Maybe it was baseball season, with its many Sunday practices, which caused a normally committed family to miss church...only they didn't return when the season ended. For another family, it was the dance recital with its accelerated rehearsal schedule, which was "only temporary" but their return attendance was sporadic before it became non-existent.

What's the greatest crisis among churches today? Janine McNally, the author of When You See Fireflies, contends that it is that children and families are leaving the church in droves, for "greener pastures" but in fact, is a very dark world. Nearly three out of every four teens who have grown up in the church have left and thousands more will join their ranks this week.

It is impossible to reach those whom we don’t understand. Generation Alpha is a very unique group of children, and while our message must never change, our methods and strategies must keep pace with the changing culture. Past successful programs do not automatically translate into effectiveness today. The perception is that the church is no longer relevant and many are disillusioned with the hypocrisy and politics and no longer believe.

Our troubled world reflects issues that we have faced for centuries but with technology and social media, they have resurfaced with an unstoppable force. This book addresses the personal, practical, biblical, and theological issues surrounding this crisis. We must be bright “fireflies” shining the light of the good news in a dark world. We must do something before we lose an entire generation.