Light from the Dreaming Spires: Reflections on Ministry to Generation Y

Just as "generals are always fighting the last war" my experience as a chaplain at Oxford University has taught me that the church often "speaks to the last generation."The statistics provided by the Pew Research Center say it all. The people of Generation Y are less likely to go to church, believe in God, or identify themselves as "religious" than any previous generation, yet they still have a deep and abiding interest in "spiritual" things. If the church is going to reach this group of "seekers" with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it will have to do it on their terms, speak their language, and understand their concerns. If we try to "fight the last war" with Generation Y, we will lose it. Instead, church leaders must seriously examine how we relate (or not) to Generation Y and change our tactics accordingly. This book is a reflection on my personal experience of ministry to Generation Y, combining pastoral care, mentoring, and "postmodern apologetics" in ways that are equally applicable to parochial, academic, and/or secular settings.

Rev. Dr. Kenneth J. Barnes, FRSA, is Mockler-Phillips Chair in Workplace Theology and Business Ethics at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Previously, Dr. Barnes both taught theology and served as a chaplain to graduate students at Oxford University. This book is a reflection on his time in Oxford.