Dropping out!
I read this the other day in the USA Today paper (I was travelling and it was free) and now I see it on Ethic's Daily. Young People are dropping out of church, and it's not just we mainliners, it's across the board. The info is from an SBC poll, which found that 70% of young adults -- 23-30 -- are dropping out from religious life. That's a large number, especially when so few are involved anyway.
The reasons?
--26 percent said church members seemed hypocritical or judgmental
--25 percent moved to college and stopped attending church
--22 percent moved too far away from the church to keep attending church
--20 percent didn't feel connected to people in their church.
As for why they might return?
--39 percent said parents or family members encouraged their attendance
--28 percent said they felt that God was calling them to return
--24 percent said they had children and felt it was time for them to begin attending
--21 percent said friends or acquaintances encouraged them to attend.
This is intriguing information that needs to be attended to, if the church is to remain a presence. But if we're going to be a presence we must ask why we should?
The reasons?
--26 percent said church members seemed hypocritical or judgmental
--25 percent moved to college and stopped attending church
--22 percent moved too far away from the church to keep attending church
--20 percent didn't feel connected to people in their church.
As for why they might return?
--39 percent said parents or family members encouraged their attendance
--28 percent said they felt that God was calling them to return
--24 percent said they had children and felt it was time for them to begin attending
--21 percent said friends or acquaintances encouraged them to attend.
This is intriguing information that needs to be attended to, if the church is to remain a presence. But if we're going to be a presence we must ask why we should?
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