For a New Generation
A Practical Guide for Revitalizing Your Church
- Church Leadership & Ministry
- Publisher: Zondervan Reflective (Zondervan)
- Published: 2016
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Publisher's Description
A New Generation Church is a church with attendees whose average age is at least as young as the average age of the community in which the church exists. Any church can become a New Generation Church that reaches and continues to reach the next generation. The Psalmist writes: We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders. (Psalm 78:4 NLT)No Christian would purposely hide the timeless truths of Christianity from the next generation. But often we do, not because of the substance of our church, but because of the approach of our church. For A New Generation is not about changing your church’s statement of faith or core beliefs. It is about evaluating and changing, as needed, your church’s programs, ministries and practices in order to more effectively connect with and stay connected with the next generation. Written for both church leaders and members, For a New Generation presents 5 practical strategies that will lay a foundation for a church to thrive for generations to come. It is based on the assumption that accepting the status quo is the greatest threat to your church’s core mission and, perhaps, to the long-term survival of your church.
Endorsements (26)
“Lee Kricher is the first person I know who transitioned a struggling and aging church into one that unchurched people love to attend. He’s the expert I point people to with questions about transitioning a church. Now he’s sharing the principles he learned. If you want to ensure that your church is positioned to reach the next generation, For a New Generation is a great place to start.”
“Rich in insight, difficult to put down, courage-inspiring, practical, and brutally honest, For a New Generation makes church revitalization seem invitingly doable—because it can be!”
“Over 90 percent of American churches are either declining or growing more slowly than the community in which they are located. Here is the story of a church that went counter to the norm. Here is the story of a church that started reaching a new generation. Here is the story of a church where the seemingly impossible became possible in God’s power. Read Lee Kricher’s powerful story of Amplify Church for encouragement and insights. But above all, read it with the prayer that God will do a similar work in your church.”
“I firmly believe that Jesus and his Church are the hope of the world. But what if a church no longer meets the needs of a younger generation and is at risk of irrelevance in its local community? I deeply admire Lee Kricher and his courageous leadership at Amplify Church to make the difficult but necessary changes to become the successful multigenerational church it is today—a place that seeks to shepherd its attendees toward an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and lasting life transformation. For a New Generation tells a powerful leadership story that will resonate resonate deeply with any pastor or church member who longs to be part of life-giving community of Jesus followers! SANTIAGO “JIMMY” MELLADO, President and CEO of Compassion International; coauthor, Small Matters The challenge for most church leaders is that they listen to church planters talk at conferences, and then go home to a church that they need to transition. As someone who has both planted a church and transitioned a church, I can attest to the reality that they are not the same thing. Lee Kricher knows what he’s talking about when it comes to church transition. You’ll love his practical, inspiring approach and come to value him as a leader who really understands the dynamics in your church.”
“the insight that change is needed but also a sound approach and the courage to take action. For a New Generation is an inspiring story of a church filled with courageous people committed to turning their church around. It’s a unique guide that will help church leaders and members apply sound organizational change strategies to their own situations.”
“You will not be disappointed in this book! Lee Kricher is a seasoned church revitalizer and one who knows how to regrow a church. With the success of Amplify Church in Pittsburgh as his lab, Lee has developed a great book that will encourage you, challenge you, and lead your church to begin the effort of revitalization. The five practical strategies offered within these pages will help every church in need of revitalization. For the Church Revitalizer, this could be the most important book you purchase this year and there is none better to guide you than Lee Kricher.”
“I have known Lee Kricher for almost thirty years and have always respected his leadership excellence and pastor’s heart. Within the last few years, I have watched as he stepped into an older church that had been in several years of decline, and he transitioned that organization not only into a rapidly growing church with multiple campuses but also into one of the leading churches in our city in reaching the next generation. As you read this book, you are reading Lee’s observations—which are both sound and proven to work.”
“local church but many denominations are faced with today. He has embodied principles that are universal to every successful organization while balancing those with God’s leading through the Holy Spirit, resulting in a ministry that is impacting the community. There’s a takeaway for every leader who takes the time to read For a New Generation!”
“New wine must be put in fresh wineskins.” For A New Generation answers the question, “How do you make an old wineskin fresh?” It contains principles and answers that many of us have been searching for. The journey of Amplify Church demonstrates that both the “old” and the “new” can be preserved. Every leader should be grateful for Lee Kricher’s chronicling of this amazing journey. BISHOP JOSEPH L. GARLINGTON, Sr., Presiding Bishop, Reconciliation! International Network of Churches and Ministries If the church does not gain the heart and needed skill set to transition to the next generation, the consequences will be devastating. Lee Kricher has not written a book of theory, but a practical guide to getting it done. He has not only led a church back from the dead but has placed it into the hands of next generation leaders. Jesus prayed that our “fruit would remain”. This book is an answer to this heart cry of our Savior.”
