Faith is evolving, and so must the ways we understand and engage with it.  In this episode of the Igniting Imagination®  podcast, Rev. Lisa Greenwood and Rev. Dr. Gil Rendle sit down with Dr. Josh Packard, Co-Founder of Future of Faith, and Kris Jordan, Ministry Practitioner at Future of Faith. Together, they examine how younger generations navigate faith in a world where trust in institutions is fading, and traditional structures often feel distant. Lisa, Gil, Josh, and Kris

Every day across the country, leaders devote themselves to young people with a kind of steady, faithfulness that rarely draws attention. These leaders shape lives, build trust, and carry hope into places where young people gather. The Faithful Futures Fund exists to honor exactly that kind of work. Today we celebrate our first recipient: Chad VanDosen, Executive Director of Southwest Michigan Youth for Christ. His nominator described a leader who develops staff with intenti

In this episode of the Try Tank Podcast, Lorenzo Lebrija engages with Josh Packard to discuss his book "Faithful Futures: Sacred Tools for Engaging Younger Generations." They explore the evolving understanding of generational dynamics, the significance of sacred listening, and the role of relational ministry in today's diverse society. The conversation challenges traditional paradigms and offers new insights for faith communities. 👉 Listen to the episode here:   https://www.

Gen Z and Gen Alpha have grown up in a world where institutional trust has deeply eroded—and that changes everything about youth ministry. In this episode, sociologist Dr. Josh Packard explains why the ministry strategies that worked for previous generations are falling flat with today’s young people. It’s not that Gen Z and Gen Alpha hate the church or are rebelling against it. Most simply grew up without any connection to religious institutions at all. Josh shares why the s

In this timely and thought-provoking episode, Christopher Wesley sits down with sociologist and author Josh Packard, co-founder of Future Faith, and campus minister Cari Foster, Director of Mission and Formation at Lake Catholic High School. Together, they explore how sacred listening, accompaniment, and presence are transforming the way we engage with Gen Z and Gen Alpha in faith formation. Drawing from Josh’s upcoming book Faithful Futures and Cari’s on-the-ground ministry

We can all agree that sacred conversations can happen over shared meals, but beyond that people can find themselves birthing ministries from such moments. We recently invited ministry leaders to share moments when God’s Spirit showed up in their work.  It's so inspiring to see the wins that remind us why we do this and that we're not alone. Carol Van Buskirk, Project Director at Everyday Faith: The United Methodist Publishing House sent this story, and it captures exactly wh

Wes Ellis joined our Faithful Futures webinar for a rich, hopeful conversation about teenagers, theology, and what it means to meet God in real life. He has now written a reflection that expands that thread: “Listening for God in the Being of Young People.” Wes names a trap many ministries fall into: treating young people as “human becomings” who must advance through stages. He offers a different lens. Ministry begins with encounter —God’s initiative—and moves at the speed of

Here's what I told the two reporters in the last week who asked me about revival in the U.S. and Europe.  TLDR: It would be shocking if NOTHING were happening. There are too many good people working too hard that we see every day at Future of Faith for there to be no impact. They are the story.  Over the past several decades, story after story has documented the decline of religion in the West. But something noteworthy is shifting—and it deserves attention. In the United Stat

Faithful Futures just showed up as the #1 new release in both Sociology of Religion and Youth Ministry on Amazon. That feels especially meaningful because, as an applied sociologist, I’ve often lived between two worlds. Inside the university, I sometimes felt like religion wasn’t taken seriously enough as a force shaping people’s lives. Outside of it, in ministry and faith spaces, research can be dismissed as something cold or disconnected from real life. So seeing this book

When we talk about transformation in ministry, we often focus on the moment of belief and the instant someone says “yes” to faith. But as this next story shows, belief rarely happens in isolation. We recently invited ministry leaders to share moments when God’s Spirit showed up in their work.  It's so inspiring to see the wins that remind us why we do this and that we're not alone. Anna Schulten, Campus Minister at University of Southern Indiana sent this story, and it captur

Sometimes ministry looks like Sunday morning worship, but sometimes it looks like a skatepark.   We recently invited ministry leaders to share moments when God’s Spirit showed up in their work.  It's so inspiring to see the wins that remind us why we do this and that we're not alone. Drew Fajen, Pastor of Intergenerational Ministry & the Arts at Village Church in Portland sent in this story, and it captures exactly what Faithful Futures  is about:   I’m a youth pastor in Port

I just returned from two days in rural Kansas that reminded me why this work matters so much.   Three parishes opened their doors to host conversations about Sacred Listening  and young people. The response was overwhelming. Parents and grandparents filled the rooms. Parish priests, DREs, and teachers came ready to engage. Concerned community members who care deeply about the next generation showed up too. People asked thoughtful questions and shared stories from their own li