Forecasting is a fool’s game. The further into the future you look, the more wildly inaccurate your guesses become. In fact, predictions often tell you more about the predictors than the actual future. Consider Brian Sanders’ words:

We will tend to use the future as a laboratory for our own pessimism or optimism. (33)

Despite the trouble with crystal balls, L. Rowland Smith has assembled a group of eleven Christians to consider the future of the church in light of its biggest emerging challenges. The list is daunting:

• Ecological disaster
• Racial reconciliation
• Human sexuality
• Online ontology
• Global migration
• Church finances

The thing that makes these collected chapters more than mere shots in the dark is their rootedness in emerging challenges. Even if you disagree with the direction some of these visionaries forecast, you cannot deny the challenge that motivates their thinking. The authors were chosen for their knowledge and on-the-ground involvement in the fields they speak to. These people are worth hearing out.

While some of the chapters are frustrating (does Leonard Sweet really need to coin another neologism or acronym?), most are honest and unflinching looks at the future—a future where the earth will be filled with the glory of God like the waters cover the sea.

Smith, L. Rowland. Red Skies: 10 Essential Conversations Exploring our Future as the Church. 100 Movements Publishing, 2022.