At this point it goes without saying that the number of young people in the church is shrinking. Countless studies and books have examined this trend and proffered helpful theories and next steps. But have all of the contributing factors been identified? Maybe not.

In A Faith of Their Own, longtime youth worker Nathan Wheeler looks at an as-yet-unexplored possibility: theology. Wheeler examines what theology we commonly teach in our youth ministries, often by default more than intention, and how that theology can be inadvertently detrimental to the church participation of younger generations. Join us to consider how we can broaden our theological lenses, think deeply and explore new strategies, all in the pursuit of helping the young people in our ministries grow a compelling, challenging, and robust faith they’ll choose to engage with throughout their entire lives.

Nathan Wheeler has been in ministry with youth and young adults for almost twenty years and currently serves as the coordinator of youth and young adult ministries for the Discipleship Ministry Team of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. In addition to serving the church, Nathan creates music at nathanwheelermemphis.bandcamp.com/music. Nathan lives in Memphis, TN, with his wife, Marissa, and their dog, Lucky.