Millennials and the Mission of God

As mainstream media cries out that the millennial generation has killed everything from cereal to office jobs, it must also be asked: have millennials killed Christian missions? With the rise of new technologies, social and political movements, and increasing numbers of religious nones, the church as we know it is facing serious turmoil at the hands of this new generation of adults. Here, a millennial and a baby boomer invite the reader into a dialogue about the future of missions and the future of the Western church. From a missiological reading of the Bible to the contemporary debate over Christian social justice and the ethical dilemmas of evangelism, this book plays out the intergenerational tensions within the church, and provides a platform from which to view the present and future of an institution that is so rapidly changing.

""A welcome and winsome conversation between a boomer and a millennial that can help all of us bear the love of God into a rapidly changing world.""
--Elaine Heath, Dean of Duke Divinity School

""I am thankful that Andrew and Carolyn have extended their original conversation. By allowing us to continue to listen, they in essence have invited us to add our voices as we explore the mission of God together whether in the classroom, the church, or the coffee shop. This conversation challenges us to ponder how each generation must self-align with God's mission in light of its global and local context.""
--Marcus Dean, Professor of Intercultural Studies and Missions at Houghton College

""This book is at once timely and ageless. Timely, because the issues that divide boomers and millennials in matters of faith are the very issues that will determine the future of missions. But ageless, because generations clash; they always have and always will. Books like this help us get the most out of the clash.""
--Al Tizon, Affiliate Associate Professor of Missional and Global Leadership

""Sound bites will not get us to where we need to go. We need conversations. Long, deep, and honest ones. If you care about faith, the church, and God's reconciling mission in the world, then take a break from texting personal truth missiles, and listen in on this impassioned exchange between a boomer (Andrew) and a millennial (Carolyn). Don't argue. Or debate. Just listen for a change. The authors believe the church should be 'a cathedral for human stories in the presence of the Lord Jesus.' That is what you'll discover when you enter this sacred space.""
--James R. Krabill, Adjunct Professor of Missions at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary


Andrew F. Bush is Associate Professor of Missiology, Chair of the Department of Global Studies and Mission, and Director of the BA in Missiology and Anthropology program at Eastern University. He also continues to actively pursue his more than three decades of international missions service in the Philippines and Palestine.

Carolyn C. Wason is a student of anthropology and is deeply interested in the relationship between theology and culture. She is a graduate of Eastern University, and is currently pursuing graduate studies at the University of Oxford. She is a proud member of the millennial generation.