Why I’m Passionate About the Ark Encounter

Other than the Cross, the Ark is the greatest reminder/symbol of the message of the gospel. Noah and his family went through one door to be saved—and we need to go through one door (the Lord Jesus) to be saved. We need to get as many people to the door of the living “Ark” as we can.

In my coauthored book Already Gone I looked at why two-thirds of young people are leaving the church, many never to return. Well, in my new book Ready to Return, we take a deeper look at the one-third of millennials who still remain in the church and what they believe. We looked into the beliefs and convictions of this group of young people in our pews—and the results were shocking. Just because they’re still attending church, doesn’t mean their values mirror Scripture!

But the Ark might be a way to reach these 20-somethings. Research has shown that Americans of all ages are interested in the Ark. But, sadly, belief in the historicity of Noah’s Ark is declining. As research for Ready to Return showed, only 52% of 20-somethings in the church believe that this event actually happened! This generation is quickly drifting away from a belief in the historicity of Genesis. And I’ve been saying for years that if they start doubting the Bible in Genesis, it won’t be long before we see the next generation doubting the Bible in other places, such as the gospel of Jesus Christ—and this is exactly what’s happening. Our research has also shown that of the young people in the church, 65% think that if you’re a good person you’ll get to heaven! This goes completely against what Scripture teaches (John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 3:10, 6:23) and destroys the message of the gospel. This is dangerous for the next generation and the future of the church!

Research like this makes me so passionate about getting the message out about biblical authority through the Ark Encounter (opening July 7, 2016)! I desperately want to equip everyone with answers to the skeptical questions of this age so that we can raise a generation of young people who stand solidly and uncompromisingly on God’s Word! To discover additional questions addressed within the survey and solutions for concerned parents and ministry leaders, read Ready to Return.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken