Tribal Church: Ministering to the Missing Generation (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

Carol Howard Merritt crisply articulates fresh answers to those tired mainline plaints, "Where are the young people? What do they want?" Her recommendations will rouse cheers from our seminary students, give new lenses to aging Boomer eyes, and fill our pews with new vitality. --Anne S. Howard, Executive Director, The Beatitudes Society

Carol Howard Merritt dismantles the wall of stained glass that often separates mainline churches from people under forty. Combining real-life stories, personal reflections as a thirty-something, and current research, Merritt affords congregations a clearer, more compassionate view not only of the "missing generation," but of themselves and their ministry. --Eric Elnes, Senior Pastor of Scottsdale Congregational United Church of Christ and author of Asphalt Jesus: Finding a New Christian Faith on the Highways of America

I cannot think of a more valuable book for pastors, lay leaders, and anyone concerned about the future of the church than Tribal Church. Anyone who wants to understand better the young people who are coming to their church (or those who are not coming!) and how we can better respond to their quest for faith, meaning, life, and love should read this book, and read it with care. --Michael Jinkins, Academic Dean and Professor of Pastoral Theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and author of Letters to New Pastors

Product Description

Many churches are seeking ways to reach out to the younger generations. Unfortunately this often manifests as either a "come be just like us!" attitude--suggesting an unwillingness to change in order to be inclusive of young people--or as a slick marketing campaign that targets young adults in much the same way secular advertising does. Both of these approaches often leave young adults feeling that their particular spiritual gifts and needs are unwanted by the church. "We only want you for your demographics" is the message given.
Carol Howard Merritt, a pastor in her mid-thirties, suggests a different way for churches to be able to approach young adults on their own terms. Outlining the financial, social, and familial situations that affect many young adults today, she describes how churches can provide a safe, supportive place for young adults to nurture relationships and foster spiritual growth. There are few places left in society that allow for real intergenerational connections to be made, yet these connections are vital for any church that seeks to reflect the fullness of the body of Christ.
Using the metaphor of a tribe to describe the close bonds that form when people of all ages decide to walk together on their spiritual journeys, Merritt casts a vision of the church that embraces the gifts of all members while reaching out to those who might otherwise feel unwelcome or unneeded. Mainline churches have much to offer young adults, as well as much to learn from them. By breaking down artificial age barriers and building up intentional relationships, congregations can provide a space for all people to connect with God, each other, and the world.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: The Alban Institute (September 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566993474
• ISBN-13: 978-1566993470
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #112,686 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for everyone who loves the church and her "missing generation", October 21, 2007

By	Beth B. Sentell - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Tribal Church is perhaps the best-ever book for those who sincerely want to create a place for young adults to worship and serve. At last, we can stop our hand-wringing and lamentations over the absence of our adult children in church because now, Carol Merritt has offered us a vision of the church in which everyone, young and old and in-between, has a place, a voice and an equal opportunity to share their gifts and to grow in truth and love. With clarity, kindness and authority, Rev. Merritt shatters those long-held, false assumptions that have far too long kept us from reaching out to the "missing generation" and provides a way for us to welcome them on their own terms and meet them where they are, not necessarily where we would like them to be. Tribal Church provides a path toward insight, understanding and acceptance of this generation's unique perspecitves, their needs and challenges, as well as their gifts for ministry and mission. In the end, Carol's book is about hope. Hope for those of us who have earnestly prayed for an authentic way to approach and serve our young adults, and real hope for the future of the church.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Should Change the Church, September 26, 2007

By	D.C. Pastor (Washington D.C.) - See all my reviews

Carol has written a wonderful book that should challenge our assumptions about the generations missing from mainline denominational churches. For those of us who are a bit leery about "emerging" churches' break with anything traditional this comes as a welcome revelation. We don't have to congregate at coffee houses, the blogosphere and use mysterious words like "missional" to participate in discipleship. Carol shows that we already have everything that we need at our disposal to be welcoming, intergenerational, economically sensitive, socially active, and to share power without abandoning our deepest held connections to our local congregation. All of that and she isn't afraid to be called liberal. I love this book and if you love the church you will too.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Will Tribal Church Benefit the Evangelical?, December 2, 2007

By	LC Gresham - See all my reviews

As an Evangelical who works within the disability community, I found Rev. Merritt's observations benefitial and I highly recommend her book. I love the concept of an intentional generational approach where the energy and enthusiasm of the young adults is utilized more effectively. Children, then teenagers and now seniors have been the primary focus of the church as baby boomers have aged. This is the time to turn our focus to new leadership.

While some of her theology was troubling to me, I could not escape the loving and understanding approach presented in her thesis. Rev. Merritt knows the Evangelical world. She appreciates and commends the Evangelical fervor for spreading the goodness of Christ. There is much to learn from her regarding how the missing generation preceives the Evangelical church and why they are hesitant to return to the church.