losing a generation

(AgapePress) - The new president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) says he is disturbed that many students in both public and private schools -- even Christian private schools -- are leaving the church once they graduate.

In 2002, the SBC's Council on Family Life reported that roughly 88 percent of evangelical children are leaving the church shortly after they graduate from high school. Dr. Frank Page, the denomination's new president, says SBC churches need to counter that statistic by finding ways to make themselves more relatable, more pertinent and significant to students before they graduate.

"We're seeing a societal trend where a large number of young people are opting out of the church," Page notes. "Estimates of 15 to 20 million people now in America have said they are Christians but they simply don't want to be a part of the church," he says.

Some blame the church "drop-out rate" among young people after they graduate on the secularist influence of America's public schools. However, the SBC's president observes, "The sad thing is that we're seeing that number of dropouts from church [among] those who went to public school and private school, and that's an unfortunate trend."

Although he admits he has no "hard numbers" to back up his contention that graduates from private Christian schools are leaving the church almost as rapidly as others, Page says he is referencing anecdotal information heard from this year's Resolutions Committee at the recent SBC meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina. "It is a disturbing trend," he asserts, "and part of it is that our churches have become one- or two-generation churches, and we've failed to learn how to reach out to this younger generation."

The Southern Baptist leader says churches must find ways to connect with this young adult demographic -- Generation X, the bridger generation, or "whatever you want to call it" -- and must do a better job of discipling members of this group. A big part of the problem, he contends, "is that our churches simply are not relating to or seeming relevant to these students."

Even though Christian students are under attack for their beliefs in many public schools today, Page believes those who are firmly grounded in their faith can have a "salt and light" influence on their peers and teachers. Nevertheless, the SBC president says his prayer is that more churches will begin offering Christian schools, both for families who can and for those who cannot afford such education.

Be authentic. Inauthentic Christianity is what turns people off from being part of the church, whether they’re this young or not. Share your struggles with them. These young adults and youth need adults to spend time BEING with them, and being real. Don’t fake it. If you are faking it, work on your own heart first! I have seen some kids I’ve influenced get out of High School with some real faith that I knew came from me being real with them. I didn’t treat them like “kids” either. I was just there.

Stop only doing church the way adults like it.  Even if you have a contemporary worship service, don’t simply assume that you’re touching a younger generation.  Youth leave the church because it doesn’t seem relevant to them.  So…make it relevant to their culture also.  You may actually need to provide a teen service for them.

People are attracted to a Gospel that changes lives, not to a church that changes music styles. Teenagers want to see adults who are changed by the power of the cross. They want to see authentic worship - however that worship is presented. They want to be a part of a church that lives what it talks about, and talks about what it is supposed to be living. (I often wonder, if this God we serve is so great, why don’t we spend more time telling people what He says?)

The answer isn’t in a particular worship style, or style of service, or formality vs. informality. The answer is to be a church that is completely 100% sold out being ambassadors for Jesus Christ wherever we are.

You ever notice how we treat young people in church? We are always telling them to shut-up and pay attention. Yes, their behavior sometimes shows a lack of maturity, manners, and proper respect. Look past that for a moment. Why aren't they paying attention? They are bored. More often than not they are probably just being more honest than the adults. 

So what is the cure for boredom? The simple answer is purpose. I mentioned this earlier but thought it could stand being expanded upon

The Barna Group confirms what many of us have been thinking and experiencing in our own churches. The rest of this post gives quotes from the study with my comments in red. [The data in this report are based on interviews with more than 22,103 adults and 2,124 teenagers from across the nation in 25 separate surveys. The adult sample included interviews with 3,583 twentysomethings.]

PROBLEMS:

(1)...that despite strong levels of spiritual activity during the teen years, most twentysomethings disengage from active participation in the Christian faith during their young adult years and often beyond that. In fact, the most potent data regarding disengagement is that a majority of twentysomethings - 61% of today's young adults - had been churched at one point during their teen years but they are now spiritually disengaged (i.e., not actively attending church, reading the Bible, or praying). Only one-fifth of twentysomethings (20%) have maintained a level of spiritual activity consistent with their high school experiences. Another one-fifth of teens (19%) were never significantly reached by a Christian community of faith during their teens and have remained disconnected from the Christian faith. For most adults, this pattern of disengagement is not merely a temporary phase in which they test the boundaries of independence, [emphasis mine] but is one that continues deeper into adulthood, with those in their thirties also less likely than older adults to be religiously active.

