Recently I had the opportunity to review Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus is a Digital Babylon.
So many women’s ministry teams are struggling to reach younger generations.
Gen Z and millennials seem uninterested in our women’s ministry offerings. They rarely attend, and our efforts to reach out often fall flat. We may even assume the faith of these young adults is stagnant or lukewarm.
But are our assumptions correct? What about those who haven’t walked away from the faith? Why are some young adult Christians active in the church? Are there things we can do to reach the younger generations?
Faith for Exiles is about discovering what’s working and finding hope.
“This book distills what we’ve learned thus far about passing on lasting faith in Jesus in a culture increasingly indifferent and sometimes hostile to Christianity.”
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, the author of unChristian and You Lost Me unveils 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.
In Faith for Exiles, authors David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock thoroughly examine each of the five practices that contribute to resilience.
- To form a resilient identity, experience intimacy with Jesus
- In a complex and anxious age, develop the muscles of cultural discernment
- When isolation and mistrust are the norms, forge meaningful, intergenerational relationships
- To ground and motivate an ambitious generation, train for vocational discipleship
- Curb entitlement and self-centered tendencies, by engaging in countercultural mission
While I’ve read several excellent books about Gen Z and the millennial generation, the majority of the content has been descriptive, not prescriptive. While I’ve gained a greater understanding of those we long to reach, I also find myself wishing for a “to-do” list.
Kinnaman and Matlock sprinkle practical ideas through Faith for Exiles that we can implement in our churches and women’s ministries to encourage and equip young adults.
As a mom of two young adults that straddle the Gen Z and millennial generation, I have a front-row seat to what life can be like for young Christian adults. The stories shared in Faith for Exiles, reflect what our sons have seen and experienced.
Many college campuses offer a dozen or more Christian organizations. Off-campus you’ll find thriving college ministries. Yet when those students graduate, they often flounder with no clear place for them to find community within the church. Too old for the college class, often unmarried and without children, these young adults are searching places where they can ask questions and dig deep into the Word of God. “Not only are the most engaged young Christian serious about personal faith and faithfulness, but they are also concerned for and thoughtful about how their faith in Christ intersects meaningfully and missionally with the world around them.”
Which begs the question, are we offering event and activities for all of our women, no matter their age, that encourages personal faith and faithfulness? Are we going deep enough? Are preparing our women to share Christ with the world around them? Are we creating situations in which women can take their faith on mission and out into the world?
I suspect we can all do more! And the authors think so too! “The church is one of the least demanding environments for young people, in terms of what they are asked to do mentally and emotionally and what is expected of them when it comes to serving and giving.”
Not only are we not engaging young adults, but many churches have a negative attitude toward millennials and Gen Z. “Ask a roomful of older adults what they think of Millenials, and you will see the mud start to sling.” Claims of entitlement, self-centeredness, and a lack of social skills are thrown about with ease. However, Faith for Exiles reveals that millennials have a much more favorable view of older adults describing them as generous or hospitable. Perhaps an attitude adjustment is needed…
We, all of us, have a considerable role in the faith of the next generation. “The top relational predictors for resilient Christians are these: I feel connected to a community of Christians; the church is the place where I feel I belong; I feel loved and valued in my church; I feel connected to people older than me in my church.”
Would the young women in your church say they feel connected to the women’s ministry?
Do they feel like they belong there? Are they valued by the other women in the church? Are they connected to the older women in your church? “The transfer of wisdom between generations is more important than ever because, unless we are intentional, young Christians will be raised by their devices and algorithms rather than by us.”
Faith for Exiles offers practical ideas that can help your team reach the next generation.
Disclosure: As a member of the Faith for Exiles launch team, I received a free copy of this book. No monetary compensation was received.
You may also want to read:
10 Things You Can Do to Reach Younger Women in Your Church and Community
How to Engage Multiple Generations
Why Women Aren’t Coming to your Women’s Ministry Events
One year ago: Book Review: It’s All Under Control
Two years ago: Tips to Increase Your Women’s Bible Study Attendance
Three years ago: A Few of My Favorite Things Icebreaker (Free Printable)
Four years ago: How to Start a Prayer Group
Five years ago: Bible Study Leader Kit
Six years ago: How to Alienate Visitors
Thank you for your book review! I’d love ideas on what to do as we work to grow our church younger and engage the next generation. It is great to see God’s steadfast faithfulness to his people and church. And thank you for your time and talents on equipping us in ministry! So glad I found your site.
