- Biblical. Relevant. Engaging.
- curt@postchristiancondition.org
Evangelism
- All
- abuse
- Advent
- Anxiety
- Authenticity
- Bigotry
- burnout
- Charlottesville
- Christmas
- Church
- Community
- Coronavirus
- Crisis
- Culture
- discipleship
- Engagement
- Engagement
- Evangelism
- Gen Z
- God
- God's Power
- God's Presence
- Gospel
- Hope
- Initiative
- Kingdom
- Listening
- Love
- Marriage
- Passion
- Post-Christian
- racism
- Rage
- Relationships
- Self-Identity
- Sexuality
- social media
- Story
- Submission
- Supremacy
- Technology
- Transparency
- Trial
- Truth
- Uncategorized
- Volunteerism
- Vulnerability
- Worldview
August 16, 2018
In the last several blogs, I highlighted a number of key findings on the new Gen Z population (those born from 1999-2015) dealing with this new youth culture’s worldviews, obsession with technology and social media, and understanding of relationships with a new meaning of “family.” But nothing stands out greater in this new generation than their confusion over gender, sexuality, and personal identity. In this environment where misunderstanding and perplexity abound, the Church must speak with clarity about sexuality, evangelize with compassion, and disciple with intentionality. Impact 360 Institute and the Barna Group’s research (the books Gen Z and Barna […]
March 7, 2018
My new series of blogs highlights recent research by the Barna Group and Impact 360 Institute on our culture’s newest population group: Gen Z (those born since 1998) with the prayer that we will be challenged to see gospel opportunities to reach this new youth culture (and subsequently, their parents and grandparents). In this blog, I want to focus on the prevailing persona of this culture that desires not to render moral judgments or opinions on controversial issues, whether they be social, political, religious, or racial. How do you impact a generation that prefers “safe spaces” (The World According to Gen Z, […]
February 14, 2018
Last week, I began a new series of blogs highlighting the recently released research of the Barna Group and Impact 360 on our newest generation (born 1998 and after) called “Gen Z” and their beliefs, perspectives, and outlook on life. In this blog, I want to spotlight the shifting worldview that this new teenage and early-college era generation possesses, and what this means to reaching and discipling this new population (and by default, their parents and grandparents) with the gospel. I will first highlight the culture-at-large, then zoom-in to Gen Z. Of the total population, in Barna Trends 2018 (available at […]
July 24, 2017
Dr. Brené Brown said it well: “vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” In days when people mount up shields of defense and deflections to prevent others from getting to “the real you,” one mark of an effective gospel witness to post-Christian thinking people involves making yourself vulnerable, showing a life-openness that invites others to see how the truths of the Faith bring hope and wellness to the brokenness of daily life. As a general rule of thumb, I’ve found through the years that most people are attracted to admissions of brokenness: things like failures, mistakes, deficiencies, and shortfalls. […]
May 26, 2017
“I got problems. You’ve got problems. All God’s children got problems.” It seems that problems and difficulties are a common denominator in the human experience. But it is how those problems are addressed and resolved that gives Christians enormous opportunities for gospel witness and persuasive leverage towards post-Christian thinking people. A generation or two ago, our western society found many answers to their life problems either in their own nuclear family, broader family, or close-knit neighborhood relationships. Those were the days when far more marriages and families were kept intact, and where people received “community-wisdom” to the life issues challenging them. […]
May 8, 2017
Martin Luther, famed leader of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, once wrote: “Faith is a living, daring, confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” In these days when fear is actively present in our society, one thing that captures the attention of many post-Christian minded people is the way real faith is displayed when challenging trials and heartaches come into Christians’ lives. People want to see in authentic ways how faith is lived out as they watch believers deal with grief, life-threatening illness, unforeseen catastrophes, and difficulty. […]
March 8, 2017
I appreciate the words of the Skin Horse in The Velveteen Rabbit: “Real isn’t how you are made. It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” This notion of “becoming real” is about the primacy of authenticity in the presentation of our ideas, intentions, and motivations. In short, authenticity involves presenting the genuine “YOU” with no barriers, no screens, no covers, and no disguises. In our post-Christian thinking world, people want to see the heart, not a cover-up. Part of the […]
January 25, 2017
“Jesus was a storyteller. He used the language of the day, agricultural language and fishing language, to connect with His followers and disciples.” -Drew Belz These words, from a recent article in byFaith, remind us that the changing mindsets of our times demand a form of communication that touches people where they live. People thirst today for relationships, meaning, hope, and encouragement to help them in the struggles that they face. And oftentimes personal storytelling and its real-life effects provide inspiration and courage along the way. Stories present us with the lives of real people who face real problems and […]