Faith in the Future?

Excited for my good friend, Dan Kimball!  Check out this news release from George Fox University:

“Dan Kimball hired to lead new center focused on ‘future faith’

Dan Kimball, author of They Like Jesus But Not the Church and the forthcoming Adventures in Churchland, will join George Fox University in a part-time capacity this fall as professor of missional leadership and as leader of a new center focused on the future faith of young Americans. He also will teach at the university’s seminary.

As Oregon’s nationally recognized Christian university, George Fox is deeply interested in seeing the gospel of Jesus impact future generations, especially in light of recent trends showing the decline of Christianity among younger generations. The university hopes to create a stronger partnership with the broader church to help address this decline.

Kimball, a graduate of George Fox University’ Doctor of Ministry program, formed a friendship with the university’s president, Robin Baker, during his time as a graduate student. The two soon discovered they had a common passion for seeing emerging generations connect with the message of Jesus and see their careers as a calling, no matter what vocation they chose to pursue.

Out of this relationship came the idea for a center that would focus on future generations and the mission of the church. The center, yet to be named, will conduct research on churches that are effectively engaging college students and young adults with the gospel. The center will have both a national focus and a Portland focus. It will serve to create opportunities for church leaders to collaborate, learn, and share ideas.

The center will also host conferences that will focus on reaching those outside the church and training future generations about their role in the mission of Jesus. This will include a focus on the apologetics needed for life on mission in today’s culture, as well as using the arts in ministry and learning from the most innovative practitioners from around the country.

A website for the center will be launched in October. The website will highlight churches and ministries from around the country, articles by leading voices in the missional movement, as well as new voices. The center will be planning for its first major event in the fall of 2012.

Kimball lives in Santa Cruz, Calif., where he is on staff at Vintage Faith Church (vintagechurch.org). He will visit the Oregon campus on a part-time basis. He is married with two daughters and blogs at dankimball.com.”