The Orphaned Generation: The Father’s Heart for Connecting Youth and Young Adults to Your Church resonated with me on several levels. Scott reminded me of the pictures of God and His church that matter and of the false one’s that don’t. His masterful reworking of the sinner situation reminds us all of a God who came down to us. We should always be willing to humble ourselves to the sinners and seekers around us so they will get the right picture of who God is. This book would be a tease in the hands of only youth pastors. I think most youth pastors get it; the book preaches to the choir of youth pastors (including me) who have been singing this song for years. This book should be required reading for pastors, boards and committees. Without capturing he hearts of the old, the young will lose heart. Admonishment from Scripture is for the older to lead and the young to be respectful. Change begins, as Scott shared, when the Old Guard stops guarding and start leading.
–Paul Turner
This is a great book. Wilcher points out something that’s a problem in a lot of churches. I thought he offers good practical and biblical solutions. This opened my eyes to things I could and should do better. I believe this is definitely a book that youth workers can use with their groups…and their churches. The insights and ideas can keep youth involved in the church past high school and throughout their lives.
–Jonathan Tripp, Hixson, Tennessee
Surrounded by a culture of the spiritually fatherless, Scott Wilcher aptly addresses the neglect, oversight and longstanding wrong approach taken to connect the next generation of youth and young adults to their heavenly Father in his book The Orphaned Generation. Wilcher bears witness to the sweeter, more abundant fruit produced by pursuing personal relationships above that of programming with a vital emphasis on an intentional intergenerational approach. Though Wilcher expends a lot of ink debunking a popular gospel image, the Life-Bridge Picture, which sounds a little like an axe being ground close to the opening pages, the image is sharpened on the other side and the more fruitful chapters are aheaed. Best bet? If your fig trees are withering and you’re wondering why your harvest of this age group is lacking, open this book and be challenged to put off some programs in favor of authentic, cross-generation relationship development. Already there? Then put this book in the hands of your volunteers or those hesitant to join your student guide team; and watch them be encouraged to use their story, humble as it may be, to help grow the next generation. May your baskets overflow from the fruit God will give you.
–Rebecca Wimmer, best-selling author with the Skit Guys and former full-time youth director, volunteers in her husband’s student ministry in Ashburn, Va.; RebeccaWimmer.com.
In his book The Orphaned Generation, Scott Wilcher explores the current (and popular) topic of not only retaining the youth in church, but why today’s youth culture clashes with the adult world. Wilcher begins by discussing the issue of why this generation leaves the church and how it seems churches separate themselves in a manner of “us (adults) versus them (youth).” In the second half of the book, Wilcher looks at how churchwa need to look past the misconceptions they may have of the youth and how adults can mentor young people effectively–not only for unification in the church but for a positive tradition of passing down one’s faith to another. Wilcher’s book is a good resource not only for youth pastors but for a church staff. Wilcher offers creditable insight from his extensive experience in youth ministry and his relevant approach for churches to reach out to the youth culture more effectively is clear and easy for churches of any size or place (i.e., city, rurual, etc.) to implement.
–Chris Ensley, Youth Pastor, Marion Christian Church, Marion, Kansas
In The Orphaned Generation, Scott Wilcher makes several good points about the state of the church and its inability to reach out to kids effectively. While encouraging the church to take a second look at teenagers, Wilcher correctly urges us to fulfill our calling to make disciples of all nations. If adults in the church were to take Wilcher’s instruction seriously, the kingdom of God would certainly advance in the world of adolescents. However, The Orphaned Generation may trip up readers along the way. Wilcher bases much of his point on the assumption that the church has come to believe and follow Jesus through the bridge illustration. Certainly, this illustration is widely used to help unbelievers understand God’s love as expressed in the cross and resurrection. But is it so widely used that it permeates our subconscience, thereby influencing our perception of unbelieving teenagers? I, for one, haven’t heard this illustration used in a church service in the past decade. Scott Wilcher has done a fabulous job in bringing to light some severe weaknesses in the church today, but his approach may alienate his readers before they get a chance to consider his thoughts.
— Marcus Eiland, Young Life Area Director of Northern New Jersey and Young Life’s Greater New York director for Capernaum.
