2010 witnessed my failed attempt at reading a book per week and commenting on them here. I think I made it to…15 books?! And only “reviewed” 12 of them on my blog. But hey…failure rarely stops me from engaging a good challenge. This time, I’ll be looking for connections to campus ministry and the collegial context as I read and reflect. 
That connection wasn’t hard to see in this first completed book of 2011. Gabe Lyons does a great job of building on the research and material in his previous book UnChristian to identify a third option for being Christian today which should be quite appealing to college students as well as any-aged person who wants to participate fully with God’s mission to restore and redeem all of Creation.
I was personally captured by the very first line in the very first chapter: “Seven years ago, I was twenty-seven years old and embarrassed to call myself Christian.” Although for me it was about 8 years ago and I was 31 at the time…but I remember that angst. I was a youth pastor at the time, finishing a masters degree, and working part-time at Starbucks. The friends I was making in the cafe environment were many of the young adults whose negative opinions of Christianity showed up in Gabe’s previous book. (By the way, you can read more about Gabe and find out the kinds of things he’s up to here.)
Anyway, fast-forward a few years and here I am working with college students at the University of Cincinnati, hoping to see hundreds of students get a vision for their “calling” to find brokenness in the world and positively affect it. That’s what these “Next Christians” do, as Restorers…they approach the world and culture through a lens of grace.
Most 
Christians tend to fall into two categories (as Gabe points out): Separatist or Cultural Christians. Separatists are offended by the world and culture so they withdraw and express church & faith in insular ways, maintaining purity and holiness by condemning and withdawaing from the world. Cultural Christians tend to blend right in with the culture and operate from a very philanthropic posture (so-called “social gospel”) which is disconnected from the redemptive truth of the whole Gospel/Jesus.
But Restorative Christians are rediscovering the whole Gospel of God’s original intent for Creation which is marred and broken by sin, yet redeemed in the life/death/resurrection of Christ, which then leads to the follower of Jesus partnering with God in His mission to restore ALL Things through Christ (Colossians) until the ultimate Consummation of the Kingdom when Christ returns and all is as it ought to be. At this point, I really must credit the CCO and their campus ministry training which prompted my own discovery of this fuller approach to the Gospel. Gabe recently spoke to a gathering of CCO folks who work on 100 or so campuses and I remember thinking, “Did Gabe get a lot of his material from us?” 
Some key points which Lyons makes along the way: Restorers are…
- Provoked, not offended. Showing up is their defining practice.
- Creators, not critics. Anything that incarnates Christ and communicates restoration.
- Called, not employed. Restorers don’t have jobs…they serve in a vocation. Where your talent and heart come together is your calling. (insert plug for Jubilee Conference here)
- Grounded, not distracted. In order to live this way, we must be deeply anchored to Christ.
- In Community, not alone. Restorers need and want to come alongside others and experience intentional relationships and community.
- Counter-cultural, not relevant. Many churches and pastors are guilty of emphasizing relevance over Gospel-infused living that champions the common good.
The other highlight section for me was a description of five significant disciplines in which Next Christians tend to engage:
- Immersed in Scripture. Restorers value the story of God over entertainment and other distractions and spend time in God’s Word.
- Observing Sabbath. Restorers realize that our modern emphasis on productivity often emotionally and spiritually bankrupts us and our families because we are not being restored.
- Fasting for simplicity. Restorers find ways to limit consumption, excesses, and distractions.
- Choosing Embodiment. Being present (face to face, relationships, etc) is more important than productivity or connectivity.
- Postured by prayer. Many Christians are rediscovering the discipline of fixed-hour prayers as well as intentional times of prayer in community.
Overall, I think this book affirms what I see God doing in the lives of many Christians around me, including myself. Gabe also does a great job of communicating the value which certainly exists in the Separatist and Cultural expressions of Christianity. And the story of a conversation with Billy Graham (which is shared in that first chapter of the book) lends credibility from an amazing evangelist and friend of Jesus. There’s no doubt in my mind. God is up to something with this next generation of Christians, millions of which are on college campuses around the world right now!
Some days I feel fortunate to simply remember a title that I’ve read and its author…much less be able to discuss the actual content. I remember trying to reshape my model and approach to ministry at the time but feeling kind of like the “system” of youth ministry was too established in that particular context.
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