Faith for Exiles

5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon

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Discover what's working and find hope.

Negative perceptions. Church dropouts. Prodigals and nomads. It's easy to become 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.

Praise for You Lost Me

"The next generation is leaving institutional Christianity, but they are drawn to movements of God that invest in relational discipleship. Kinnaman sounds the alarm while providing savvy advice on connecting with disaffected youth."--Leadership Journal, Top Book of 2011

"Kinnaman is unafraid to criticize in the name of reform, and he bolsters his research arguments with concrete suggestions for improvement. A must-read for anyone concerned about the future of Christianity."--Publishers Weekly, starred review


Praise for unChristian


"unChristian could be a milestone on the way to a changed church--one that represents Christ in humility, love, grace, and service toward all. Essential reading for all Christian leaders."--CBA Retailers

"An engaging, challenging, and morally compelling study."--Library Journal

"This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence the church for years to come."--Publishers Weekly, starred review


Screens disciple.

The lighted rectangles in our pockets--smartphones and their bigger siblings, tablets and computers--have redefined so much about our lives, including spirituality and the pursuit of God. The ubiquity and power of the interconnected, digital age is affecting how we shape our souls. In other words, screens disciple.

In a world where always-connected smart devices and search algorithms educate and entertain, digital Babylon is the new context for discipleship. That means we are all exiles now.

This practical and thought-provoking book reveals findings from a groundbreaking three-year research study. 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

Just as Scripture says, we can remain confident that God has a bigger picture in mind for those in exile. "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'"


Jeremiah 29:11


David Kinnaman has authored several books, including unChristian, You Lost Me, and Good Faith. His day job consists of leading Barna, 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 has written more than twenty books for teens and for parents. 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 Specialties (YS) and creator of the PlanetWisdom student conferences.

The Authors

  1. David Kinnaman

    David Kinnaman

    David Kinnaman is coauthor of unChristian, You Lost Me, and Good Faith. He is president of Barna Group, a leading research and communications company that works with churches, nonprofits, and businesses ranging from film studios to...

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  2. Mark Matlock

    Mark Matlock

    Mark Matlock is Senior Fellow at Barna and a facilitator of innovation and impact. As the founder of WisdomWorks, he has been a consultant for many national and international faith-based organizations, helping them adapt to changing times by turning data and...

    Continue reading about Mark Matlock

  3. Aly Hawkins

    Aly Hawkins

    ALY HAWKINS and her husband, Bryan Ashmore, live, write, and make music in Southern California. Aly is the author of Shine: Beautiful Inside and Out, as well as numerous articles. Married for five years, Aly and Bryan are passionate about living at the...

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Reviews

Praise for You Lost Me

"The next generation is leaving institutional Christianity but they are drawn to movements of God that invest in relational discipleship. Kinnaman sounds the alarm while providing savvy advice on connecting with disaffected youth."--Leadership Journal, Top Book of 2011

"Kinnaman is unafraid to criticize in the name of reform, and he bolsters his research arguments with concrete suggestions for improvement. This practical problem-solving approach, along with his repeated assertion that 'every story matters' and his occasional touches of the personal--whether his own opinions and sympathies or excerpts from interviews--make the work a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of Christianity."--Publishers Weekly

Praise for UnChristian

"This is a wonderful, thoughtful book that conveys difficult truths in a spirit of humility. Every Christian should read this, and it will likely influence the church for years to come."--Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This is an engaging, challenging, and morally compelling study, and it deserves a wide readership."--Library Journal

"unChristian could be a milestone on the way to a changed church--one that represents Christ in humility, love, grace, and service toward all. Essential reading for all Christian leaders."--CBA Retailers

"For leadership in all areas but especially in youth and young adult ministry, it's not just a read-through but an excellent reference to keep on hand."--Christian Retailing

Praise for Good Faith

"A wise and accessible guide to 'being a Christian in the public square' today. For nearly a generation there have been voices calling the church to rethink its mission and life in the post-Christian West, but this volume brings those more general and academic discussions down to earth and up to date."--Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City

"A landmark and thought-provoking read--that could become literal good faith through us to further a humble and winsome common good. A highly anticipated and needed must-read for every engaged thinker."--Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts and A Holy Experience

"A trustworthy guide through the emerging post-Christian order that neither denies the urgent reality of the bad news nor downplays the radical hope of the Good News. This prophetic book inspired me to rethink my own assumptions about how to live faithfully in our American exile."--Rod Dreher, journalist and author of the forthcoming The Benedict Option

"A timely reminder that Christians don't have to conform in order to survive. It encourages those of us with deep convictions not to cower but to boldly speak truth with wisdom and love. Radical followers of Jesus can be relevant."--Francis Chan, pastor, teacher, and author of You and Me Forever

"Speaks prophetically to the church by diagnosing our condition and prescribing a course of powerful treatment. God's people must practice Spirit-filled faithfulness in a culture defined by allegiance to self. This book is a trustworthy guide for that practice."--Christine Caine, author and founder of A21 Campaign

"Will equip you to live in a courageous, intelligent, loving, and faithful way in our changing culture that has grown less friendly to followers of Jesus."--Derwin Gray, pastor of Transformation Church and author of The HD Leader

"Calls Christians to use their faith to make society a better place, and more importantly, they equip us to walk in courage and hope. The Christian life is a counterculture journey, for it is a light shining in darkness. This is exactly what the world needs. It is impossible for light not to change darkness, unless that light is hidden."--Banning Liebscher, founding pastor of Jesus Culture

"Gives clarity to the challenges Christians face while inspiring us to recognize the power we have to rekindle a flame that will transform our world."--Richard Stearns, president of World Vision US and author of The Hole in Our Gospel

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