While Robertson has studied youth culture extensively, McCartney said his knowledge is based mainly on his experience working with the younger generation. He suggested that the narcissistic generation is passing and the current under-35s are hungry. While there may have been a time when cool worship would bring young people to church, that time is past. If a church wants to reach the under-35s, it has to go where they are.

McCartney added that teens and young adults who have come to Jesus through parachurch organizations have particularly rejected the church not because they are too self-centred but because the church is too self-centred. Young adults are rightly dissatisfied with churches that are too inwardly focused, he said. Instead, they are looking for a church that offers deep Bible teaching and real community and goes out into the world to meet needs.

Under-35s often have a deeper social conscience than previous generations, he added. "Young people are tired of going to Christian concerts and being entertained. They want to go out and change the world."

Lewis Chifan, pastor of Youth Church Vancouver, said many of the younger generation are just not interested in organized religion. Many come from nominal Buddhist, Muslim or Christian backgrounds. The Youth Churches reach this generation because they are focused on reaching the lost, making their services comfortable for the unchurched, he said. He also noted that the Youth Churches are practicing what McCartney advocates -- most of their work takes place during the week through activities such as coaching sports and "hanging out" in the community.

The key thing in reaching this generation is relationships, said Chifan. "This generation cares a lot more about what people think. They travel in packs." Many of this generation come from broken homes, whether they grew up in poor neighbourhoods or rich ones, and they "need people they can trust and love." This is why the Youth Churches spend so much time and effort building relationships and encouraging their Christian members to develop relationships with their lost friends.

Chifan also noted the importance of good contemporary worship music. He said churched kids might sit through old-style hymns "because they are used to it," but unchurched kids won't.

There is no point in traditional churches criticizing youth churches and emergent churches, which are at least reaching the younger generation, said McCartney. Instead, they should do what is necessary to reach under-35s themselves. "There is a great opportunity. No other organization is better equipped to answer questions than the church," he said. "The traditional church is a sleeping giant" that can change the world if it will "get back to Jesus."