Aaron Pierce, the International Mission Director for Steiger International, answers with an emphatic no in his latest book, Not Beyond Reach: How To Share Jesus with the Young, the Deconstructed, and the Non-Religious.

But that’s not to say significant obstacles still remain, especially in our post-Christian and hyper-wired yet lonely culture.

In this episode of The Denison Forum Podcast, Pierce and Dr. Mark Turman dive deep into the challenges and opportunities of Christian outreach with the emerging, global, digitally native generation.

They talk about how Christians can effectively engage with Gen Z by striking a balance between being immersed in the world and holding onto biblical principles.

They also touch on the idea of deconstruction, the role of technology, and dealing with a post-Christian culture.

Pierce also stresses the importance of starting spiritual conversations and intentionally pursuing relationships with nonbelievers, guided by an understanding of the gospel and a love for people.

Topics

00:58 Aaron's Childhood in Amsterdam
01:44 Discussing Aaron's New Book: Not Beyond Reach
02:09 The Role of Steiger International
02:48 Aaron's Personal Experience and Perspective on Amsterdam
03:06 Aaron's Unique Childhood Experiences in Amsterdam
05:56 Aaron's Testimony and Passion for Missions
16:02 Understanding the Global Youth Culture
17:42 The Influence of Technology on the Global Youth Culture
19:52 The Impact of Secular Humanism on the Global Youth Culture
25:43 Understanding the Concept of Digital Natives
28:07 Understanding the Young and Nonreligious
28:48 Deconstruction of Faith: A Cultural Shift
31:53 The Struggle of Loneliness and the Search for Love
32:17 The Role of Love and Affirmation in Modern Society
33:08 The Challenge of Loving Without Affirming
34:30 The Missionary Mindset: Engaging with the Secular World
41:33 The Importance of Intentionality in Building Relationships
48:49 The Power of Spiritual Conversations
50:20 Understanding the Gospel and Sharing Your Story
51:20 Closing Remarks and Gratitude

Resources

Not Beyond Reach: How To Share Jesus with the Young, the Deconconstructed and the Non-Religious by Aaron Pierce
Steiger International
How to Know a Person by David Brooks
Podcast episode transcript (PDF)

About Aaron Pierce

Aaron Pierce serves as the International Mission Director of Steiger International, a global mission organization dedicated to mobilizing followers of Jesus to reach young people who would not walk into a church.

Growing up as a missionary kid in the heart of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Aaron witnessed the life-changing impact of the Gospel through his parents' ministry, who founded Steiger as a missionary movement. This experience ignited a deep love for Jesus and a strong desire to live a life fully dedicated to following Him.

Aaron is deeply passionate about inspiring and equipping followers of Jesus to live lives of radical faith and to courageously share the message of Jesus in our increasingly secularized culture. His prayer is that God would raise up a radical missionary movement that will transform the Global Youth Culture for Jesus.

Aaron’s most important role is his role as husband to Jennifer and dad to Asher, Selah, Hudson, and Wesley. Aaron and his family live in Minneapolis, MN (USA).

About Dr. Mark Turman

Dr. Mark Turman is the Executive Director of Denison Forum and Vice President of Denison Ministries. Among his many duties, Turman is most notably the host of The Denison Forum Podcast. He is also the chief strategist for DF Pastors, which equips pastors and church leaders to understand and transform today’s culture.

About Denison Forum

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, The Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.

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