J. Paul Nyquist - The Post-Church Christian: Dealing with the Generational Baggage of Our Faith

Eavesdropping may not always be polite, but listening in on this conversation is something you wont want to miss, especially if you want to understand the delicate dynamics of the generation gap between boomers and millennials. With clarity and transparency, Paul Nyquist and his son Carson navigate the whitewater of generational disconnect and provide for us a valuable seminar on understanding and reconnecting with those whose worldviews are dramatically different. Highly recommended!

JOE STOWELL
President, Cornerstone University

The Nyquists, father and son, represent respectively the boomers and the millennials and they communicate very well with each other on matters of faith in general and the modern church in particular. Not surprisingly, they have differences which they air with grace and conviction, but they go far beyond that as they seek mutual understanding and practical ways of bridging the gaps between them. The result is a timely book, honest, insightful written from a deep desire to be genuinely helpful.

Stuart Briscoe
Author, international speaker, and too old to be either boomer or millennial

This book avoids simplistic responses, over-generalizations, and the blame game. Respect, integrity, and vulnerability characterize each page. I encourage ministry leaders of my generation to read this book, to take the issues raised seriously, and to continue the conversation with millennials in your ministry. I encourage millennials to read this book, to look for mentors among the boomer generation, and to join together with them for the sake of the gospel. The needs are great and the challenges severe but the resources in the church are sufficient for the task.

GLENN R. KREIDER
Professor of Theological Studies,
Dallas Theological Seminary

This is rare. Two different generations of Christians speaking with candor, care and passion on how to do church, live on mission, and love God. Paul and Carson have given us a gifta picture of how the church might live united in love across the generational spectrum. Church leaders, small groups and pastors would do well to buy this book in bulk and to read it together!

BRYAN HALFERTY
College/Young Adult Pastor,
Editor of theunitive.com

This book is more than content! Its certainly that, but its a dynamic illustration and very helpful model of how different generations should and must communicate. Sharing, being honest, listening, processing, and being teachable are reflected from cover to cover. This is adult-to-adult communication at its best between a boomer father and his millennial son, even though it reflects the older guiding the younger.

This is biblical! Without it, generational differences within families and within the church can evolve into separation and even alienation. With it, well walk side by side, arm in armnot always agreeingbut nevertheless reflecting Jesus Christ as we mature together. My good friends, Paul and Carson, show us how! So read, reflect, and respond!

DR. GENE A. GETZ
President, Center for Church Renewal
Pastor Emeritus, Chase Oaks Church, Plano, TX

If the church is to reclaim a credible voice in our culture, the worlds largest generations (the boomers and millennials) will have to learn to work together. Paul and Carson Nyquist, father and son, have begun a conversation I pray will continue around your dinner table, your local coffee shop, and your pulpit for years to come. May God raise up a new generation of leaders even greater than the last.

THOM S. RAINER
President of LifeWay Christian Resources, author of The Millennials (B&H Publishing Group)

In a world that so quickly pushes one extreme or another, The Post-Church Christian offers a balanced perspective on the gap that exists between the boomer and millennial generations. I appreciate both the language that Carson uses to embody the perspective of the millennials, as well as the gracious yet candid response from his father, Paul. To have an insiders view on their conversation is extremely helpfulwhether for the millennial, giving voice to the experience of their faith journey, or the boomer, understanding the serious implications of future leadership and what it takes to engage the next generation. This book is necessary for anyone serious about building a bridge between the two generations.

BEN STEWART
Director of Envision: Raising Up the Next Generation for Kingdom Change

In a culture where people of faith often seem all too eager to draw battle lines, The Post-Church Christian exchanges the typical shouting match for a refreshingly honest, candid, fireside chat. Not one ounce of dialogue or theological viewpoint is sacrificed, yet Paul and Carson are able to navigate complicated cultural paradigm shifts while propelling readers closer TO Jesus rather than pushing them further away. Its high time we move this conversation forward, and The Post-Church Christian is a fantastic way to kick things off.

MATT CHAMBERS
Cofounder and Director of SafeWorld

THE POST-CHURCH
CHRISTIAN

dealing with the generational
baggage of our faith

J. PAUL NYQUIST and CARSON NYQUIST

MOODY PUBLISHERS
CHICAGO

2013 by
J. PAUL NYQUIST and CARSON NYQUIST

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright 2000, 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Edited by Bailey Utecht
Interior design: Ragont Design
Cover design: Brock, Sharp & Associates / Faceout Studio

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Nyquist, J. Paul.

The post-church Christian : dealing with the generational baggage of our faith / J. Paul Nyquist and Carson Nyquist.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references (pages ).

ISBN 978-0-8024-0640-8

1. Church history20th century. 2. Church history21st century. 3. Generation YReligious life. 4. Intergenerational communicationReligious aspectsChristianity. 5. Intergenerational relationsReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Nyquist, Carson. II. Title.
BR481.N97 2013
277.3083dc23

2012039693

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from J. Paul Nyquist

To my parents, Carroll and Rose,
you understood the difference in our generations
but never stopped loving me.

To Natalie, Taylor, Carson, and Sawyer,
the millennials God gave me,
may you always love Jesus and His bride.

from Carson Nyquist

To Maggie, who taught me love is never
the result of ignorance or denial
but the reward of honesty.