Faithful Futures: Sacred Tools for Engaging Younger Generations

by Josh Packard

In a world where young people are increasingly disconnected from traditional religious institutions and influenced by social media, Faithful Futures offers church leaders a practical, research-based tools to engage Gen Z and Gen Alpha in meaningful conversations about faith. This book provides actionable strategies that build trust and foster belonging in today's rapidly changing cultural landscape.

Traditional approaches to youth ministry are often outdated and ineffective for younger generations, says Josh Packard. Instead, he advocates an approach that emphasizes relational authority, cultivates belonging, and understands faith as an ongoing conversation. Drawing on fresh data, innovative practices, and more than twenty years of experience as a sociologist, Packard offers a comprehensive guide for religious leaders to understand and engage younger generations authentically.

Informed yet accessible, this book translates complex concepts into practical strategies, addressing the unique cultural and digital landscapes of today's youth and offering new ways to resonate with their realities. It features exercises, tools, charts, tables, and end-of-chapter discussion questions.

208 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2025

Reviews

[David McQueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book far exceeded my expectations. This may be one of the most practical, insightful, and relevant books for working with young people in the church right now. Packard dives deep into our misconceptions about Gen Z and Alpha (which even I found myself grappling with as an older member of Gen Z) and how interacting with young people as a church must change from viewing them as “empty vessels” needing to be filled up with correct doctrine to viewing them as people trying to make sense of the world on a continual journey of growth during which they need intentional care and relationships with loving, interested adults.

[Su Thor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book - and learning new ideas about how to engage with young people. I found some of the ideas helpful and I will certainly be trying them out in my churches next year. Thank you for sharing these ideas, I appreciate your thoughts. Fundamentally, there are two problems engaging with the next generations in our churches - how to engage with them and how to keep them coming. Fundamentally, how do you capture the imagination of a generation with their eyes in you tube or tick tock when we don't even understand or use these medias. Home truth - their interests might lie there rather than seeking to discuss the meaning of life, but it doesn't mean that questions like what is life all about, its purpose and its future aren't of interest or aren't questions which are being asked by the young generations. I found the challenge laid by the author to us - how do we see ourselves and how do we see Generation Z and Alpha relevant ones. Although the statistics given are American, I don't think there are very different from what is going on here in the UK. Three words kept hitting me - TRUST; PARTICIPATION and COMMUNITY.
This book doesn't offer quick fix answers but it does cause us to think - I hope that that thinking will be the beginning of our journey towards a future engagement.
Thank you Josh, thank you netgalley for the advance copy and to Baker Publishing Group for publishing. These are my views given freely.

[Hannah Scar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and specifically the focus on situational ministry/Sacred Listening. It is always hard to speak in generalizations, but Josh does a good job on providing the framework for general understanding that leads to specific understanding. As a Gen Zer myself, the only thing I would challenge is the engagement with technology. I think young people want to be understood holistically (including their online side), yet we are experiencing a disdain for technology/social media at the same time (especially as we age). Could there be a future where people engage in online life, but also provide physical manifestations of the community that we crave online (but aren't even really receiving)? Can we be shown how to break the online addiction through Sacred Listening tools? I think we are all craving something more real...I hear "analog" is "trending" in 2026.

[Nathan Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick, easy read! The research and theory were so good! The Sacred Listening tools… some were interesting, some felt like theory rather than practice. Having 5 years of student ministry experience from 2019-2023, I’m pretty sure some of that would be treated as a joke like all of at that age would.

However, I highly recommend this book and its practices, just use the tools at discretion and adapt to be practical.

[Ashley Chesnut · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book for those who work with Gen Z and Alpha in the church. It’s specifically for ministry leaders and focuses on how ministry has to shift to reach these generations where they are in a post-Covid world. It gives some suggestions - doesn’t just tell you ministry needs to shift. Some good nuggets in the book written from a sociologist’s perspective and research.

[Andrew Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone working with young people needs to read this👍

This is a very insightful and informative work that challenges us to get out of our judgmental box about young people so we can truly develop future leaders👍

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

thoughtful and practical reflection and suggestions about young people and their context, and how to engage them in meaningful relationships that support their faith and identity.