Transcript
A (0:00)
Hey everybody. Before we get started, I just wanted to let you know about a really special event we have coming up. On May 9th at 7pm we're going to be hosting a benefit party at the Compass Gallery in Provo. And we would love to see you there. We're doing both live and silent art auctions featuring original pieces from many of our tradition's most gifted artists. So it's a chance to take home something beautiful and soulful while also supporting the work that we do here at Faith Matters. We'll also have complimentary mocktails, hors d', oeuvres, live music, and of course, great conversation. We would really love to gather with you. You can RSVP through the L the show notes and we'll see you there. Hey everybody, this is Aubrey Chavez from Faith Matters. Today we're really excited to share a special episode with Jeff Strong on his brand new book called why People We Love Are Leaving the Church and what We Can Learn from Them. Research suggests that roughly 40% of formerly active, faithful members have stepped away from the church in the last 25 years and that the pace is accelerating. And Jeff Strong is asking why. Drawing on hundreds of interviews, he's found that again and again, disaffiliation is rooted in unmet spiritual needs, strained trust, and experiences of exclusion or spiritual starvation. Jeff's book is unflinchingly honest and genuinely hopeful because if culture is part of the problem, there's also something all of us can do to help. In this conversation, Jeff really challenges the assumption that people leave casually. His data shows actually that on average, most people wrestle for nearly a decade before stepping away. These are sincere, often private and deeply painful journeys that deserve to be understood with care. Jeff says that what we need are gardeners, not gatekeepers. He suggests that our role isn't to monitor who's in or out or how in or how out anyone is, but to tend to the kind of soil where faith can actually grow. And he helps us recognize signs that our cultural soil may have become compacted or depleted of spiritual nutrients. And he offers practical, grounded ways for everyday members and leaders to cultivate something more, nourishing a more Christ centered culture where people can grow and flourish. We are so excited that this book is finally out and we can't wait for you to hear this conversation. And now, here's Jeff Strong.
B (2:05)
All right, Jeff, thank you so much for coming back.
C (2:07)
Yeah, it's always good to be here. Yeah, yeah, always.
B (2:11)
I mean this. In some ways this feels like maybe the, the culmination when did we meet you? It's been five or six years.
C (2:17)
I think it's been five.