(2)...the current state of ministry to twentysomethings is woefully inadequate to address the spiritual needs of millions of young adults. [emphasis mine] These individuals are making significant life choices and determining the patterns and preferences of their spiritual reality while churches wait, generally in vain, for them to return after college or when the kids come. When and if young adults do return to churches, it is difficult to convince them that a passionate pursuit of Christ is anything more than a nice add-on to their cluttered lifestyle.

(3) Much of the ministry to teenagers in America needs an overhaul [emphasis mine] - not because churches fail to attract significant numbers of young people, but because so much of those efforts are not creating a sustainable faith beyond high school. There are certainly effective youth ministries across the country, but the levels of disengagement among twentysomethings suggest that youth ministry fails too often at discipleship and faith formation.

(4) A new standard for viable youth ministry should be - not the number of attenders, the sophistication of the events, or the "cool" factor of the youth group - but whether teens have the commitment, passion and resources to pursue Christ intentionally and whole-heartedly after they leave the youth ministry nest. [emphasis mine - Isn't this significant?! The standard should be what happens AFTER they leave youth group!] The Strategic Leader of The Barna Group explained that, "it's not entirely surprising that deep, lasting spiritual transformation rarely happens among teenagers - it's hard work at any age, let alone with the distractions of youth. And, since teenagers' faith often mirrors the intensity of their parents, youth workers face steep challenges because they are trying to impart something of spiritual significance that teenagers generally do not receive from home." [emphasis mine - He agrees with the assessment I made in the previous post, BUT watch where he goes when he begins to offer suggestions/solutions.]

SOLUTIONS:

(1) "Our team is conducting more research into what leads to a sustainable faith, but we have already observed some key enhancements [I read this as suggestions/solutions] that youth workers may consider. One of those is to be more personalized in ministry. [emphasis mine] Every teen has different needs, questions and doubts, so helping them to wrestle through those specific issues and to understand God's unique purpose for their lives is significant. The most effective churches have set up leadership development tracks and mentoring processes to facilitate this type of personalization."

(2) "Another shift," he continued, "is to develop teenagers' ability to think and process the complexities of life from a biblical viewpoint. [emphasis mine] This is not so much about having the right head knowledge as it is about helping teens respond to situations and decisions in light of God's principles for life. Also, we have learned that effective youth ministries do not operate in isolation but have a significant role in training parents to minister to their own children. [emphasis mine - This almost seems thrown in here as an afterthought!]

(3) "Above all, remember to keep a balanced perspective," Kinnaman cautioned. "Some have overstated the problem, while others minimize it. The fact is millions of American teenagers and twentysomethings are alive to God and devoted to His Kingdom. But the research is also clear that there are significant issues related to the way young people experience and express their faith. Without objectively and strategically addressing those challenges, Christian leaders will miss the opportunity to awaken many more young souls to a life-long zeal for God."

MY [HUMBLE & SIMPLE] SOLUTIONS:

(1) Disciple Christian parents to be authentic followers of Christ in every area of life. Teens need to see authentic Christianity lived out!

(2) Train parents to minister to their own children. I know this isn't a new thought, but how many youth pastors actually spend time doing this? We say this is what needs to be done, but how many hours a week are spent training Christian parents how to disciple their own children?

(3) Eradicate youth ministry as we know it. This is by far the most radical suggestion/solution, but I think a necessary step if we are to have much hope in stemming the tide. It seems as if we are always trying to fix what is broken with youth ministry. Has it crossed anyone else's mind that maybe youth ministry shouldn't be fixed because youth ministry IS a major part of the problem?! If youth pastors are spending all of their time ministering to teens, training youth leaders, planning activities and preparing lessons for youth group, than when will they have time to train parents? And isn't it odd that the very pastors we are now asking to train parents are usually young men in their 20's who have little to no parenting experience, especially of teens. [I do believe that anyone can share biblical principles on an issue, even without corresponding experience!] As long as youth pastors and youth leaders continue to teach, disciple, mentor and train teens why would parents have any motivation to fulfill their responsibility? I think everyone would agree that Deuteronomy 6:4-10 & Ephesians 6:1-4 is commanding parents to teach, train and disciple their own children. If we believe this, than why would we even develop and offer a "ministry" that would directly contradict Scripture!? Why would we give parents the option of abdicating their God-given, biblical respsonsibility? I believe it is time to put the ministry of the youth back into the hands of those to whom God gave it - the PARENTS of the youth.