“We get the same impression when reading For a New Generation that we did when Lee Kricher spent a day with over a hundred church leaders from our conference. He has a humble approach that insists on the need for change without leaving people feeling judged or vilified. Lee does a masterful job of sharing the experiences, challenges, and delights that come with helping a church grow young. Don’t be surprised if For a New Generation becomes a reference book that you return to repeatedly! ALMA AND BRENT THOMPSON, Superintendents, Ohio Conference of the Free Methodist Church When I started my journey as a second career pastor seven years ago, I’d had decades of experience as a leader in the Air Force. I’d even taught leadership to senior officers at the Air War College. Yet I was unprepared for the challenge of leading transformation in a historic church. I’m grateful for Lee Kricher’s unswerving commitment to bringing new life to churches like ours. For a New Generation is clear and focused and outlines an approach that pastors and lay leaders can work through together. I pray that it will lead many, many churches into God’s better future.”
“In writing out of his own experience, Lee Kricher has given us a tremendous gift in For A New Generation. Many churches want to grow but do not know how. Instead of seeking out new ways they continue to do what they’ve always done with greater sincerity. The results are still the same—continued decline. Lee writes from his experience of turning a declining congregation back to a place of effective growth by leading them to think and act differently. I know I will use this resource with churches under my supervision.”
“Lee Kricher’s For A New Generation is a provocative read that challenges both pastors and congregational leaders to see that they can best honor their past by reshaping and developing ministries that will continue to reach the next generation. This is a significant book that calls the church as a whole to prayerfully create a vision of ministry that will clearly guide and direct its leaders as they faithfully consider which programs, ministries, and practices can best help the church to reach a new generation with the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
“An urgent, hands-down, straight-up, no-nonsense game plan of how to grab the problem of church decline by the horns and, through the power of God and the collective wisdom of experienced pastors, flip it upside down. Lee Kricher has written a book that speaks across the boundaries of church traditions to all who have a desire to see the local church reach beyond itself and engage people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is not just a book for church leaders but for the passionate and the dispassionate whom they lead.”
Fr. James Mallon
“The key to future growth in the church is one that used to be taken for granted—effectively passing on our faith in Jesus Christ to the next generation. Lee Kricher beautifully combines his personal experience as a pastor with proven principles principles and strategies that would serve any congregation. This book is meant to be provocative, not prescriptive, and I would highly recommend it to any leader who is willing to stretch their thinking about their responsibility to future generations.”
“At Parish Catalyst, we bring together pastors and key members of their pastoral teams from across the country who are eager to grow their parishes in innovative ways. The principles found in For a New Generation have inspired these leaders to consider how to better reach the next generation-a critical factor in accelerating parish vitality and growth.”
“What Lee Kricher has done with For A New Generation is provide a workable process for all those willing to take on the challenge of congregational revitalization. Written by someone who has lived the principles and the process personally, this is a valuable guide for pastors and parish leadership teams, regardless of their denomination. This book confirms that you can develop practical actions that can put your congregation on a road to vitality.”
“I am excited to imagine how Amplify Church’s inspiring example of church revitalization can spur European church leaders to look to God to breathe new life into their struggling congregations and dying denominations. Lee Kricher wouldn’t let his church die without a fight. This book can inspire new strategies for the battle that is just as real on this side of the Atlantic.”
“After thirty years of ministry, I went through a time of refocusing and reflection and prayerfully prayerfully considered the possibility of planting a new church. With so many churches in Germany in decline, I needed to know: “What new approach should be taken?” I accepted an invitation from Lee Kricher to visit Amplify Church, a revitalized church in the northeast U.S. that was facing many of the same issues that we face. What I experienced inspired, guided, and encouraged me. The principles and strategies outlined in For a New Generation are a promising path to follow and helped us to successfully initiate a church for the next generation.”
“Lee Kricher articulately and experientially lays out a road map for any church in any culture to be revitalized: to stop the decline and to breathe life back into a church. This book is not a collection of theories and ideas but sound principles that work in the real world! I hope that For a New Generation becomes a “best read” of pastors and leadership teams from the many churches in Australia and Asia that would greatly benefit from applying its strategies.”
“Over a decade ago, Lee Kricher was an invaluable advisor to Chick-fil-A Inc. as we were developing the leadership competency model that still guides our leaders. Then and now, Lee consistently displays three qualities: humility, courage, and practicality. For a New Generation documents those same qualities being poured into the provocative and inspiring transformational journey of Amplify Church. A must read for all those interested in the Church and in the next generation!”
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