A new study from LifeWay Research reveals that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend a Protestant church for at least a year in high school will stop attending church regularly for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. Lifeway cites “life change issues” as the primary reason for this decline in church attendance. Life issues includes work demands, moving, off to college.
I can’t help but think that the church is largely to blame for this. In an incredibly mobile society people need a sense of purpose and belonging, not a show and a speaker. If we cultivate community that is on mission, this age group may be more likely to stick with “church” because it becomes a social network in which human longings for purpose and relationship are found.
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November 19, 2007 at 9:59 pm
Wes
I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to this. Aside from churches failing to cultivate this mission mentality, I think many facets of the extreme compartmentalization of youth ministry make the jump from the youth group into the normal adult population of the church (or even just the “college and career” class) less than desirable for most people this age. Also, in my experience both with College Life and here in Mexico, parents (even believing parents) communicate in a very overt and extreme way that college and career are much more important than the Missio Dei. Churches are going to have to get very creative and intentional about breaking out of this pattern.