The reason youth are leaving our churches

Something about calling your example preacher an IDIOT just negated your message for me.

 

I agree with the video. Too many evangelical, fundamentalist churches do not preach Christ and him alone. Also too many have sold out and now sell politics and the Republican party as saviors of, at least our bodies and lives.

So what do we do?

Preach Christ and him alone.
Leave politics out of it. When the church and politics mix, politics does not get clean, but the church gets dirty.

Show the young people you love them and really care for them.

Show the young people you really want what is best for them.

Let them ask questions and do not beat them over the head if they ask a question?

Let them express their opinions and do not beat them over the head if your strongly disagree with them. Show you love by guiding them gently and having them read classic works on the topic.

In a case where you disagree with them say something like, "Others have express that same opinion. Many have discussed this issue. Here, read this to see what others have said about this issue."

 

I agree with the original video clip. The Gospel is enough. We must lift Jesus up in our preaching & we will if we are preaching the Gospel. God brings the increase. God will build His church (and His church contains young people). My prayer is that He will do it where I pastor!

 

Guy, your on the mark my friend. "I want my life here to be a blessing & not a curse" "I want life & I want it more abundantly." Are you listening? In these painful times people are not focusing on their eternal life but rather their survival from day to day.

I took some people to the county seat on Friday to have them file for food stamps & government assistance. These are good people who because of the poor economy have lost their jobs & have looked & looked for work but its not out there, at least not there consistently or enough to pay their bills. Their churches are overrun by the increase of homeless & cant help them so they have to file to survive. In fact 42.4 Million Americans have filed for Food Stamps. The hungry are in your own neighborhoods.

 

This brings up a question I've had for years. I think I'll start a thread on it.

Jesus said:

Matthew 6:31-33 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.


I do not question that Jesus spoke the truth, but why are some of His children going hungry? Are they not seeking the kingdom first? This has bothered me for a long time.

 

Strong wording, huh... Weird that I might use that wording for a preacher who fails to understand the concept of exegeting his target audience instead of pointing it toward some Calvinist or Arminian as seems to be the case around here...

I used the term for two reasons, first, it was Thom Rainer's favorite term of endearment for people who were otherwise great and talented individuals, but they just could not get one big thing through their heads, and so constantly shot themselves in the foot. I still have visions of him standing on top of his desk tossing dissertation pages all over his office while "lovingly" calling the writer an idiot. Second, because any pastor who doesn't get that part of his job is just that...

 

More of the poor are rich in faith then the rich.

 

I voted "agree somewhat" but upon further reflection I should have voted "disagree somewhat". Art may be implying that there is a lack of devotion to Christ due to both a weak Gospel and lack of regeneration among the youth (this is a malady not just of youth). And there is is a cause - effect relationship there -- weak Gospel = no regeneration.

But there is another layer to the onion, an issue I rarely hear mentioned. Here it is: there is little to zero teaching on the fact that there is no "personal relationship with God" mentioned in the Bible. While it is implied in certain ways, it is not stated with the emphasis with which we state it today. Rather, the Bible describes our relationship with both God and His Church as a covenant relationship. When was the last time you heard a preacher plead with people to "receive Jesus as your covenant savior"? I bet you've never heard that. But that's just what should be preached. People glibly leave the Church because they believe they can take Christ with them. But the Bible offers the sternest of warnings for those that forsake the assembly. Think about it.

 

Youth leave for any a number of reasons, some good most bad. Mostly they leave because we emphasize the wrong things, they get bored and move on to something more "attractive". What if we not only gave the youth a good dose of theology, which they need but also an outlet for that which they have learned. An outlet outside the pre-programed stuff we came up with last century. Scary and probably a bit messy but a risk we must make take if we expect to keep them around.

 

Not to mention most teens are babe's in Christ and we try force feeding them meat. We also expect them to act like adults, and force man's traditions down their throats.

 

I've seen both, and I don't know if there's any one way over the other that is prevalent in any given part of the country.

I can't stand when the youth pastor goes so far out of his way to try to act like them and might say something in passing regarding the Bible. I also can't stand when a pastor speaks in the sermon like he is trying to cram every theological word in that he has ever learned, either. I've seen both.

Each demographic should be dealt with in context. We don't teach pre-schoolers like we teach grade schoolers. We don't teach grade schoolers like we teach teens. We shouldn't teach teens the way we teach adults. We have to remember that while they are nearing adulthood, the immaturity is still there and they react based on how they feel. How soon we forget how our thinking was at that age.

 

Adults expect kids to get up on thier own and be here on Sunday mornings at 9 or 10 AM. Ain't going to happen! Mom and dad aren't getting up so they aren't. The majority of kids we are reaching out to in our church are from families that are unchurched. There's no spiritual background whatsoever. That makes it tough.

 

Since I work with youth I found this thread very intriguing. Although I did not disagree with the video at its main point (that Jesus needs to be the focus of our message), I do believe it gave off the notion that reaching youth in an “entertaining” way is some how bad. (I could be wrong b/c I only watched it once, but this was my initial understanding) If this is the case, then I think the pastor is overlooking how Paul evangelized. He presented the same spiritual truth in different ways depending on his audience. For example if he was preaching to Jews & proselyte Gentiles he began by using the OT (cf Acts 17:2-4)—but if he was preaching to pagans he began by appealing to their knowledge of a Creator (cf Acts 14:15-17; 17:22-25). He used different methods (or techniques that each distinctive audience could relate to) to convey the same message. The same is true with youth today—they need the same gospel message that Paul preached 2,000 years ago—but the method by which it is preached cannot be overlooked. Yes—in the end--it is the work of the Holy Spirit that determines the success of the message—but just like in the case with Paul—this same Spirit can use different methods to reach the targeted audience. In essence, there is no one “proper” method to preach the gospel—as long as it is biblically founded, Christ-centered, & Holy Spirit led—then it should not be discouraged.

 

Excellent post and perspective!

 

I think it starts when our teens are children. Children's church, in some (maybe many, but hopefully not) places, has become a craft, snack, color, & game time with a 5 minute Bible story (could it be that in many churches we are just trying to babysit or get these little ones out of our way so we can enjoy our time at church - shooing the kids away as the disciples tried to do when the kids approached Jesus). We entertain them, entertain them, entertain them & then wonder why they can't sit still & listen to a 30 minute message when they are older. I'm not against games & snacks (don't care for crafts...lol) but again the message of the Gospel must be the "main event" of the program. I'm all for different "methods" as long as the "message" of the Gospel is clearly proclaimed (which Paul always did). Too many times the "methods" used for our youth mask the Gospel, as if we are trying to "sneak" it in there without the young person realizing it. Why do we mask it? Maybe to be non-offensive, maybe to try to remain cool in the eyes of the teen, maybe because we really don't believe the Gospel is the "power of God unto salvation." But whatever the reason, the fact remains young people are leaving churches & we must ask our Lord to give us wisdom as we approach this area.

 

I'm a proponent of the "Coca-Cola" theory:

Coke has had several advertising slogans...Coke Adds Life; Have A Coke and a Smile; Simply Coca-Cola, etc. And for you old fogeys, "I'd like to teach the world to sing..."

The slogan adapts to each new generation. However, the product remains the same (except for the failed 1984 "New Coke" experiment).

Change the slogans...but don't change the "product."

 

I dont think it has anything to do with marketing.....its spending your time with them, showing them you care & love them & look what Christ did for you because He loves you. Period.