Leadership Journal

Dirk - you're talking about keeping kids in church like it's some sort of prison. This article is not just for those 'raised' at church. What about those kids who attend from non-churched backgrounds? Your plan will never attract nor reach them. If the church is only planning on surviving by trapping kids in the church, then the church is doomed.

In response to Dirk.... really, are you serious? So how are we the salt and light if we avoid the world? I hear what you are saying but I do not think the gospel calls us to cloister ourselves and lock up our children. We create an us vs. them environment and from all I understand of the Bible it would seem that Jesus came to redeem everything .... to include people in the world through interacting with Jesus followers. We are to have life and that life more abundantly.... the world was created for us to use and be pleased with it. I think parents can raise Christian kids that will continue in their walk with the Lord without putting a blindfold on them and tying them to a chair.

The reason young people leave the church is because they are raised with worldly standards and not biblical standards. If you raise the kids to be of the world, they will be. Bring back a biblical lifestyle of separation from the world in dress (head coverings, long modest dresses on woman and long pant, collared shirt on men), lifestyle changes of no socializing with the heathen secular world, no professional sports to be played or watched, no worldly entertainment permitted like TV's in the home, no attending movies or theater, no subscriptions to worldly magazines, no memberships in secular organizations, etc. and perhaps modern worldly churches will retain over 85% of their youth in the same way the ultra-conservative Christian churches do. Yes Christian, if you want to keep your kids in the church, you first have to be of Christ and not of the world. Being of Christ means shunning the ways and delights of the world. For they are of the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eyes.

m

February 12, 2013  8:29am

its true that youngsters get bored to go to church but because of this anti christ say that they are true religion jesus said i am giving u freedom because u r my children feedom doesnt mean that we have to leave christ and follow the satan and it is our duty to follow christ

I know personally that is denominational churches (Southern Baptist in particular) there is a "Good 'Ole Boy" network or a non-violent mafia (Goodfellas, Casino) where if you don't play the game, you get ostracized. The SBC is big in the Bible belt where I am as SBC controls who gets elected into the state senate etc. But mainly young people leave this type of church is because of the "Good 'Ole Boy" network and favoritism. Consequently young adults 18-35 have elected to worship in places like Lifechurch.TV and other "seeker sensitive" churches since the atmosphere is garnered toward a younger audience and the worship service feels more like a Foo Fighters concert with the overhead video camera and laser show. In a nut shell, young adults want to go where they are accepted for their beliefs and who that are in general and want a worship service that is fast paste and relevant biblical teaching.