We just competed out first year as a women’s ministry team and have been so blessed! We do have the problem of getting our younger women Involved. Pne of my goals is multi generational interaction. The book sounds like it gives the Information we need to meet their needs so they are drawn to fellowship with women of all ages.
Thanks,
Linda
I would love to receive this book for our Women’s Ministry Team to use as a resource for reaching more young women.
We are trying to implement all generations, college age and above in our ministry. I think the book will give us better insight.
I am starting the Women’s Ministry at our church. This ministry has been non-existant for three years. My main goal is to reach the millenials and the younger women within the church and community. Your book is just what I need!
Greetings! This is information that is definitely needed in our churches today. Thank you for helping to bring a solution to the table.
Leading our church alongside my husband and focusing on women has opened my eyes to us missing the younger generation. A lot of people are talking about the need to address it, but few have solutions. There are churches where young people are engaged. I would be extremely interested in learning more about this topic. My prayer is that we all would be a part of the solution.
Such timely info- we look around the room & mourn the absence of younger women, yet feel at a loss on how to meaningfully reach out to them. Our church is launching a young adult ministry- this book would be a tremendous help!
I have always seen a need to try and connect the after college to 30 age group church attenders. I feel they are often left out of a place to fit in. Hoping this book might help with that.
This sounds like a great book to add to my “must-read” list. Thank you for doing such a thorough review.
I’m in charge of the Women’s Ministry in my church. Thanks for the chance to read this book!
I loved You Lost Me. This book looks even better. Thank you so much for reviewing it!
I have served in women’s ministry for decades. My husband took the pastorate at a small rural church. Reaching and ministering to younger women has been the topic of conversations recently. I would love the opportunity to receive a copy of this book and compose a review as well.
Hello Cyndee! I appreciate your review. Would love to read this book. I’ve read unChristian and have been concerned for years about the loss of young people in our churches. My church has few young families and mostly a sea of gray hair. We are loving and trying – praying constantly that God raises us up to do His work with joy and diligence and that He brings the young families back. Thank you.
This is an area of great interest to me and one of the mission statements for our women’s fellowship is – to “be examples of Godly women, and be intentional in mentoring younger girls and women in the faith.”
Discussion around the area of developing intergenerational congregations where young people are included in all of church life and their voices heard is vital for the ongoing life and impact of the church in the world.
Thanks for sharing this. I will definitely try to get a copy of this book and add it to my must read list.
Marilyn
I am a pastor’s wife with 7 children, three of whom are in college. Reading this review touched my heart where some of the struggles lie right now for our children. I have been asking some of these questions myself without getting too many answers. God’s timing is always impeccable.
This subject is one my husband and I are discussing a lot–how to reach this age group in our church and include them effectively in our body. This book looks like a great resource!
I volunteer as Women’s Discipleship Coordinator at my church and we struggle with getting younger ladies to participate in Bible study and other events. This book sounds like it would be immensely helpful.
The ladies on either end of the age spectrum seem to be the most difficult to get involved. Would love to read this book!
This is a spot on observation. My daughter is a 26 yr old single in our church. Others (not in our church) have suggested she try churches with a more vibrant singles ministry. She loves our church and wants to be more involved, especially with other singles. There’s just not much ministry there. She was teaching the 4K Sunday school class and the children’s leader said they didn’t need her anymore. She feels unappreciated and hurt. It’s hard enough being a single woman in a place surrounded by couples.
Would love to see churches rise up to meet the challenges of our singles and younger generation rather than judge and think they are not capable.
i am interested in apologetics and actively engaging people for Jesus, it seems right that we must understand and connect relationally with all generations, thanks for offering this book as a new resource!
This is something many of our women’s ministry groups struggle with. Would love to read!
I’m so excited about this book! My heart is for these young adults, both men and women. I believe God will use them mightily if we will just draw them in and mentor them in the love of Jesus. Thx for being part of the launch team!
As one that teaches Gen Z and has some in our church that I would love to get involved, I think this book would be very helpful.
I’d love to read this book. Thanks for offering it.
I am on the Women’s Ministry leadership team at my church. I am concerned that we are not reaching the younger ladies. I am interested in this book “Faith for Exiles” and would like to be entered not the drawing.
Thanks for your ministry and for your concern for reaching every generation for Christ.
Thanks Cindy, for your informative site. I have gotten so many ideas for our women’s ministry. We are seeing our young people leave our church after they graduate from high school. I’m always looking for ways to engage these young women before it’s too late.