Each generation has had their ministerial focus. Many have witnessed the focus on Millennials as well as Generation Z. We are now in a time where the next generation (Generation Alpha) are just now old enough to enter student ministries. And just as we have seen a need for how to effectively reach millennials and Generation Z, Generation Alpha has their own unique needs. They are a generation raised exclusively in the technological age, where the decisions they make today can potentially follow them into adulthood. Many of their relationships are fostered via technology, but there are also those that have been raised in isolation as parents have chosen to remove their children more and more from traditional education. This resource offers expertise provided by on-the-ground interaction from Shane Pruitt as the Next Generation Director at NAMB but will also be paired with scholarly research from Shelly Melia who oversees the Family Ministry and Children's Ministry programs at Dallas Baptist University.
In Reaching Generation Alpha, Shane Pruitt and Shelly Melia provide professional, personal, and well-researched insights into reaching the next generation. This book offers more than a guide on how to give wisdom to specific situations often associated with Generation Alpha. More importantly, this book discusses the ways for ministry leaders to effectively connect with this upcoming generation and present them with the gospel.
Shane Pruitt serves as the National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board (NAMB). He and his wife Kasi reside in Texas with their five children. He has been in ministry for over 20 years as a church planter, lead pastor, and student pastor. Shane is also a traveling communicator, evangelist, and Bible teacher. Every year he speaks to over a hundred thousand people about the good news of Jesus Christ. He is the author of two books and a bible study, 9 Common Lies Christians Believe: And Why God's Truth Is Infinitely Better, Calling Out the Called: Discipling Those Called to Ministry Leadership, and Revival Generation: Awakening to a Movement of God. He is also one of the hosts of The Gensend Podcast.
Shelly Melia serves as Associate Dean and Program Director for the Master of Arts in Children's Ministry and the Master of Arts in Family Ministry in the Graduate School of Ministry at Dallas Baptist University. She speaks throughout the nation at children's and family ministry conferences. She is a repeat speaker at Lifeway's ETCH, Children's Pastor Conference, Heart of the Child, Early Childhood Christian Network, the Child Discipleship Forum, and D-6 Family Ministry conferences. She has been featured on podcasts with Lifeway and D-6 and been a speaker for Baptist conventions in Oklahoma, South Carolina, Louisiana, Georgia, Missouri, and Texas. She is a board member of the Disciple Leaders Network, served as the President of the Board for the Early Childhood Christian Network, and is a consultant for Single Parent Ministries.
