Much has been written about why young adults have dropped out. This is powerful info for pastors to help them disciple children and students that helps them to “stick” and not “drop out.”
"Why did they stay?"
(Psalm 78)
I. Stories we
love (vv.1-3)
II. Students
we're losing (vv.5-7)
III. Solutions
we’re learning (v.8)
Research by Dr.
Tom Crites and Dr. Steve Parr
- 1391 adults
interviewed
-
Tried to understand what factors caused young adults to continue to have a meaningful
connection to church after High School graduation
-
14 of the 15 issues discovered can be influenced by how we lead. The fifteenth, temperament is specific to
each individual.
-Research
will be published next year, but here are five of the issues that affected students
who are still in church:
1. Young adults
who are still in church personally loved their pastor.
·
If
your church regularly runs off pastors you are sabotaging the faith of your
children.
·
Respondents
were 90% more likely to stray if they did not have a good relationship with
their pastor.
o Pastors: work at
relationships to children and youth.
o Pastors should
never take vacation during Vacation Bible School, or have a mentality that kids
are dispensable.
·
Jesus’
heart was for children (Matthew 19:14).
2. Young adults
who are still in church had parents that served in the church while they were
growing up.
·
50%
more likely to stray when mom attended but didn’t serve.
·
Significantly
more likely to stay if the father was serving in a specific way.
·
Lesson
from the Great Commandment: nominal church involvement will not impact
children. Parents must demonstrate the
importance of their faith practically before their children.
·
If
we want our kids serving they must see us serve.
·
Pastors
and leaders must enlist and train leaders 365 days a year, not seasonally.
·
Younger
adults are more concerned about serving than services.
·
Enlist
leaders for episodes to whet their appetites to serve. Don’t necessarily enlist people for a year at
a time when they are new to service.
3. Young adults
who are still in church attended a church with a strong collegiate ministry.
·
Not
surprisingly, this is the least represented age range in small group
ministry. Few churches strategically
prepare to minister to college age kids.
·
Churches
MUST have leaders for children and students even if there are no people
currently attending who fit that description.
If there is no plan to reach out to children, youth, and young families,
when they do attend they are unlikely to return if there is no class for them. This is a self-defeating cycle.
4. Young adults
who are still in church immediately connected with a congregation following
their high school graduation.
·
What
does your church do to help graduates connect to a local church when they go
away to college?
·
Help
graduates connect ASAP!
·
Contact
local churches with the information of your graduates so they can connect with
them.
·
Baptist
Collegiate Ministries and other campus ministries are important but should not
be considered a substitute for local church involvement.
5. Young adults
who are still in church possessed a high view of Scripture.
·
Young
adults were 25 times more likely to stray if they had a lower view of
Scripture.
·
Many
respondents dropped out because of intellectual doubts.
·
Because
of the availability of data online challenging Christian belief, students need
to be taught apologetics before they move away to college.
·
Teach
students why we believe what we believe.
The
research in this area being done by Drs. Parr and Crites is excellent. We are looking forward to seeing the full
account published.
Comments