In Acts 20, a young man named Eutychus sat in a third-story window, listening as Paul preached late into the night. Eventually, he drifted off, fell, and was presumed dead. Paul paused, rushed to his side, embraced him, and declared, “There is still life in him.” In this post-pandemic world, too many Black children and youth resemble Eutychus—spiritually disengaged and falling through the cracks of ministries that no longer speak to their reality. This project asks: how might the church go down, reach out, and proclaim again, “There is still life in them”?
“Rooted, Resilient, and Reimagined” explores how Black churches can cultivate Children & Youth Ministries that are spiritually formative, culturally affirming, and socially responsive. Drawing upon the Black church’s legacy as a site of holistic formation and resistance, this study will examine how congregations can reimagine ministry for a new generation amid cultural erasure, mental health crises, and the rollback of DEI and Black history education.
Using a mixed-methods approach—interviews, surveys, focus groups, site visits, and archival research—the project will engage Black churches across geographic, denominational, and generational lines. The goal is a practical, accessible resource for forming resilient, rooted, and rising disciples.