Many churches are clamouring for more young people in their congregations. The average age of a North American Church today is above 40, and greying fast. This is a statistical parallel to an aging society. That is why many Church leaders desire young people to step up in leadership for the next generation and beyond. Desires however is one thing. Designing an appropriate strategy is another. Along with that is the inter-generational gaps that often lead to clashes and misunderstanding between the young and the old. Whether it is about the worship wars, traditional vs contemporary music, the generational makeup of leadership boards, the various programs for the young and not-so-young, the common theme is similar: Reaching the next generation is easier said than done. Is there a secret to doing that in the first place? Author and pastor Kevin DeYoung realizes that there is no simple answer to that important question. In trying to explain his strategies that to him is not so secret, but not to others, he titles this book with a catchy "not-so-secret" secret. Briefly, the author shares with us a five-pointer strategy:

1) Grab them with passion.
2) Win them with love.
3) Hold them with holiness.
4) Challenge them with truth.
5) Amaze them with God.

The first suggestion is a call for churches to stop becoming lukewarm but to be passionate about Jesus. He points out that if we want to grab others with passion, we ourselves need to be passionate about our faith, lest we become the hypocrites that many young people presume to be. The second suggestion speaks the popular language of love. Many Christians have let themselves become distracted by non-essentials, such as the unwitting embrace of modern culture or the unnecessary politicizing of Christianity. The race to be more relevant to younger people can become a negative strategy altogether. Designing programs that are similar to the culture around us will render churches' testimonies as not very different from the world. The third suggestion brings us back to the crux of the Christian faith. For God has said, "Be holy for I am holy." In an unholy world, a Church that is holy makes a big difference. The fourth suggestion puts a finger on challenging young people instead of making things easy for them. One of the faults of parenting is about doing too much for their children. The same fault is also practiced in many churches. Do not do for the young what they can do for themselves. Challenge them with truth so that they can learn to grapple with the nuances of the Christian perspective. Finally, we can challenge the young to go beyond moralism or ethical behaviours toward seeing God's amazing grace. God is more than able to defend himself and speak for Himself. We just need to point young people to God.

My Thoughts
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This book is an abridged edition of Kevin DeYoung's original work entitled, "Don’t Call It a Comeback: The Old Faith for a New Day." More specifically, it is from chapter 1 of that book which summarizes DeYoung's five suggestions. It is more to whet the appetite rather than a full-blown book to describe how to reach the next generation. The ideas are simple but the implementation can be challenging. It could also be used as a mini-sermon to teach the congregation about the need to do the same for each other. After all, the ideas are not restricted just for the next generation. They are applicable to all generations! All five suggestions have one thing in common: They point us back to a close walk with Jesus. God's work needs to be done in God's way and wisdom. We need to be passionate for Jesus before we can share our passion with others. We need to recognize God's love for us in order to share God's love with others authentically. We need to be holy for God is holy. We need to be challenged ourselves with Truth so that we can challenge others with the Truth that we have experienced. We need to be recipients of God's amazing grace before we can honestly share God's amazing grace with others. So this book should not be restricted to simply a tool to reach the young, but a resource for all to be reached by God first, and others next.

Another similar theme is that these "secret" suggestions are nothing new. They all reflect the "old faith" such as the themes of Passion, Love, Holiness, Truth, and Grace. Like the old hymn, "I Love To Tell the Story," we tell according to what we know and have experienced. They are ways in which we can practice discipleship for the masses. God's gospel never change. It's people who are constantly changing. We can adapt the means and the manners to share God's Truth. One thing is for sure: We should never manipulate God's Truth in order to fit our organs of communications. That means no compromise, no cutting corners, and definitely no coddling with the next generation without the Truth. Many nutritionists give with regard to food, eat food that is as natural as possible with no additives or unhealthy processing of the original. Just like their popular advice to eat food as God had originally intended, we should teach the Truth of God as close to the biblical Truth as possible. That means we need to study God's Word ourselves in order to share God's Word with others. This and various other disciplines should guide the way we reach the next generation.

Hopefully, this book should spur others to cultivate their own spiritual health. Like the popular example of flying commercial airlines, whenever there is air pressure turbulence, put on the oxygen masks on ourselves first before we put it on our children. It is only when we have secure airflow can we then help others to affix their oxygen masks. If we do not, instead of helping other, we might end up needing help ourselves. While this book's title is about reaching the next generation, DeYoung subtly tells us that we too need to be reached first. That is the key point in this book.

Kevin DeYoung (PhD, University of Leicester) is the senior pastor at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina, and assistant professor of systematic theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. He serves as board chairman of the Gospel Coalition and blogs at DeYoung, Restless, and Reformed. He is the author of several books, including Just Do Something; Crazy Busy; and The Biggest Story. Kevin and his wife, Trisha, have nine children.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers via NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

I loved this quick little booklet on how to reach the next generation, I only wish it was longer! DeYoung does a great job sharing five ways to reach the next generation, I would definitely recommend it!

