Attracting young adults is an ongoing concern for most churches. But how do we attract a group of people we really don't understand? Robert Wuthnow's latest book, After the Baby Boomers, is an in-depth sociological analysis of the religious practices of people under the age of 40. The main image he uses to describe this group is "tinkerers."
From the first chapter, "A tinkerer puts together a life from whatever skills, ideas, and resources that are readily at hand. In a culture like ours, where higher education and professional training are valued, tinkering may have negative connotations. But it should not. Tinkerers are the most resourceful people in any era. If specialized skills are required, they have them. When they need help from experts, they seek it. But they do not rely on only one way of doing things. Their approach to life is practical. They get things done, and usually this happens by improvising, by piecing together an idea from here, a skill from there, and a contact from somewhere else. "
If you would like to read the first chapter of Wuthnow's book, click here. If you would like to read more, we have this book in our collection.
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