Nearly three out of every five young Christians disconnect from their churches after the age of 15, but why? A new research study released by the Barna Group points to six different reasons as to why young people aren't staying in their pews.
First, the study says, churches appear to be overprotective. Nearly one-fourth of the 18- to 29-year-olds interviewed said “Christians demonize everything outside of the church” most of the time. Twenty-two percent also said the church ignores real-world problems and 18 percent said that their church was too concerned about the negative impact of movies, music and video games.
Many young adults also feel that their experience of Christianity was shallow. One-third of survey participants felt that “church is boring.” Twenty percent of those who attended as a teenager said that God appeared to be missing from their experience of church....
www wrote: Many denominations won't let you join. By leaves "the church" do you mean the people of God or a building? If a young person no longer goes to an ecclesiastical building is he unsaved? What verse proves this? Don't forsake the assembling can be done in many ways and at various times. I know many who don't leave their homes on Sunday morning and they're as faithful as any I've ever known in a "church" building. Are these home-churchers all unsaved?
www wrote: By leaves "the church" do you mean the people of God or a building?
You really Have swollowed the whole Emergent Error. I was going to ask why you keep asking questions when It's obvious you don't want answers. But it's obvious. You are being dishonest by asking. People reply, but you just ask questions of their replies. You are under the impression that your questions are irrefutible statement of fact. The way you reply to people's statement evedence that you cannot follow closley reasoned arguments (or even compound complex statement for that matter), and that your responses are based upon the Emotional Ferver you feel at the moment, rather than reason, or scripture. I'm afraid you will never, in this life, find out how totaly wrong you are. You have been given more than the first and second admonition, by people who have a level of spiritual maturity you don't. Yet you arrogantly question anyone who doesn't follow your emergent view. You seem to believe that anyone that is old and doesn't go chasing after the latest religious fad. Bottom line. There are only two approaches to church: Give God what He has required in His word, or give people what they want. I will not reply to any more of you argumentative questions.
Dirk Yoder wrote: If a believer "leaves" the church, the true church that is, he or she has thus forsaken Christ and is no longer saved. Or, as the Calvins would say, he or she was never saved to begin with. Attending Church Church Membership
Many denominations won't let you join.
By leaves "the church" do you mean the people of God or a building? If a young person no longer goes to an ecclesiastical building is he unsaved? What verse proves this? Don't forsake the assembling can be done in many ways and at various times. I know many who don't leave their homes on Sunday morning and they're as faithful as any I've ever known in a "church" building. Are these home-churchers all unsaved?
If a believer "leaves" the church, the true church that is, he or she has thus forsaken Christ and is no longer saved. Or, as the Calvins would say, he or she was never saved to begin with.
CAS wrote: Biblical truth is propositional...not necessarily personal feelings...
Hear, hear! What besides propositions (AKA declarative statements) can be true?
Regarding the electronic church, perhaps we could learn a little from the Old-Order Amish. Many congregations (but not all) still repudiate the telephone, for they believe it discourages visiting in person. Not that I endorse church elders making such rulings, but they may have a point here.
Despite my doubts about their church system & theology, they must be doing something right with their children: it is reported that the vast majority of their youth join the church after the period of liberty (called Rumspringa ).
SteveR wrote: What would be your rationale for those losses?
Clearly God is fully aware of the situation in western nations today. Just as clearly we know that God is NOT defeated by Satan and sin. The current decline is within God's purpose and plan for the world and witness. So what is going on? Matt 24:12 teaches 'When iniquity abounds the love of many wax cold.' This is the gist of the verse. Prior to this false prophets arise and deceive many, something we observe today. This adds to the persecution of True Christians as we can see in eg the Anglican/Episcopalian churches unBiblical stance today. Verse 13 provides the solution "endurance" We do not "endure" in times of ease and plenty but in harship and tribulations. This is when love wax's cold. The true Christian today is ostracized from society. Decline in numbers is a means by which we apprehend this evidence. Decline manifests itself in a background which rejects truth and sound doctrine, and accepts the abomination, the sin, the covetousness etc, the alternative to good.
Trial, tribulation and persecution are the way of life for followers of Christ, this decline in the True Church today tests the Christian and his faith in God to solve the problem in church and family.
Joe the Protestant wrote: Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is. Real corporate worship and felowship cannot be accomplished via electronic devices, from miles away. As to Young People; the church is to minister to people of all ages, not just Young People.
Hey, if we can have friendship with hundreds of imaginary friends on Facebook, surely we can have imaginary fellowship with hundreds of believers in digital gatherings.
postee wrote: "Why Young Christians Leave the Church???" Because:- 1. This is part of God's purpose for now. 2. They are not elect. 3. The 'churches' have become doctrinally impotent. 4. Many adults in the pews are ignorant of doctrine and truth. 5. Many pulpits are occupied by Liberals who are naturally Biblically illiterate.
Postee, Thank you for answering this question, as your answer is very close to an outline of sermons one local conservative Reformed Church gave on this subject.
However, children are leaving conservative Churches at the same rate if not a higher rate. The one church aforementioned must have an 80%+ loss of youth after(almost to the week) confirmation. What would be your rationale for those losses?
I can relate to this to a degree, as I left the church as a young person (the age of 18). However, I departed because at that time I was not saved and wanted nothing to do with the things of God, pure and simple. I'll just be honest.
