Church leaders should read this book. It deals with ministry, particularly ministry to young adults. The authors base the content on five fundamental assumptions: no one program will meet all the needs of the young adults in the church, not every church needs a program to reach young adults, young adults are not a revisit of the “boomers,” young adult ministry differs from youth ministry, and young adult ministry is no longer a single adult ministry. 

I mention these five assumptions up front because I do not want readers to assume the book is too specialized if their church “does more than young adult ministry.” While Getting Real does focus on ministering to young adults, I believe the model for ministry to the postmodern generation (thirty-five-year-olds and younger) is the biblical model for ministry to each generation.  The subtitle refers to relational ministry which is the model for all ages. Christianity is the religion of truth developed vertically and horizontally.  Christianity is a relational religion because God is a relational God.  That relational aspect has not received the emphasis that it should have, especially in the 20^th century, until the shift from modernism to post-modernism in the mid 1900s.

Essentially, what does relational ministry mean? Effective ministry cannot simply be “word” focused.  It must be deeds oriented and the Word has to be cast into a relational setting where people understand how the propositional truths can help develop relationships throughout the community.  I would summarize the difference like this: the old model of ministry teaches the truth to people; the new (I believe more biblical) model teaches people the truth. 

The introduction and first chapter, “Postmodernism and Young Adults” drew me into the book, and the questions and answer section convinced me that Baugh and Hurst are worth reading. They have a good grasp on postmodern culture: what young adults think, what they need, and what they think they need. The authors’ ideas about casting God’s truth into that relational framework that meets the audience where they are in order to build them into the truth of God, are right on target, and they give many ideas, real life stories, and examples.

As I read books like this, which target different generations, I am impressed with the idea that the real needs of all the generations are the same. The way we address those needs must be carefully orchestrated if we are to gain an audience.  God wants us, as his image bearers, to relate not only to him but to others as well. This book will definitely challenge us and move us in that direction. 

- Charles Dunahoo, CEP Coordinator