Do you have a millenial son or daughter? Work with millenials? Love a millenial? Actually, you probably encounter millenials everywhere you turn, and whether you are steeped in involvement with them or not, they are a force that the church must understand--and engage--if it is to keep its head above water. Abandoned Faith, by Alex McFarland and Jason Jimenez, is an imminently critical thesis on why this large group of young adults are leaving the church and what we can do about it.
I found this book to be extremely encouraging. I am the parent to four millenials and mother in law to two. McFarland and Jimenez lay out clearly the reasons this generation is becoming disconnected with the church, such as superficial preoccupation with external regulations and hypocrisy among those who have influence over them. The authors point the fingers both back at parents and outward to pastors and church members. Ouch.
They also describe what it is young people are looking for in a faith experience, and this surprised me. They want a deeper, more hands-on church experience than we have given them. They care deeply about social justice and are a huge force just waiting to meet the needs of the poor and disenfranchised. However, because so often we just sit in our pews and then go home, they are left dry. They often turn to support social issues that condone what the Bible says are sin simply because we have left them not knowing how to connect otherwise. Ouch.
McFarland and Jimenez also spend valuable time describing what makes millenials tick. They live in such a different world than the one in which we grew up, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. But they also carry heavy stresses that are unique to them as well. I definitely see my millenials in the portrait they paint.
There is much practical counsel in this book for parents, youth and young adult leaders, and those who simply know millenials who they seek to understand and assist. The tone is upbeat and honest, and I believe it will encourage you.
I received this book free of charge from Tyndale Publishing in exchange for a fair review.
To learn more about the authors, go here and here.
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