I've been away on a week long vacation. While in California we dodged a black out, stayed north of a fire and survived driving on California roads and freeways. As always, it is so good to be home again!
David Kinnaman and Barna Research have done much writing on how the church seems to be failing to reach young people who want to know that their lives count for something. In this new book, "Faith for Exiles," some clear ideas are offered for those who are serious in reaching younger generations.
What's clear from "Faith for Exiles." is that this is not a "quick fix" sort of book. It will take planning, commitment and time for any church to implement the ideas proposed by Kinnaman and fellow author, Matt Matlock. I appreciate the fact that the first step in reaching younger people is that it all starts with Jesus. Many churches I know of focus heavily on providing activities, both social and service, as the place to start. But without Jesus as the foundation of faith, all other plans and objectives will yield little to no fruit of faith and belief.
Kinnaman and Matlock are right on the money when they write, "Still, when older adults model deep ways of following Jesus, young people notice - and not only when these people are their parents. Just as unmarried Christian adults need and extended family of faith, young disciples need attention and care from multiple adult gardeners in order to thrive in exile and to discover their identity. (page 55).
If you've read books like "unchristian," then you need to add "Faith for Exiles" to your library. Kinnaman and Matlock are offering a valuable resource to bringing exiles into God's family.
Book provided by Baker Books
