Explore Life (Workbook)

Dear Church Leaders and Parents,

Navigating life transitions as a young adult is daunting. Now, with the uncertainty of a global pandemic and social unrest we thought your young adults could use some positive encouragement! As chaotic as the world seems right now, God has a plan for their life. We want the next generation to feel confident about their faith and their future.

The Barna Research Group has dedicated several studies specifically aimed at understanding the faith of younger generations. In his latest book, Faith for the Exiles, President of The Barna Group (and parent of teens) outlines the strengths and culture of 17-25 year olds in America. In which only 10% are considered to be “committed disciples of Christ” and 25% go to church sporadically through out the year. This is not news. We have known for years that this age group is falling away from faith and the Church at historic rates. But, Gen Z is to faith. Today’s teens and young adults are passionate, driven and changing how life looks around the world. We think this generation will bring revival. It might look different than we would expect, but the next generation of Christian leaders merits our guidance and investment in their faith journey. That is why we created this short, five session, workbook for teens and young adults. These life transitions are crucial stepping stones to the rest of your life and yet there is very little guidance. After years of organized school, travel sports and youth group the next steps look unstructured and foggy. Many young adults get paralyzed by the choices or lack thereof. This workbook is designed to grow their confidence in their gifts and their walk with God in this world. Through four major focuses (based on research from Barna) they will be empowered to:

• Form a resilient identity through Experiencing Christ.
• Encounter authentic community that supports their life and future.
• Excel, enjoy and grow their faith and God given gifts in whatever they choose to do in life.
• Engage Culture with discernment and confidence to combat the age of anxiety. 

This workbook is not the answer to all of the problems of a young adult, but it is a great place to start conversations that are sometimes hard to have. We truly believe each student has a story inside God’s story, we know that may not include a four year degree from MACU. That is not why we wrote this study. We are serious about discipling the next generation of Christian leaders wherever they are. We also have a group of student leaders who can provide an interactive session on this study. They are flexing their skills in ministry and leadership so give us a call if you think your teens would benefit. When the world labels the next generation “entitled, enabled and inadequate” we will claim their strengths and abilities before God. As author Mark Batterson says “God does not call the prepared, but he prepares the called.” We hope you find this tool useful and connect with us further as we disciple the next generation! 

Sincerely,

Beth Cross

Explore Life Workbook (Full Size -14 pages)

Explore Life Workbook (Booklet Size -7 pages)