Adoptive Church: Creating an Environment Where Emerging Generations Belong

by Chap Clark

Publisher:

Baker Academic

, 2018

Overview

Teens and emerging adults don’t feel at home in the church because they are not fully included in the church body. How can congregations nurture young adults, welcome them as siblings into God’s household, and empower them to become fully embedded contributors within and to their faith community?

Integrating the latest research on adolescent faith and young adult ministry for the local church, this book presents a new way of thinking about youth ministry. Chap Clark offers today’s youth leaders highly practical principles based on his extensive experience, showing how they can implement a sustainable youth ministry program in their local church. He presents the adoptive youth ministry model as a way to help congregations see youth ministry as a bridge to inclusion, participation, and contribution in the body of Christ. Clark’s comprehensive plan for designing and implementing youth ministry shows churches how to intentionally welcome young people and create an environment where they belong.

The Youth, Family, and Culture series examines the broad categories involved in studying and caring for the needs of the young and is dedicated to the preparation and vocational strengthening of those who are committed to the spiritual development of adolescents.

Key Features

• Provides a comprehensive plan for designing and implementing youth ministry
• Offers youth leaders highly practical principles based on extensive experience
• Presents a new way of thinking about youth ministry

Contents

Part 1: The Goal of an Adoptive Church

• Adoptive Youth Ministry: From Me to Us
• Creating Environments Where Faith Families Flourish
• Making Disciples among Siblings: The Adoptive Process of Christian Formation
• The Goal of Ministry in an Adoptive Church

Part 2: The Structure of Adoptive Youth Ministry

• Implementing Adoptive Youth Ministry
• The Power of Partners
• Building Your Ministry Team

Part 3: The Fundamental Practices of Adoptive Churches

• Nurture and the Ministry of Going
• Beyond Participation: The Power of Empowerment
• Adoptive Youth Ministry and the Challenge of Change
• Appendix: Adoptive Church 101

Praise for the Print Edition

I read everything that Chap Clark writes on youth ministry with eager anticipation of being challenged, inspired, and motivated to figure out how to care for students in a deeper way. Adoptive Church, another winner from the mind and heart of Chap Clark, provides that deeper way. I highly recommend it.

—Doug Fields, author of Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry

Chap Clark is one of the leading experts in the world on helping young people and emerging adults be energized with their faith. As a professor, he offers research and content that are second to none. As the senior pastor of one of America's finest churches, he understands how to integrate this research into the practical and life-changing principles needed today in every church. I believe this is an important message for this generation of church leaders.

—Jim Burns, president, HomeWord; author of Confident Parenting and Creating an Intimate Marriage

Reflecting Clark’s deepest convictions, Adoptive Church concretely presents the theology and practices of a church that welcomes adolescents as family.

—Cheryl Crawford, professor of youth ministry, Azusa Pacific University

Product Details

• Title: Adoptive Church: Creating an Environment Where Emerging Generations Belong
• Author: Chap Clark
• Series: Youth, Family, and Culture
• Publisher: Baker
• Publication Date: 2018
• Pages: 208
• Resource Type: Topical
• Topic: Ministry Resources

About Chap Clark

Vice provost for master’s programs and professor of youth, family, and culture. He also serves as director of the Student Leadership Project and Institute of Youth Ministry. On faculty since 1997, he created and directs Fuller’s Doctor of Ministry program in Youth, Family and Culture, and oversees PhD students who are studying youth and family ministry, youth culture, and adolescent development. Additionally, he is the School ofTheology’s representative to the Fuller Youth Institute. A well-known practitioner, adolescent and family scholar, and author, Clark has more than 30 years’ experience in direct ministry, including 15 years with Young Life, as well as positions with several churches, Denver Seminary, and Youth Specialties. He is currently on the teaching team of Montrose Church in Montrose, California and the Senior Editor of Youthworker Journal. Dr. Clark has remained in direct ministry with young people, and is committed to the equipping and training of men and women who recognize the Church’s mandate of reaching out to young people in the name of Christ. Clark’s extensive publication of books, articles, and videos focus primarily on relationships. Among his many books are When Kids Hurt: Helping Adults Navigate the Adolescent Maze (2009), Disconnected: Parenting Teens in a MySpace World (2007, co-authored with his wife, Dee), Deep Justice in a Broken World: Helping Your Kids Serve Others and Right the Wrongs Around Them (2007, coauthored with Kara Powell), Deep Ministry in a Shallow World (2006, co-authored with Kara Powell), Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers (2004, a CBA finalist for Book of the Year, available in Spanish and Cantonese), Teens and Sex: A Leadership Video Curriculum for the American Association of Christian Counselors (2003), From Father to Son (2002), Daughters and Dads (1998), The Youth Worker’s Handbook to Family Ministry (1997), Creative Bible Lessons in Romans (1996, translated into Spanish, 2000), Let Me Ask You This...Conversations that Draw Couples Closer (1991), Great Camps and Retreats (1990, translated into Korean, 2000), and Option Plays (1990). In 1987 Clark published Next Time I Fall in Love, which was soon expanded into a leader’s guide, student journal, and a video curriculum. He has also edited and contributed to major youth and family ministry texts. Areas of Expertise, Research, Writing, and Teaching: Parenting, culture (esp. youth culture, media, etc.), marriage, youth development, youth and family ministry, general church and parachurch ministry, leadership and teamwork, and spiritual formation

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Sample Pages from Adoptive Church: Creating an Environment Where Emerging Generations Belong