Overview

What are young adults' deepest concerns and hopes for the Christian church? In this remarkable volume, young adults voice their concerns and laments about the church's past and present, as well as their hopes and dreams for the church's future. Unlike many current books on youth ministry, this is not a book about how to attract young adults back to church. Instead, it is an invitation to listen to young adults as they offer important insights regarding the capacity of the church--and the world--to flourish going forward. The authors begin by invoking courageous curiosity, proposing this posture as a necessary mindset for the church as it approaches present-day challenges. They also point out that the young adult experience is too often shaped by tokenization, and offer an alternative approach rooted in relationships where young adults are valued co-creators in our shared future. Turning their attention to the world we live in, the authors name the hard realities that shape our human experience, while also offering guidance for finding our way in the ruins. They identify climate catastrophe, grief and lament, and mental health as crucial issues that define our times. They also examine how churches have caused harm and how young adults have been grieving the church's failures; among the themes they explore are abuse of power; marginalization, inclusion, and liberation; and sex, shame, and intimacy. Seeking constructive ways forward, the authors illuminate the importance of community and consider how the church might become more fully centered around Jesus. They call on churches to go beyond the walls--that is, to care for their neighbors and neighborhoods--in order to become trustworthy partners in God's work in the world. Finally, the authors consider themes of scarcity and abundance. They encourage the church to adopt a more faithful narrative rooted in God's abundance, so that the church will be better equipped to participate in the vital work of restoring people's relationships with God, with each other, and with the earth. The young adult contributors to this volume are driven by a deep hunger for hope. Their poignant, powerful insights are essential reading for ministry leaders, congregations, youth groups, and anyone who cares about young adults' engagement with Christianity. Contributors: Shaya Aguilar Talitha Amadea Aho Catalina Morales Bahena Cherice Bock Madeline Burbank Lindsay Fertig-Johnson Kristina Frugé Abby Grifno Kara Haug Jimmy Hoke Sarah Brock Iverson Jia Johnson Amber Kalina Eric H. F. Law Baird Linke JD Mechelke Jeremy Paul Myers Kristen Glass Perez Amar D. Peterman Soong-Chan Rah Drew Stever Nicholas Tangen Amanda Vetsch Reesheda N. Graham Washington Kayla Zopfi

Full Product Details

9780802885524

Table of Contents

Reviews

""Hungry for Hope is a rich and nourishing feast, thoughtfully crafted through the collaboration of emerging adults and leading experts to address the most pressing questions of young adulthood. For young adults, this book is a trusted guide--written by peers who offer wisdom, clarity, and language to navigate the complexities of life and faith. For mentors and adults, it is an open invitation to a table set for meaningful, authentic conversations--conversations that young people are eager to have and that our communities desperately need."" --Steven Argue, associate professor of Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Seminary and applied research strategist at the Fuller Youth Institute ""This powerful book invites readers to embrace the wisdom of young adults confronting the complex realities of climate change, grief, and injustice. It guides us beyond anxiety toward a courageous, hopeful path of authentic connection. With inspiring clarity, it reminds us that courage can transform our world and churches through collective action rooted in love and belonging."" --Reggie Blount, director of Holy Partnerships Young Adult Initiative at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary ""A veritable feast around a lively table, Hungry for Hope is honest, wise, deeply courageous, and an open-hearted call to what the church can become. Thank you for bringing together these beloved voices in this season."" --Jen Nagel, bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ""For those of us who care deeply about the future of our faith communities, Hungry for Hope is a remarkable gift. With its chapters cowritten by young adults and their mentors, these reflections invite all of us into a conversation about our most pressing challenges as people of faith committed to being God's hands and feet in the world now and into the future. We must pay attention to these prophetic voices, whose faith and hope for the church offer a compelling path forward."" --Paul C. Pribbenow, president of Augsburg University ""Hungry for Hope is a sacred invitation to listen with our whole hearts to the voices of young adults who are longing, grieving, resisting, and imagining. As someone who has journeyed alongside young adults for decades--in ministry, in community, and in the movement for justice--I know the power their stories carry to transform the church and the world. This book is not just a collection of letters; it is a prophetic call for the church to love big, to relinquish control, and to co-create a future with young people at the center. Read it. Be moved. Be changed."" --Rozella Haydée White, author of Love Big: The Power of Revolutionary Relationships to Heal the World ""A remarkable holy conversation that calls us to challenge assumptions, dismantle injustice, confess complicity, lament trauma, release imagination, embolden courage, and renew hope for the church and the world."" --Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop emeritus, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Author Information

Jeremy Paul Myers is the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation at Augsburg University, where he also serves as executive director of the Christensen Center for Vocation. His academic focus includes vocation, the spiritual and vocational development of young people, and the role of local congregations in engaging with the public sphere. He is the author of Liberating Youth from Adolescence. Kristina Frugé is director of Congregational and Community Initiatives with Augsburg University's Riverside Innovation Hub. Equipped with twenty-five years of ministry experience and a master's degree in congregational mission and leadership, she works with congregations exploring their call to become vital neighbors.

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