Storms

“God uses storms to show us peace only found in Him.” (ImpactaWorld.com)

Have you heard of the “nones?” These are people who would mark “none” on a survey asking about their religion. They claim no religious affiliation. Here’s what should be a wake-up call for the church. 78% of nones grew up in church. This means that over 3/4 of people who don’t affiliate with any church actually grew up in church. 70% of youth stop attending church and start leaving when they graduate from high school. Nearly a decade later, about half of those people have returned to church.

Something along their life path caused them to walk away from the church. What was it? What would cause a person to walk away from the faith they grew up with? Why is the church losing the next generation? There have been many studies done about why youth walk away from the church when they grow up. Below are some of the popular reasons youth leave the church. Youth… 

1.    Are taking a break from church

2.    Are turned off by judgmental attitudes and hypocrisy seen in the church

3.    Are weary of church politics

4.    Have a busy social life

5.    Have attendance that was only based on the desire to please others (including the family)

6.    Have moved to another community

7.    Have work responsibilities that conflict with their church attendance

Whether you’re an adult or a youth, there are certain things you miss out on when you avoid going to church on a regular basis. You miss out on…

1.    Connecting with church community 

2.    Ministering to others locally and internationally

3.    Obeying God[i]

4.    Spiritual growing as you develop the character of Christ

5.    Worshipping God together as the Body of Christ

“A church's vitality is not measured by how many people fill the pews, but rather by how much those people are filled with Jesus.” (Mark Wilson)

---

[i] This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning. (Hebrews 10:25, The Passion Translation)

Adapted from:

·       “5 Crucial Reasons Kids Leave Church When They Grow Up” by churchplants

·       “6 Consequences of Skipping Church” By Lesli White

·       “GENERATION CHANGE: WHY OUR YOUTH LEAVE” by Spectrum

·       “Why Youth Leave the Church: 10 Surprising Reasons” by Marc Yoder