Discover what’s working and find hope

Negative perceptions. Church dropouts. Prodigals and nomads. It's easy to get discouraged by all that's going wrong when it comes to Christianity and the emerging generation. Yet what's going right? In fact, signs of hope are springing up all around. In Faith For Exiles David Kinnaman, author of unChristian and You Lost Me teams up with Mark Matlock, former executive director of Youth Specialties to unveil major new Barna research that uncovers what's working—five practices that contribute to resilience. Enter the world of resilient young adult Christians and learn how they are sustaining faith. Finally, you can find hope in all that God is doing among young disciples today.

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A Decade's Journey of Listening to the Next Generation

What does Christianity look like to young non-Christians?

Why do young adults walk away from church and from faith?

What practices distinguish resilient disciples among young Christians?

Caught Between Cultures

In a world where always-connected smart devices and search algorithms educate and entertain, digital Babylon is the new context for discipleship. Faith For Exiles reveals findings from a groundbreaking three-year research study of young Christians whose faith remains resilient even in exile.

Barna president David Kinnaman teams up with former executive director of Youth Specialties Mark Matlock to help you:

Make sense of chaotic cultural changes and respond with compassion to the next generation of believers
Recognize the biblical concept of exile as an essential framework for following Christ today
Discover five research-based practices that cultivate faithfulness in digital Babylon
Prepare young Christians to be on mission with Jesus in the world
Empower Jesus followers of all ages to thrive in our current exile

About the Authors

David Kinnaman

David Kinnaman has authored several books, including unChristian, You Lost Me, and Good Faith. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research company based in Ventura, California, and Atlanta, Georgia. David's work as a researcher and "professional listener" has led his team to interview nearly 1.5 million individuals since he began working for Barna as an intern in 1995.

Mark Matlock

Mark Matlock has been working with youth pastors, students, and parents for more than two decades, and he's spoken live to more than 1 million teenagers. He is the principal at WisdomWorks, a consulting firm that helps Christian leaders leverage the transforming power of wisdom to accomplish their mission. Mark is the former executive director for Youth Specialities and creator of the PlanetWisdom student conferences.

Deeper Learning for Ministry Leaders and Parents

Implementing the five Faith For Exiles practices in your church or home won't happen by accident. These specially designed e-courses (one track for church leaders, one track for parents) offer guided exercises, discussion questions, and next steps for readers.

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