Try Tank Podcast The Power of Sacred Listening
Oct 22, 2025
Josh Packard, sociologist and author of Faithful Futures, studies religion, generations, and youth ministry. He argues generational labels can mislead. He champions sacred listening as a relational practice. He discusses belonging before belief, relational ministry at scale, micro-narratives, and how social media reshapes spiritual life.
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Diversity Plus Trust Shift Breaks Old Models
- Two forces make generational containers harmful: unprecedented diversity and a trust shift from institutions to individuals.
- Packard cites Pew abandoning generational framing and says targeting a "big middle" now captures far fewer people.
Bolster Sermons With Relational Follow Up
- Supplement public, programmatic ministry with focused relational work because one sermon no longer reaches everyone effectively.
- Packard: boost relational approaches to compensate for lower efficacy of mass delivery.
Small Groups Power Mega Church Growth
- Mega churches succeed by coupling a large Sunday program with extensive small-group and affinity networks that create belonging.
- Packard notes niche affinity groups (e.g., mothers of twins) act as the real engine driving retention and growth.
