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Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers

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mwkruse
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From the New York Times: Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers

Despite their packed megachurches, their political clout and their increasing visibility on the national stage, evangelical Christian leaders are warning one another that their teenagers are abandoning the faith in droves.

At an unusual series of leadership meetings in 44 cities this fall, more than 6,000 pastors are hearing dire forecasts from some of the biggest names in the conservative evangelical movement.

Their alarm has been stoked by a highly suspect claim that if current trends continue, only 4 percent of teenagers will be “Bible-believing Christians” as adults. That would be a sharp decline compared with 35 percent of the current generation of baby boomers, and before that, 65 percent of the World War II generation.

While some critics say the statistics are greatly exaggerated (one evangelical magazine for youth ministers dubbed it “the 4 percent panic attack”), there is widespread consensus among evangelical leaders that they risk losing their teenagers.

Comments

2 responses to “Evangelicals Fear the Loss of Their Teenagers”

  1. Ted Gossard Avatar
    Ted Gossard

    Michael, As you know, Scot at Jesus Creed had an interesting post on this. I’m sure there are a multiplicity of factors at work, as is true in life in general. But it somehow seems to me to be related to a general abandonment to culture, as in “the world” John warns against in his first letter. I’m speaking of what I see where I live. And maybe my Anabaptist roots affect how I see it as well. But I also think the younger years are a time when these young people need to get their own feet on the ground concerning their lives and faith. We do well to help them begin to do so, before they leave the nest.

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  2. Michael Kruse Avatar
    Michael Kruse

    Absolutely! I also wonder if a piece of the puzzle is that too much of our faith is about technique adminstered by professional Christians instead of transparent ever maturing disicpleship evidenced by parents for their kids. I know one mentor who said you can use whatever resources you want but YOU are the curriculum! I suspect too many parents try to outsource the spiritual nuture of their kids never realizing that they themselves are the most important curiculum.

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