Ministering to Today's Adults

Adult ministry poses a unique challenge to churches today--a challenge that many of us fail to meet adequately. The tragic result is an exodus of the best and brightest from our pews not because these people have changed their theology or abandoned God. They just dont find much at church that seems immediately relevant or compelling. For nearly fifty years Kenneth O. Gangel has been teaching church leaders how to do adult ministry right. In this volume he has distilled his insights into an easy-to-grasp-and-apply analysis of what it takes to capture the attention and guarantee the participation of adults in your church including: * Specific advice based on ages genders and circumstances peculiar to certain ministries * Proven cutting-edge curriculum models that can revitalize your churchs adult instruction * Contemporary solutions to the most common problems we encounter in ministering to todays adults Whether they know it or not even those who are lagging in church attendance and distancing themselves from other believers still need the time-proven heaven-given blessings only the church can offer them. As you read this book Gangel will give you fresh ideas about how to draw these drifters back into the fold. The real-life stories he tells and the successful strategies he outlines may strike in your heart some spark of imagination and renewed commitment that will help you to bring new life to the adult ministry of the church you serve. Reading Ministering to Todays Adults is like looking at the forest through the eyes of a trained biologist. Dr. Gangel mixes decades of thinking and research about adult learners with a pastors heart for ministry in this volume. Panoramic sweep probing insights and prickly questions prod the reader from one chapter to the next. I highly recommend it! --Michael Lawson Chair Department of Christian Education Dallas Seminary This work is written with a rare mix of adult learning theory and fresh ideas from the pen of a ministry practitioner who has been sharpening Christian leaders for half a century. Each chapter provides contemporary solutions for the common challenges in discipling adults--the book is a gift for all who love local church adult education. --Miles (Skip) Lewis Director of M.A. in Ministry Programs The Graduate School at Lancaster Bible College A wise man once advised Education is what survives when what has been learned has been forgotten. Thankfully Ministering to Todays Adults does not force readers to choose between their excellent education for adult ministry and memorable learning. Readers are rewarded with both. Dr. Gangels experience concise insights passion and ability to communicate practical knowledge about adults will not be quickly forgotten. --Ronald T. Habermas McGee Professor of Biblical Studies and Christian Formation John Brown University This latest refreshing volume from the prolific pen of Ken Gangel will impact scores of leaders and churches who seek to change lives and not just have adult programs. Kens insightful presentation of adult characteristics and contexts as well as how to minister effectively to them is timely and practical. A must read for all Christian leaders. -- Dr. Gilbert Peterson Chancellor of Lancaster Bible College For decades my good friend and colleague Dr. Gangel has been an effective teacher due in large measure to his deep commitment to listening from within. --Dr. Charles Swindoll Kenneth O. Gangel (1935 - 2009) was Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Dallas Seminary the Scholar-in-Residence at Toccoa Falls College and a senior consultant with Timothy Partners. He held a BA in business administration three masters degrees from accredited seminaries and a PhD in educational administration from the University of Missouri. The author or editor of 55 books Dr. Gangel lectured in over forty educational institutions worldwide.