At our upcoming Exiles in Babylon conference, we’re so excited to have additional programming available for Gen Z attendees! Born into a virtual, social-media-driven world, Gen Z has grown up surrounded by unachievable standards of success, fame, beauty, and community. They can smell inauthenticity a mile away. One of the largest reasons this generation is walking away from their faith right when they leave home is that they’ve never met the REAL Jesus. They might have met the Sunday School Jesus or the cultural Jesus, but not the REAL one. Not the one who passionately cares about justice and gives an abundance of grace.
Personally, I love Gen Z! They are probably the most interesting age group I’ve ever met, because they are smart, real, and they don’t just “buy it.” They aren’t easily convinced; they challenge almost everything. They force people in older generations, like me, to know what we believe and why. My faith and beliefs have been challenged and strengthened through parenting four Gen Z teenagers. They have questioned me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. It’s been scary at times. I’ve had to put into practice what Preston says:
“I want us to be challenged! I don’t want us to sit in an echo chamber where we all say the same things. I want us to hear some things that will feel spot on and other things that we might not be so sure about. Because this will cause us to have to study, research, and dig deeper into God’s Word. Hearing arguments different than our own will both strengthen and challenge our presuppositions. This is intentional! My ultimate goal for us is to think more deeply and love more widely.”
This is the goal of the whole Exiles in Babylon conference—thinking deeply about meaningful topics and daring to be challenged—so we want to offer a special invitation for Gen Z to join us. If you’re in this age group, around 15-23 (or even a bit older or younger), you’re invited to an evening event to kick off the conference! Lou Phillips, an apologist who has spent 10 years on college campuses finding creative ways to share the beauty of the gospel, will be talking about being a Christian in a Gen Z world. We’ll also have a live folk band, The Merrier, playing music. Our hope is that this event will be an opportunity for Gen Z folks at the Exiles in Babylon conference to make new friends and feel a place of belonging. Come join this amazing evening!
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- Date & Time: March 22nd, 6:30pm-10:pm
- Location: a cool local barn (exact location will be announced to registrants one week ahead of time)
- Price: $10 (to cover the cost of entertainment and light snacks and drinks)
Register here: https://theologyintheraw.ticketspice.com/gen-z-exiles-in-babylon
