing subcultural ministry with people who have been ignored or marginalized by the mainstream church, their work also raises questions about growing divisions in the body of Christ. What, for example, would the apostle Paul make of it all?... Many of today’s emerging leaders take an approach that focuses on ministry to the generations and subcultures they feel have been largely ignored by the mainstream church. And even though most of these leaders affirm their belief in the unity of the body of Christ, some of their ministries seem destined to widen the divisions in that body, not heal them.” (Pg. 67)
He notes, “Protestants have had an uneasy relationship with the visual arts ever since iconoclastic Protestant reformers destroyed icons and statues in the name of God. In the centuries after the Reformation, the church, which for centuries had been a patron of the arts, grew increasingly distant from them. Some emerging leaders are trying to change that by encouraging young artists, featuring art in their services and buildings, and holding gatherings at art galleries. But in doing so, they’re fighting against centuries of Protestant assumptions about how words are deemed important to God but visual beauty is treated as irrelevant.” (Pg. 106)
He reports, “Author Douglas Coupland wrote eloquently [in 'Generation X'] of the power of stories… If anything has become clear about the emerging generations of Christian leaders in the decade since Coupland wrote… it is that they are returning to the lure and power of stories. Sure, many Christians continue to treat the gospel message as if it were primarily a set of rational propositions about God, or a series of therapeutic techniques, or even a body of ‘evidence that demands a verdict.’ But the emerging pastors and leaders widely disregard such approaches. Stories are flourishing in postmodern preaching, both stories from the Bible and stories from people’s lives. And pro-story preachers cite a number of reasons for adopting this approach, including the fact that stories communicate effectively in a visually oriented, postmodern age that lacks an overarching metanarrative.” (Pg. 110-111)
He points out, “And hypocrisy, which has been a problem in the church for ages could be a fatal failing today. In the past, preachers could get by with various inconsistencies, such as teaching about prayer while living personal lives that were too hectic for silence and solitude, or preaching about relationships while having no solid, intimate relationships of their own… among the many cynical and cautious Xers, such behaviors provide such a powerful anti-apologetic that the seen gospel might overpower the preached one.” (Pg. 125)
He suggests, “if there is one word that summarizes the period churches are going through at the dawn of the millennium, the word ‘transitional’ probably captures it better than any other.” (Pg. 179)
He asks, “Has this shift from a pastoral model to the ecclesiastical CEO model been good for the church? Undoubtedly, better management techniques have helped some churches become more effective in serving God and their communities. But the shift in approaches also has left a legacy of success-driven pastors who frequently burn out and megachurches that are more broad than they are deep. One thing’s for sure: Many emerging leaders are seeking different models as they begin pastoring their flocks.” (Pg. 199)
He concludes, “Caught between the past and the future, many young leaders want to reinvent the church for their own generations. And if they don’t do it in existing buildings, they will do it somewhere else. Either way, these emerging leaders are the architects of the church of the future, and [some] say it’s time to let them start designing it. It’s too early to tell what this future church will look like, but it’s unlikely that the emerging generations will either radically reinvent Christianity---as some of their optimistic boosters believe---or drive it into extinction---as some of their harshest critics fear. Instead, it’s more likely that they will modify Christianity with their unique generational and cultural perspectives, much like believers have been doing throughout the first two thousand years of church history.” (Pg. 210)
Though nearly 25 years old, this book will still be of keen interest to those studying the ‘emerging church.’
July 25, 2011
Read FEB 2003
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews