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Future-Focused Church: Leading through Change, Engaging the Next Generation, and Building a More Diverse Tomorrow
In the past few decades, the church has experienced rapid and distressing change. Hard-working pastors and leaders often know they need to embrace diversity, creatively engage younger generations, and equip their people to love their neighbors. But since they don't know how to make the changes needed, they feel stuck and wonder, "What do I do now? What steps can I take to lead our church purposefully and prayerfully into a more hopeful future?"
For these dedicated yet drained church leaders, this research-informed resource from the team at the Fuller Youth Institute offers a clear roadmap to faithfully and effectively navigate change that will revitalize your church. Through extensive research, interviews, and case studies, you will learn how to see the big picture, activate a transformation team, know your "why," discern where God is leading, communicate a compelling vision, maintain disciplined attention, and experiment toward a more fruitful, faithful, and lasting future.
This hope-filled guide for building tomorrow's church today is the resource your church has been waiting for.
For these dedicated yet drained church leaders, this research-informed resource from the team at the Fuller Youth Institute offers a clear roadmap to faithfully and effectively navigate change that will revitalize your church. Through extensive research, interviews, and case studies, you will learn how to see the big picture, activate a transformation team, know your "why," discern where God is leading, communicate a compelling vision, maintain disciplined attention, and experiment toward a more fruitful, faithful, and lasting future.
This hope-filled guide for building tomorrow's church today is the resource your church has been waiting for.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published March 25, 2025
65 people are currently reading
1477 people want to read
About the author
Kara Powell
57 books45 followersDr. Kara Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI), a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Fuller's Chief of Leadership Formation. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women You Should Know,” Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and also speaks regularly at parenting and leadership conferences. Kara is the author or coauthor of a number of books, including 3 Big Questions That Change Every Teenager, Growing Young, Growing With, The Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith Curriculum, Can I Ask That?, Deep Justice Journeys, Deep Justice in a Broken World, Deep Ministry in a Shallow World, and the Good Sex Youth Ministry Curriculum. Kara lives with her husband Dave and their three teenage and young adult children, Nathan, Krista, and Jessica, in Southern California.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 16, 2025
I received an advance reader's copy of this book from Baker Books. I wrote the following review for the Assemblies of God minister's letter, Called to Serve. And I interviewed Kara Powell in Episode 378 of the Influence Podcast, "Leading Your Church Through Change."
—————
American Christianity has reached an inflection point.
“After many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christian shows signs of leveling off,” reports
Pew Research Center in its 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study. That share of the population was 78% in 2007 and 71% in 2014. Now, it is 62%.
By the same token, the share of Americans with no religious affiliation whatsoever — the so-called “Nones” — has plateaued at 29% of the population in 2024, after rising from 16% in 2007 to 23% in 2014.
This pause will not last forever. At some point, it will resume a trajectory, whether up or down.
Which way will American Christianity go? More importantly, which way will your congregation go?
That is the question Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang take up in Future-Focused Church.
They define a future-focused church as “a group of Jesus followers who seek God’s direction together — especially in relationally discipling young people, modeling kingdom diversity, and tangibly loving our neighbors.”
The emphasis on youth, diversity, and compassion is intentional. As a rule, younger Americans tend to be less religious and more diverse than older Americans.
According to Pew, for example, while 75% of Americans born in the 1950s identify as Christian, only 46% born in the 1990s do. An almost equal share of the latter (44%) identifies as Nones.
Reaching distinct groups within the broader population thus requires prioritizing their evangelization and discipleship.
Interestingly, the Assemblies of God is already doing this in terms of ethnicity and race. Approximately 55% of U.S. AG adherents are white, while 45% are Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native American, or other.
Ryan Burge believes this commitment to diversity explains why “the AG has recorded long term growth while most other larger denominations have been going the other direction.”
Indeed, he argues that should this trend continue, the AG will be “the only larger Protestant denomination that is bigger in 2035 than it was in 2020.”
Given these priorities, how can pastors, ministers, and other church leaders effect change in their congregations?
Powell, Mulder, and Chang draw on Scripture, leadership studies, and their work as church consultants to outline four “zones” on the road to change.
The first is who: “Who are the people in our church (or ministry) and wider community whose unique perspectives and gifts must shape this effort?” The authors call this group the “transformation team.”
Many change efforts fail because leaders attempt to impose change from the top down. As the authors remind readers, however, “People support what they help create.”
Here is the second zone: “Where are we now, and why are we here?” Leaders seek to understand the history of their church’s history, mission, and values in order to leverage them for effective change going forward.
The third zone is there: “Where is God leading us?” The goal in this zone is to craft a shared vision of where the church would like to be in the future, and to articulate it in such a way that it inspires action.
How is the final zone: “What is our next faithful step, and how might we move into a more faithful future?”
The authors encourage readers to reflect on the life and ministry of Jesus, whom they describe as “the most effective change leader who ever lived.” They also talk about maintaining disciplined attention, experimenting around the edges, and learning from failure.
The final chapter of the book outlines an 18-month schedule for leading the process of change in your church or ministry.
I recommend Future-Focused Church to pastors, ministers, and other church leaders as an aid to their efforts to lead congregational transformation.
Your church’s future may very well depend on the choices and changes you begin to make today.
—————
American Christianity has reached an inflection point.
“After many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christian shows signs of leveling off,” reports
Pew Research Center in its 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study. That share of the population was 78% in 2007 and 71% in 2014. Now, it is 62%.
By the same token, the share of Americans with no religious affiliation whatsoever — the so-called “Nones” — has plateaued at 29% of the population in 2024, after rising from 16% in 2007 to 23% in 2014.
This pause will not last forever. At some point, it will resume a trajectory, whether up or down.
Which way will American Christianity go? More importantly, which way will your congregation go?
That is the question Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang take up in Future-Focused Church.
They define a future-focused church as “a group of Jesus followers who seek God’s direction together — especially in relationally discipling young people, modeling kingdom diversity, and tangibly loving our neighbors.”
The emphasis on youth, diversity, and compassion is intentional. As a rule, younger Americans tend to be less religious and more diverse than older Americans.
According to Pew, for example, while 75% of Americans born in the 1950s identify as Christian, only 46% born in the 1990s do. An almost equal share of the latter (44%) identifies as Nones.
Reaching distinct groups within the broader population thus requires prioritizing their evangelization and discipleship.
Interestingly, the Assemblies of God is already doing this in terms of ethnicity and race. Approximately 55% of U.S. AG adherents are white, while 45% are Hispanic, Black, Asian, Native American, or other.
Ryan Burge believes this commitment to diversity explains why “the AG has recorded long term growth while most other larger denominations have been going the other direction.”
Indeed, he argues that should this trend continue, the AG will be “the only larger Protestant denomination that is bigger in 2035 than it was in 2020.”
Given these priorities, how can pastors, ministers, and other church leaders effect change in their congregations?
Powell, Mulder, and Chang draw on Scripture, leadership studies, and their work as church consultants to outline four “zones” on the road to change.
The first is who: “Who are the people in our church (or ministry) and wider community whose unique perspectives and gifts must shape this effort?” The authors call this group the “transformation team.”
Many change efforts fail because leaders attempt to impose change from the top down. As the authors remind readers, however, “People support what they help create.”
Here is the second zone: “Where are we now, and why are we here?” Leaders seek to understand the history of their church’s history, mission, and values in order to leverage them for effective change going forward.
The third zone is there: “Where is God leading us?” The goal in this zone is to craft a shared vision of where the church would like to be in the future, and to articulate it in such a way that it inspires action.
How is the final zone: “What is our next faithful step, and how might we move into a more faithful future?”
The authors encourage readers to reflect on the life and ministry of Jesus, whom they describe as “the most effective change leader who ever lived.” They also talk about maintaining disciplined attention, experimenting around the edges, and learning from failure.
The final chapter of the book outlines an 18-month schedule for leading the process of change in your church or ministry.
I recommend Future-Focused Church to pastors, ministers, and other church leaders as an aid to their efforts to lead congregational transformation.
Your church’s future may very well depend on the choices and changes you begin to make today.
Read
December 9, 2025Growing young Pt 2? More about organizational culture change, but w all the same researched pillars as growing young.
July 23, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Great book with tangible action steps. I love that the focus is on young people, diversity and community involvement. That is how we grow the church
This book was super boring though and a slog to get through. It felt like they would say a good point and then beat it into the ground. It was tiring and not very enjoyable, even if the stuff they were saying was good.
Great book with tangible action steps. I love that the focus is on young people, diversity and community involvement. That is how we grow the church
This book was super boring though and a slog to get through. It felt like they would say a good point and then beat it into the ground. It was tiring and not very enjoyable, even if the stuff they were saying was good.
May 6, 2025
Another solid resource for navigating change.
May 9, 2025
"Future-Focused Church," by Kara Powell, Raymond Chang and Jake Mulder, is a helpful and practical guide for congregations seeking to faithfully step into the future God is calling them toward. Grounded deeply in theology and scripture, the book provides a sound foundation that resonates well across religious traditions.
Powell, Chang and Mulder effectively balance theological depth with practical insights, offering numerous best practices that are both actionable and adaptable. Congregational leaders who are nervous about strategic planning or overwhelmed by the thought of engaging in long-range visioning will find this resource especially helpful. Its approach is inviting and affirming, guiding readers through a process that is not only manageable but spiritually enriching.
What particularly stands out is the authors’ ability to connect biblical relevance with contemporary realities. The discussions of generational engagement and adaptive change are particularly helpful for congregations wrestling with relevance in rapidly changing communities. Each chapter includes clear, actionable steps and thought-provoking reflection questions that make it an excellent resource for church councils, visioning teams, and church staff alike.
"Future-Focused Church" offers a compelling blend of theological clarity, scriptural fidelity, and practical wisdom. For congregations ready to thoughtfully explore strategic planning, Powell, Chang and Mulder provide a roadmap that is hopeful, realistic, and deeply encouraging. This book will undoubtedly spark meaningful conversations and will help you as you dream and plan.
Powell, Chang and Mulder effectively balance theological depth with practical insights, offering numerous best practices that are both actionable and adaptable. Congregational leaders who are nervous about strategic planning or overwhelmed by the thought of engaging in long-range visioning will find this resource especially helpful. Its approach is inviting and affirming, guiding readers through a process that is not only manageable but spiritually enriching.
What particularly stands out is the authors’ ability to connect biblical relevance with contemporary realities. The discussions of generational engagement and adaptive change are particularly helpful for congregations wrestling with relevance in rapidly changing communities. Each chapter includes clear, actionable steps and thought-provoking reflection questions that make it an excellent resource for church councils, visioning teams, and church staff alike.
"Future-Focused Church" offers a compelling blend of theological clarity, scriptural fidelity, and practical wisdom. For congregations ready to thoughtfully explore strategic planning, Powell, Chang and Mulder provide a roadmap that is hopeful, realistic, and deeply encouraging. This book will undoubtedly spark meaningful conversations and will help you as you dream and plan.
September 29, 2025
This books started out well with lots of promise identifying their 3 primary checkpoints to being a future focused church. Coming into this book I thought it was going to be about these three checkpoints and specially what they looked like in a church. But as the book went on I quickly realized it was part future church focus, part leadership principles. While it makes sense to combine these together, the book had diminishing returns as it went on, often feeling repetitive and simplistic. If you’ve never read a single thing about leadership, organizational strategy, or change theory, then this could be helpful to you. But bc the book tries to accomplish all these in one short book, it never does more than scratch the surface of any one topic. Readers of Lencioni, Collins, Osborne, or any other leadership principles will find the principles in this book to be introductory and even elementary. I wish this book focused more on giving a biblical and practical case for the 3 Checkpoints and less on the basics of leadership for implementation.
Also to repeat - this book is unnecessarily repetitive (like this comment) and could have been half the length. By the last 150 pages I just wanted it to be done with and got nothing new or of benefit from it.
Also to repeat - this book is unnecessarily repetitive (like this comment) and could have been half the length. By the last 150 pages I just wanted it to be done with and got nothing new or of benefit from it.
January 10, 2026
My 1 star may be unfair, I need to admit. I only read to page 94 and got totally bored and uninterested. Not my kind of book. It's more focused on the mechanics(?) of church leadership and what I can only see as the business side, citing statistics and how to get young people and diversity into the church, which I suppose is good but is not my interest in reading about church growth.
One point I'd like to bring up.
on page 51, we read, ""much of the diversity we see today is the result of people of color actively joining white churches, thereby making them more diverse."
1. If what they say in this book is true, it just goes to shoe that perhaps White people are either the ones who are xenophobic or fail to reach out to all peoples for one reason or another, justified or unjustified.
2. I live in NC and the churches here, as I've seen them, are either not diverse or of very little diversity, at least, to me do not merit the description of being diverse; and that might fall on both sides of the aisle, the White and the people of color side.
One point I'd like to bring up.
on page 51, we read, ""much of the diversity we see today is the result of people of color actively joining white churches, thereby making them more diverse."
1. If what they say in this book is true, it just goes to shoe that perhaps White people are either the ones who are xenophobic or fail to reach out to all peoples for one reason or another, justified or unjustified.
2. I live in NC and the churches here, as I've seen them, are either not diverse or of very little diversity, at least, to me do not merit the description of being diverse; and that might fall on both sides of the aisle, the White and the people of color side.
March 29, 2025
I often tell my congregation that our best days are still ahead, and that's the theme of this book. I love the work and research of Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and this book does not disappoint. It is very practical and visionary. Read the whole book through first, including the suggested outline and process at the end (which wonderfully references back to the appropriate chapters in the book), and then go back through the text to work through the process. Full of stories, Scripture and well done research, this book is a treasure trove for any church or ministry looking to navigate these crazy times.
April 15, 2025
An interesting book that details ways to focus more on youth and diversity at church. I strongly disagree with talking to public schools, as church and state should be separate. Churches also can lose their tax exempt status if they get into politics. Other than that, I was impressed with this book and how they want more youth. Most churches are full of seniors, and churches need to expand or they will vanish.
March 30, 2025
Future-Focused Church offers practical insight and real hope for churches wanting to disciple the next generation well. As someone in youth ministry, I appreciated how it stays grounded in research but still feels down-to-earth and doable. It’s not about flashy programs—it’s about building a culture where young people can grow in faith and belong. Definitely worth reading.
August 27, 2025
A really easy to understand and helpful roadmap to leading change in the church. Important for churches who know they need to try something new to grow and thrive, but are concerned about the conflict or challenge. Great insights, and very helpful practical tips to doing this well!
September 20, 2025
This book is great for learning how to formulate an effective and intentional growth/change project to better include young people, love others, and impact your community!
Lending it to my SP so he can check it out!
“The Best Days of Your Church Are Ahead!”-pg.293
Lending it to my SP so he can check it out!
“The Best Days of Your Church Are Ahead!”-pg.293
April 9, 2025
I learned everything in this book 20 years ago. There is nothing new here.
July 11, 2025
A solid read for anyone looking for support with changes in a church.
I've already lent this book out and have a waiting list to read it.
I've already lent this book out and have a waiting list to read it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews