You Found Me: New Research on How Unchurched Nones, Millennials, and Irreligious Are Surprisingly Open to Christian Faith

by Rick Richardson

Publisher:

IVP

, 2019

Overview

Many bemoan the decline of the church. We hear a steady stream of reports about how droves of people, especially younger generations, are abandoning Christianity. But new research shows that unchurched Americans are surprisingly more receptive and open to the Christian faith than is commonly assumed.

Researcher and practitioner Rick Richardson unveils the findings of the Billy Graham Center Institute’s groundbreaking studies on the unchurched. A study of 2000 unchurched people across the country reveals that the unchurched are still remarkably open to faith conversations and the church. Even unchurched “nones” and millennials are quite receptive if they are approached in particular ways.

In this book you will also find best practices from further research into the top ten percent of churches that most effectively reach the unchurched. People who were previously unchurched share what actually moved them to faith and Christian commitment. And the research shows that churches and organizations can be transformed to become places where conversion growth becomes the new normal.

If people tell you “the sky is falling,” don’t believe them. In today’s troubled world, unchurched and unbelieving people are newly receptive to hearing good news. You can lead the change that will help your church reach people—who then reach others.

Key Features

• Presents an intriguing vision for new methods of church outreach
• Offers insight into how recent generations of unchurched people respond to faith conversations
• Examines best practices from the most effective churches

Contents

Part 1: Recovering a Missional Imagination for the Unchurched in America

• Exposing Common Myths About Unchurched Americans
• Adopting a New Narrative About the Unchurched
• Reaching the Receptive Millennials, Nones, and Nominals in Your Life
• Discovering the Conversion Community Equation

Part 2: Developing Missional Leaders

• Modeling Outreach Others Can Imitate
• Multiplying Missional Leaders

Part 3: Developing a Missional Congregation

• Belonging to the Broader Community
• Blessing the World to Reach the World
• Bringing the Community to Church
• Building a Community of the Beloved Through Hospitality
• Conclusion: From a Conversion Community to a Conversion Movement

Top Highlights

“Whenever the church recovers its quality of life and boldness of witness, it grows, even against immense cultural barriers. We can be the ten righteous who catalyze the sparing of Sodom and Gomorrah.” (Page 8)

“The top predictive factor we found was hospitality to the unchurched. If there is a silver bullet, this is it” (Page 16)

“most effective churches consistently combine serving their communities and connecting to unchurched people” (Page 15)

Praise for the Print Edition

You Found Me is a breath of fresh air. Armed with research on the state of church outreach and the attitudes of the unchurched toward faith, Richardson charts a compelling vision for church outreach and evangelism in our new post-Christian world.

—Ed Stetzer

Rick Richardson has helped us crack the cultural code to unlock the receptivity of millennials, nones, and irreligious people today. He’s given us hope based on solid data and research that can truly help many people find their way back to God through our churches!

—Dave Ferguson, lead pastor of Community Christian Church, author of Hero Maker

Product Details

• Title: You Found Me: New Research on How Unchurched Nones, Millennials, and Irreligious Are Surprisingly Open to Christian Faith
• Author: Rick Richardson
• Publisher: IVP
• Publication Date: 2019
• Pages: 256
• Resource Type: Topical
• Topic: Evangelism

About Rick Richardson

Rick Richardson is director of the Billy Graham Center Institute and its Church Evangelism Initiative, and professor of evangelism and leadership at Wheaton College Graduate School. He previously served as evangelism and discipleship pastor at Church of the Resurrection in Wheaton, Illinois, and was the evangelism champion who helped launch Willow Creek Community Church’s first multisite campus. His books include Reimagining Evangelism and Evangelism Outside the Box.