Last year, I was captivated by an ABC 20/20 special on homeless youth in America. The story was raw, honest and startling as it depicted adolescents who go through each day without the safety and guidance of a loving family. Though the actual story was about physical and geographical homelessness, it certainly touched on emotional and spiritual homelessness. It is a clip I often utilize to compel adults to consider how even though most of the students we may know have homes to go to every night, most students in our culture still struggle with some degree of spiritual homelessness.
The topic of teenage homelessness (spiritual and physical) raises my ministry radar quickly because I grew up among foster children—young people who’d lost their homes and families. So, when I read the title of Scott Wilcher’s book, The Orphaned Generation, I definitely wanted to dig into his perceptions about why young people today so often are spiritual orphans. Just by the title, I sensed he was speaking my ministry language; and I wanted to see if he could give clarity and insight into what is rumbling around in my head.
I was not disappointed. In a simple, clear writing style, Wilcher digs into complicated issues that are being debated in churches everywhere. He gives voice to everyone who is wrestling with the struggle of young people leaving—or never coming into—our spiritual communities. He tells the story of the teenager who feels abandoned and needs the older generation to seek him or her out to be drawn in through intentional, enduring relationships. He also tells an empathetic story of the older generations and gives practical wisdom about how to draw them into this God-led pursuit of young people.
By using the idea of “thinking in pictures” Scott unpacks the obstacles that are standing in the way of adolescents finding life in Christ through the church community. Then within a rich biblical framework, he offers a fresh canvas for painting the church’s picture of the Great Commission. The book is full of practical and compelling illustrations of the ideas that he challenges and presents.
Here’s what resonated most with me in The Orphaned Generation:
• the gentle critique and redrawing of how we tell the salvation story;
• how we tend to see young people and the picture of them they need us to see; and
• how the church’s old snapshots of itself need to be replaced with new, more scripturally framed pictures of community and growth.
The Orphaned Generation is a practical, easy-to-read resource that can be used to get urgent dialogues going in churches. Youth pastors can use it to repaint their pictures of discipling students by putting more adults in students’ lives. Church leaders can read it and be encouraged to stop programming so much and start offering simple opportunities for adults and young people to walk the journey of faith together, as well as seek and follow Christ in relationship with each other!
–Denise McKinney, author of Mile Markers: A Path for Nurturing Adolescent Faith
I expected from the title that this book was going to look into the systemic abandonment ideas Chap Clark has been working on at Fuller Theological Seminary. I thought Wilcher did a really good job describing what it is like for many young people in the world today and why many young people simply walk away from the church. Wilcher’s discussion of the need to renew our thinking in regard to young people and the gospel is right on target. As I read the book, I couldn’t help but come again and again to this question: How is my church doing when it comes to young people? I also think Wilcher’s discussion of the church as a family is a key idea. He totally sold me on the need to use the family metaphor to talk about the identity of the church. There are some great ideas in this book that are going to help with the development of better youth ministry in churches. I see this book as a tool I would use for my leaders and ministry volunteers. It would be a good read for anyone who works with young people…especially in churches.
–Anthony J. Applegate, Youth Family Minister, Brenham Church of Christ
The Orphan Generation by Scott Wilcher provides a lot of thought for youth ministers and for churches. Its primary benefit is for older congregations who dream of having vital youth programming but fail to grasp a vision of multi-generational ministry. Too many churches compartmentalize their ministries and therefore separate the unity Jesus desires for His church. Wilcher seeks to break down the compartmentalization and inspire churches toward a comprehensive ministry that seeks to serve all people. In doing so, he offers many suggestions regarding ministry and encourages the more mature members of a congregation to step out of their comfort zones and embrace the rich relationships that can exist inter-generationally. This book offers youth ministers an opportunity to discuss ministry with members of the church and challenge everyone to involve themselves in youth ministry. Youth ministers would be wise to challenge the leadership in their churches to read and apply this volume to their church’s ministry.
–Joel Jackson
In the final sentences of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi dictates the importance of “turn(ing) the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers” (
Youth ministers and senior pastors need to read this book and begin to connect the sides of the church together strategically. It’s not just about preparing future leaders for the church, but giving opportunities to follow the model for ministry the early church devised–the older saints mentored and built lifelong friendships with the young disciples (see Paul and Timothy for an example). While The Orphaned Generation is not a youth ministry text, it has applicability for developing mature young people.
–Brian C. Johnson, Youth Pastor, Revival Tabernacle, Watsontown, Pennsylvania
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