Thankfully, He later intervened in my life and delivered me from my sin, causing my worldview and perspective about everything to be different (II Cor. 5:17), including church. I'm without a church home currently and have been for over a year, but I pray regularly for God to provide me with one and I continue to attend church on a weekly basis.
Biblical truth is propositional...not necessarily personal feelings. I wonder if an overemphasis on this generations emphasis on the "personal relationship" vs the transcendant nature of God has become part of their downfall. But then again, doubt of propositional biblical truth began in the garden.
www wrote: Is "assembling" only F2F or can it be digital gatherings of young Christians separated by vast distances or even despite government regimes? Perhaps they never "left," they're just plugged into another facet of the church. After all, isn't "the church" wherever I go and speak with another believer? Otherwise you've got a very parochial view of "the church."
Is "assembling" only F2F or can it be digital gatherings of young Christians separated by vast distances ? No!
After all, isn't "the church" wherever I go and speak with another believer? No!
you've got a very parochial view of "the church." Well. I guess the Holy Spirit does too!
Maybee it would be better if you stopped trying to re define God's word to support your unbiblical view of the church, and your love for, the latest technology.
Perhaps too, you may want to re read the article, and others like it. You will find out indeed, that people are leaving the church. And it is not in favor of "Plugging In" to the service. They are leaving in favor of things that have nothing to do with God. Now I'll let you go, so you can; get married, "on line", have children, "on line", get baptized, "on line", take communion, "on line", and get buried, "on line". Joe's right
Joe the Protestant wrote: Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is.
When we gather at work every week, we're often separated by many time zones and continents. Is "assembling" only F2F or can it be digital gatherings of young Christians separated by vast distances or even despite government regimes? Perhaps they never "left," they're just plugged into another facet of the church. After all, isn't "the church" wherever I go and speak with another believer? Otherwise you've got a very parochial view of "the church."
www wrote: Young people primarily interact with the world via handhelds and flat screens. When your pastor uploads his core content, don't be surprised if your youth don't feel compelled to "be there" every Sunday. They can tune in throughout the week. When your sermon catalog is available 24/7, why get legalistic about seeing your youth face to face? The church is not a building, it's the people of God.
Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is. Real corporate worship and felowship cannot be accomplished via electronic devices, from miles away.
As to Young People; the church is to minister to people of all ages, not just Young People.
Sounds reasonable, RP. As that shows, just because different words are used, does not imply that different entities are meant. Often, the Bible uses repetition for emphasis, esp. in poetic verses. Such repetition in everyday speech isn't unusual either. Remember Humphrey Bogart's line, "I don't owe nothin' to nobody"? It isn't a "double negative," it is emphasis.
Or let me put it this way: If there is a Biblical difference between heart & mind, I can't find it. Over & over again, thinking in Scripture, not Kierkegaard's "infinite passion," is associated with the heart. If the heart can think, then what difference is left vs. the mind? None worth making a major theological distinction about.
Besides, if the heart is meant to be something like emotions, then we're in deep trouble, for I don't know about you all, but for me, emotions go all over the place, every day. God help us if anything eternal stands on our feelings!
After reading Neil's post Deut. 6:4-7 came to mind. "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up."
I was thinking of the three different worlds used 'heart' 'soul' and 'might'. It was an interesting word study in Strongs. It would seem that heart in the Hebrew is the mind or understanding in this context. Also Mark 12:28-31 "And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these."
SJ John, I heartily agree w/ your analysis; I would only add that the subjectivity problem has existed longer than the past generation or two. Like you, I often hear nonsense about the superiority of the "heart" over the mind, despite that "heart" in Scripture, contrary to pop Romanticism, is almost always indistinguishable from the mind: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." Until seminary profs & pastors understand this, & people listen, the organized church will continue to wander in the blind alley of irrational piety, & people who try to think & act rationally will, at best, be regarded with suspicion.
Now perhaps everyone has encounted the cold & brutal "orthodox," as I certainly have, but we have Biblical grounds to assert that these people do not deprecate their "hearts;" rather, they are simply liars, as 1 John 2:4 makes clear. Orthodoxy, like patriotism, makes a convenient stalking-horse for selfish knaves. It is possible to stand for the truth without betraying the 2nd Table of the Decalogue.
I grew up in a church like that, and no one ever rebukes me as I wish they would have. they baptized me as an unregenetate giving me false security, praise God for those that confronted me I am now 21 and am joyfully reforming! Maybe God is going to revive the church soon, another reformation?
Young people primarily interact with the world via handhelds and flat screens. When your pastor uploads his core content, don't be surprised if your youth don't feel compelled to "be there" every Sunday. They can tune in throughout the week.
When your sermon catalog is available 24/7, why get legalistic about seeing your youth face to face?
The church is not a building, it's the people of God.
Because:- 1. This is part of God's purpose for now. 2. They are not elect. 3. The 'churches' have become doctrinally impotent. 4. Many adults in the pews are ignorant of doctrine and truth. 5. Many pulpits are occupied by Liberals who are naturally Biblically illiterate. 6. The Remnant has and always will be small in number. 7. Trial and tribulation requires persecution and oppression, therefore a minority witness in a fallen world.
Ex 20:5 I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;" This directed at nations who murder the unborn child, legalise the abomination, reject the Word and Laws of God. Thus... Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;"
Why should the Lord bless the nations today??
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