It has been said that they only constant in life is change. Regardless of how much we like, or dislike the present way of life, the future will look nothing like it. In George Barna’s latest book “FutureCast; What Today’s Trends Mean For Tomorrow’s World”, he shows us how current trends in areas such as lifestyle, family, media, religion, faith, and economy will affect our future. Barna, founder of the Barna Research Group, has compiled extensive research on factors and trends in today’s society and organized them in an effective and easy-to-understand manner.

Barna says that there are three kinds of people when it comes to the future: those who will watch what happens, those who will make it happen, and those who will wonder what happened. I appreciated the breakdown of this book. In each chapter, Barna gives the research that reflects today’s trends. At the conclusion of each chapter, there is a section which forecasts what is likely to happen in the future. I was surprised by a lot in this book. I was also discourage by a lot of what I read. Between the facts and figures and the future forecasts in areas such as marriage and institutional religion, it is clear the evangelical community has many challenges ahead. As a pastor, I found the chapters on faith and religion the most insightful and helpful.

It has also been said that those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it. FutureCast helps to make sense of why things are the way they are and how to prepare for the years to come. I recommend this book for all church leaders in order to better prepare for future ministry.