Others Magazine

Anna Howlett says 'Faith for Exiles' reminds her that we must not shelter this generation fro the world but equip them to live faithfully in it.

By Anna Howlett

Faith for Exiles – 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon provides practical, research-based methods for pastors and spiritual leaders to effectively disciple a new generation of young people they describe as ‘exiles’. So who are the ‘exiles’?

They are categorised into these groups: ex-Christians, the unchurched, habitual churchgoers and resilient disciples.

Authors David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock identify a new era of young people growing up between the metaphorical Jerusalem of traditional faith – sweet and simple with a sense of religious pride; contrasted against a digital Babylon, a “pagan but spiritual, hyper-stimulated, multicultural, imperial crossroads that is the virtual home of every person with Wi-Fi”.

Rather than focusing on where the Church has veered off course with millennials, this book manages to strike a balance of owning the errors while illustrating what has gone right. This creates practical action steps to grow and multiply this experience for the current and upcoming generation.

This is not a ‘feel-good’ before bed read, as I found it very personally challenging. But I would highly recommend this as essential to any spiritual leader, mentor or significant person in a young person’s life. My takeaway is that we must not shelter this generation from the world but equip them to live as confident followers of Christ.

Available at Koorong 

ANNA HOWLETT IS A PASTOR IN GEELONG, VICTORIA.