Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Is the Church pushing the young people away?


Below is an article that must cause some reaction in us - what is your reaction? Do you agree? Is this true in your experience? To those of you, like me, who have young adult children - it this their experience? I don't often ask for comments, but your comment here will help me as I am in the process of starting a church from scratch.

Christian Post 2/25/09

Why Young People Leave the Church


At the current pace, only 4% of America's teens will end up as Bible-believers, a sharp contrast to 35% of Boomers and 65% of Builders. Why? The Washington Times religion editor, Julia Duin, says "Many regard their church teachings as 'irrelevant' to their daily lives. Going to church is perceived as a 'time-waster.' Sermons are 'bland' and uninspiring," says Duin, "especially to the highly educated, and they do not address the most pressing concerns of congregants. Issues such as chastity, pornography, pre-marital sex, marital struggles, divorce and workplace challenges aren't discussed in detail. In seeking to be inoffensive or entertaining, church leaders do not provide enough spiritual nourishment to sustain their most ardent believers. Many contemporary churches fail to foster deep communities of believers. Disconnected congregants are turning to more intimate house churches. Others, tired of poor Bible teachers, seek in-depth faith explorations by their own efforts or with kindred spirits. Congregants yearn for the miraculous but are only fed the pedantic and innocuous. An increasing number of believers are unmarried, yet many churches are so family-centric they fail to address concerns of those from different walks of life."

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The sentence I agree with most is: " Many contemporary churches fail to foster deep communities of believers."

I think people - and not just young people - are looking for places to belong - just look at the online community craze! If church can be a relevant, welcoming place where people truly feel safe to voice struggles and joys, we'd have what we're all looking for.