I requested this book because the title grabbed my attention and it sounded like it was exactly what I’ve been wanting to read.
How do we reach non believers? How do we show God’s love when so many Christians have done anything but?
Kevin DeYoung has some GREAT ideas. This is a short, practical book I think every pastor or youth pastor should read. Honestly anyone involved in a church.
He gives us 5 practical things to do to bring the next generation in and show Christ to them.
I have 4 stars because I didn’t exactly agree with everything in the “Challenge Them with Truth” section, but I sure did highlight a LOT in all of the other sections!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crossway for the eARC!

A concise and to the point read about engaging the next generation.

And just as DeYoung promises, it's simple: The gospel. DeYoung lays out with five points why we should stop chasing after the younger generation with cringey gimmicks or trying to keep up with the newest ministry trends. Instead he puts forth a solid argument for faithfully preaching the gospel and living it out in our everyday lives as the surest way to win souls to Christ.

A quick read that I found very encouraging, while not a new topic for me I thought that Mr. DeYoung did an excellent job, and would recommend to friends.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really like short books like this for a quick boost in ministry or to give to someone without assuming they will want to read a door stopper.
DeYoung helpfully avoids giving tricks for success but orients us back to healthy Christianity. Passion, love, holiness, truth and our amazing God is the way forward.

Pastors and church members are always looking for the next best way to reach the next generation for Christ. Will coffee and doughnuts on Sunday mornings attract the next generation? Will having a great children's ministry draw in more young families to the church? What are the next generation looking for in a church? It has been said that the church is only one generation away from being extinct; however, true believers know that that will never happen. Christ has already promised that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Matthew 16:18 ESV. Kevin DeYoung shares the one thing that will truly reach the next generation in his new book "The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation." The answer is Jesus. He is the One that can change hearts in any generation, and we have to reflect His words and actions in our lives to get the attention of the next generation. In DeYoung's new book, he points to parents' faith building a strong foundation for their children's faith through modeling Christlike actions in their everyday lives. Reaching the next generation looks a lot like being faithful in the seemingly monotonous - laundry, cooking dinner, eating dinner together as a family, reading the Bible together as a family, caring for neighbors, going to church as a family, praying together. DeYoung wants to challenge the average church attender to evaluate their faith and find areas that may need strengthened through learning about theology, Church history, etc. Ultimately, we are to reach the next generation with the Gospel, which is sharing about what Christ has done for us, and DeYoung's book gives reflective tips on how to do so. I recommend this book for pastors and church members. I give this book a five out of five.

A short little book on reaching the next generation: it's living out the gospel. It was a good reminder of what is most important, not just flashy events.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy.

Wow, I really loved this!! It’s helpful, applicable, real, and unflinchingly honest.

I think the main message of the book can be summed up here: “The one indispensable requirement for producing godly, mature Christians is godly, mature Christians.” and that we need to reach the next generation for God by showing them more of God. Simple!! I think he does a great job of balancing how reaching the next generation is easy and straightforward, but also that it’s hard because you have to be living these things out.

I love how he pointed out that “there is no universal youth culture.” As a young person, I often feel lumped together with the GenZ kids who are younger than me, and I feel left out and isolated because I can’t relate to them. But DeYoung does well to remind readers that that is not beneficial because not every young person is the same!

So much of what DeYoung teaches here is universal, not just applicable to reaching the next generation. He reminded me often that I have to be filled with God first, and people will see that. My love and passion for Him will draw others in. What a great reminder for evangelism!

I’d like to summarize DeYoung’s five tips for reaching the next generation through some quotes. I can’t cite the page numbers since I read the e-arc and there aren’t page numbers listed (thanks NetGalley and Crossway for the digital galley!!).

1. Grab them with passion
- “They want to see us do church and follow Christ like we mean it.”
- “… to grab them with passion, we must be gripped with it ourselves.”
2. Win them with love
- “Don’t spend all your time trying to figure out how to be just like the next generation. Tell them about Jesus. And love them unashamedly. … Give up on ‘relevance’ and try love.”
3. Hold them with holiness
- “If your walk matches your talk, if your faith costs you something, if being a Christian is more than a cultural grab, they will listen to you.”
- “Personal connections with growing Christians are what the next generation needs.”
4. Challenge them with truth
- “Challenging the next generation with truth starts with honest examination. Do I know the plotline of the Bible? … Do I really understand the gospel?”
5. Amaze them with God
- “Give them a God who is holy, independent, and unlike us. … Give them a God worthy of wonder and fear, a God big enough for all our faith, hope, and love.”


I’m excited to promote this book!! I’ll post reviews at all the sites listed on my profile come release day and will post my review to Goodreads today, 3/24.

This is a short, quick book with an important message. Pastors often struggle to reach the young people, often resorting to special programs and activities in an effort to "draw" them in. DeYoung gives a better approach. Rather than changing churches to fit the ever changing trends in music, dress, worship, and preaching, Christians are to walk both with God and with people. The five suggestions on how to do this are (1) Grab them with passion (2) Win them with love (3) Hold them with holiness (4) Challenge them with truth (5) Amaze them with God

Pastors will find this book helpful in dealing with their congregation and individuals can find it helpful in their own personal relationships with non believers and fellow Christians alike.

"If only I would trust God that he is enough to win the hearts and minds of the next generation. It's his work much more than it is mine or yours. So make him front and center. Don't confuse platitudes with profundity. Don't proclaim an unknown god, when we know who God is and what he is like. And don't reduce God to your level. If ever people are starving for a God the size of God, surely it is now."

"Give them a God who is holy, independent, and unlike us- a God who is good, just, full of wrath, and full of mercy. Give them a God who is sovereign, powerful, tender and true. Give them a God with edges. Give them an undiluted God who makes them feel cherished and safe, and small and uncomfortable too. Give them a God who works all things after the counsel of his will and for the glory of His name. Give them a God whose love is lavish and free. Give them a God worthy of wonder and fear, a God big enough for all our faith, hope, and love."

"...Reaching the next generation for God by showing them more of God. That's just crazy enough to work."

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to preview and promote this book!

Kevin DeYoung has written a new timely book, The (Not-So-Secret) Secret to Reaching the Next Generation. I highly recommend it! It will take 20 minutes of your time to read the entire book. Yes, it is short, but it is meaty and to the point. This book will tell you biblically what our teenagers need in the church. Really, it is quite simple, but sometimes not so easy.

The reason he wrote this book is because he kept getting asked how do you reach the next generation in your church. He kept thinking it is easier and harder than you think. “It’s easier because you don’t have to get a degree in postmodern literary theory or go to a bunch of stupid movies. You don’t have to say sweet or bling or know what LOL or IMHO means…. You just have to be like Jesus. That’s it. So the easy part is you don’t have to be with it. The hard part is you have to be with Him. If you walk with God and walk with people, you’ll reach the next generation.”

The rest of the book he gives five suggestions to those that want to help reach the next generation: Grab them with passion, win them with love, hold them with holiness, challenge them with truth, and amaze them with God. These five things are explained, along with Scripture, to back up how he came up with those five things.

I have so many highlights throughout the book, probably half the book, but again, remember the book is short at about 48 pages. Here are just a few that really stuck out to me:

We would do well to pay attention to Romans 12
Young people want to see that our faith actually matters to us.
The evangelical church needs to stop preaching the false gospel of cultural identification.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne said, “My people’s greatest need is my personal holiness.”
If we are holy, we will be fruitful. Personal connections with growing Christians are what the next generation needs more than ever.”
Why can’t preachers learn that shallow and superficial preaching doesn’t help anybody, including people like us who weren’t Christians.”
We can reach them with something more lasting and more powerful than gimmicks, gadgets, and games. We can reach them with God. Reaching the next generation for God by showing them more of God.

I do think that this a book that every pastor, parent, youth worker, and teacher should read to help reach the young and help them in their faith journey. Especially before they leave home.

I have read most of Mr. DeYoung’s books and would recommend any of those also. He knows how to write, and he knows Scripture.

This was a great short read. In just 48 pages, Kevin DeYoung lays out five suggestions on how to pass the faith onto the next generation. He cautions the reader not to look at cultural trends to hook the youth of your church, but rather use traditional means that not only have stood the test of time, but also statistically are proven to be effective. They are; Grab them with passion. Win them with love. Hold them with holiness. Challenge them with truth. Amaze them with God.
Although it’s brief, it packs an encouraging punch for the reader.

Kevin DeYoung's new book is short and sweet about how to connect faithful and practical modeling of a life of Jesus to a younger generation. His main points revolved around disconnecting from cultural trends and elements considered "cool" to ensure Jesus and the gospel are at the forefront of the church's mission and love like Christ is being demonstrated no matter what. I liked the practical explanations he used to connect specifically with all people who serve in a church whether the pastor, a parent, or someone who participates in the discipleship of young people. This book is well written, as expected from the author, but I do feel like he missed some elements that are critical to this topic. He does mention that parents need help with doctrine communication and discipleship in our homes, but undervalues this as a (data-supported) huge reason for dechurching within the younger generations. I struggled a little with how some of these concepts applied to “younger” generations when a lot of this can be applied to any generation I observe in the church.