Church Tomorrow? - by Stephanie Spellers (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Nones, Dones, Unchurched, spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNRs). Call them what you will, they're a dominant force in American religion and the majority among Millennials and Gen Zers. In Church Tomorrow? Stephanie Spellers presents hard truths about declining religious affiliation in America, paired with stories and wisdom from her interviews with dozens of young people who either grew up with no faith or gave up formal religion. Along the way, she observes a course called 'Becoming Nonreligious in America' at Santa Clara University; in Atlanta, Georgia, she attends Sunday Assembly, a secular congregation that caters to agnostics and atheists; just outside the Twin Cities, she interviews college students and leaders to discover current faith trends; and in New York City she comes home to meet spiritual but not religious young adults who once attended her own church. And that's only the beginning. As she listens and learns, she asks: Why are younger generations passing on church? What spiritual pathways and communities are they creating? And how could their insights help to shape the future of Christian community? Listen up -- today's young Nones and Dones have a prophecy for the church of tomorrow."--

Book Synopsis

"Remarkable . . . a vision for the future that is decidedly not the way we've always done it but instead shaped by the way of Jesus and his love." -from the foreword by Michael B. Curry, former Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church

The Nones, Dones, Unchurched, spiritual-but-not-religious (SBNRs). Call them what you will, they're a dominant force in American religion and the majority among Millennials and Gen Zers. In Church Tomorrow? Stephanie Spellers presents hard truths about declining religious affiliation in America, paired with stories and wisdom from her interviews with dozens of young people who either grew up with no faith or gave up formal religion. Along the way, she observes a course called "Becoming Nonreligious in America" at Santa Clara University; in Atlanta, Georgia, she attends Sunday Assembly, a secular congregation that caters to agnostics and atheists; just outside the Twin Cities, she interviews college students and leaders to discover current faith trends; and in New York City she comes home to meet spiritual but not religious young adults who once attended her own church.

As she listens and learns, she asks: Why are younger generations passing on church? What spiritual pathways and communities are they creating? And how could their insights help to shape the future of Christian community? Listen up - today's young Nones and Dones have a prophecy for the church of tomorrow.

Review Quotes

"As a millennial priest doing ministry with mostly former "nones and dones," it frustrates me how rarely solutions posed by the church to our own decline actually converse with people who aren't in our pews. God bless Rev. Canon Spellers for actually listening to the people the church loves to talk about, and for asking the obvious, but terribly taboo, question: why aren't y'all here? Rev. Cn. Spellers offers her incredible dual gifts as a meticulous journalist and deep, pastoral listener to paint a portrait I want everyone worrying about emptying pews to prayerfully read."

-- "Lizzie McManus-Dail, author of God Didn't Make Us to Hate Us"

"Folks, this is it. This is the book for church leaders in the 2020's to read and discuss together, as soon as possible. My suspicion is that many church leaders will then ask their whole congregation to read it. Church Tomorrow? not only provides the content we need, shared with clarity, skill and sensitivity ... it also comes from the person -- and people -- we need to bring us this message. If you love your church, read this book as soon as you can."

-- "Brian D. McLaren, author of Do I Stay Christian? and Faith After Doubt"

"In Church Tomorrow? Stephanie Spellers has given us a lively, accessible guide to the demographic and sociological trends reshaping our church and the perspectives of generations we too often fail to reach. In these pages, readers will find a spirited and timely challenge to the status quo and a valuable tool for discerning where the Spirit is leading Episcopalians and the church we love."

-- "Sean Rowe, 28th Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church"

"Remarkable . . . a vision for the future that is decidedly not the way we've always done it but instead shaped by the way of Jesus and his love."

-- "from the foreword by Michael B. Curry, former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church"

"Rev. Stephanie Spellers brings the fire. Just as James Baldwin said that it is his love for America that drives him to criticize her perpetually, Spellers loves the church so much she will not settle for what it has become. Through the eyes of the "Nones" and "Dones" she holds a mirror up to the church and asks the question: "Is this who we want to be?" This is a wake up call, a prophetic rebuke of religious hypocrisy, a "get-behind-me-Satan" exorcism inside the pious institutions we call "church." But it is also an invitation to reimagine how God moves in the world, a liberating escape from the theological jails we've locked ourselves into, and a firm reminder that new life comes out of the compost ... even the compost of Christendom."

-- "Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution and co-founder of Red Letter Christians"

"Reverend Stephanie Spellers has been a guide and prophet to me many times, and what I love about this book is that now even more people will get to benefit from the leadership, the vision, and the wisdom that has affected me so powerfully. If you're wondering about the future of the church, put this important book at the top of your list."

-- "Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of Cold Tangerines, Present Over Perfect and I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet"

"Stephanie Spellers has given us so much: in-depth analysis of religious practice in America, and a chance to hear the stories of young adults seeking spiritual meaning who aren't finding it in our churches. More importantly, she challenges us to hear what they have to say as a prophetic word to the church. This is a book I will return to often and share with other Christian leaders."

-- "Mariann Budde, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and author of How to Be Brave"

"Stephanie Spellers has written a book that is in part a critical diagnosis and a doxology. With candor and compassion, she chronicles congregational decline, but without lament. In fact, this book calls forth healing and hope! Church Tomorrow? listens to the Nones and Dones not as statistics but as sages, reminding us that dry bones still rattle with the Spirit's breath. This is a prophetic and practical word that cuts through clichés, confronts complacency, and calls the church to courage. Anyone who cares about the future of faith should read this book, wrestle with its witness, and rejoice in its vision."

-- "Dr. Jonathan Lee Walton, president of Princeton Theological Seminary"

"Stephanie Spellers knows the church and knows the voices of those who seek spiritual community like no one else. Her newest book is a rich dive into the voices of spiritual young adults who do not find belonging in Christian churches. This is an important read for those of us who seek to serve them from the church."

-- "Winnie Varghese, dean of the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York"

"Stephanie Spellers's Church Tomorrow? lays foundations for the next critical conversation in the American church. With authority that comes from leadership in one of America's oldest denominations, Spellers asks two critical questions: Can these bones live? And if so, how? Combining the storytelling power of numbers, testimony, and scripture, Spellers weaves the story of the church now and the church that yet can be, if only leaders lay hold of actual faith and move the body of Christ into new ways of being together in the world. Read this book. Then do it."

-- "Lisa Sharon Harper, author of The Very Good Gospel"

"Through deep listening, Stephanie Spellers amplifies the voices of seekers, skeptics, and spiritual dreamers too often ignored. Church Tomorrow? calls us to live with authenticity, courage, and love, reminding us that the Spirit still breathes new life into dry bones. May this book find its way into many hands and hearts."

-- "Julia Ayala Harris, president, Episcopal House of Deputies"

"Weaving together survey data and in-depth interviews, Church Tomorrow? offers a rare blend of depth and nuance in the analysis of American religion. Written in an accessible and engaging style, it deepens and broadens the conversation around the growing trend of religious disaffiliation in the United States."

-- "Ryan Burge, author of The Nones"

"With prophetic insights from voices long past and the testimony of today's "nones and dones," Stephanie Spellers subtly shifts the question from where did they go? to where does the church go? Church Tomorrow? is not a portrait of decline or uncertainty, but a call into conversation--a summons to rediscover what it means to be a people called out to embrace the dynamic, passionate, and incarnate movement of the gospel. In this way, the "nones and dones" offer us a vision for becoming the church of tomorrow. This book lets us in on that vision."

-- "Kelly Brown Douglas, author of Resurrection Hope"