She takes on the evangelical mainstram in quite a few places and juxaposes it with her research in healthy mainline churches who don’t subscribe to the evangelical notion of Christian growth and maturity.

I’m not done with the book yet, so mabe she eventually mentions it, but I get the feeling that the ecclesiological model put forth in this book is much more sustainable than the magachurch consumer-driven model popular in evangelicalism. I know some are saying that 21st century Christianity will be dominated by the charismatic movement (which will bring about the death of evangelicalism and mainline Christianity), but I think the mainline has a lot to offer our current cultural enviornment. I hope mainline pastors and denominational executives will pick up this book and read it. For that matter, evangelicals are welcome to read as well. We can all learn something from healthy mainline churches.

I have witnessed an interesting trend lately, though only anecdotally, so it might not mean anything: many of my youth ministry friends who grew up in conservative evangelicalism are turning to mainline churches (i.e. big centralized denominations: Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, etc.). In thinking through the differences between evangelicalism and mainline churches I am beginning to think that the mainline church is better poised theologically to lead the way into a new way of thinking about and practicing youth ministry (and I’ve detailed elsewhere on this blog some of my thoughts why a change is needed). With their sacramental theology, emphasis on community and work of the Holy Spirit (through things like infant baptism), typically smaller congregations, and other things individual mainline churches might be in a place to adopt an ecclesiology that forges a new path for youth ministry. If the denominational headquarters will catch on to the things happening in the grassroots churches, I think we will see innovation and leadership in youth ministry coming from the mainline, not evangelicalism.