Why Young Adults Drop Out of Church and What Can Be Done to Stem the Tide, a Research Reflection from Scott Stevens
(Scott is the Director of Student Ministries at Lifeway.)
The issue of young adults dropping out of church has been a hot topic for several years. The long-term effectiveness of youth ministry has been called into question and there has been substantial concern raised about the future of the Christian church in America. In addition, there have been precious few accurate studies of this issue, with many leaders quoting anecdotal reports to bolster their personal opinions.
LifeWay Research recently conducted a careful study of the issue and has discovered that 70% of young adults (ages 23-30) dropped out of church for at least a year between the ages of 18-22. That 70% includes many who spent their teenage years as active members of their church youth group. The sharpest drop occurs between the ages of 17-19 and reasons for leaving the church fall into three main categories: life changes or situations, church or pastor related reasons, and religious, ethical, or political beliefs. What is happening in the years preceding this dropout epidemic? Can anything be done to change this trend? While this is an issue that raises many concerns, the research also reveals some clues that contribute to young adults remaining connected to the church beyond their teenage years.
The Family...The importance of the religious practice and beliefs of parents and families cannot be overstated. From the study, several family-related factors contributed to young adults remaining in church. Such as:
• Parents still married to each other and both attending church when the young adult was 17
• Parents/family members providing spiritual guidance, praying together regularly, and actively serving in the church
• Father attending church and parental expectations of church attendance
The biblical instruction (Deut. 6:4-6) for parents to be the primary agents in the spiritual development of their children has not changed and should not be ignored. Parents must be encouraged and equipped to fulfill this important role and avoid the attitude that the church should be solely responsible for the spiritual instruction of their children. Too often there has been an unhealthy (and perhaps unknowing) collusion between parents and church leaders, with parents believing "Isn't that why we are paying our ministers?" and ministers believing "I can do a better job of this than most parents."
Communication is the key, whether it is talking about spiritual matters, praying together (beyond blessings at meal times) or the bare minimum of parents expressing to their children that church attendance (for all the right reasons) is expected. Talking about spiritual issues and expressing an expectation of church involvement is a must. You can bet that teens know that their attendance is expected at school practices and rehearsals!
The Church...also plays a key role in whether or not young adults stay plugged in after high school. A few of the church-related factors that contributed to teenagers remaining active in church include:
• Sermons relevant to their life as teenagers
• A worship style that was appealing
• A welcoming, non-judgmental environment
• Five or more adults making a significant investment in their lives; personally and spiritually
• Having regular responsibilities at church
Students have much to learn about the true nature of worship, but they love to experience meaningful times of praise, prayer, and reflection. They need to see how the Bible is applicable to their everyday lives and sermons that demonstrate the relevance of Scripture to the choices they make moment by moment.
The involvement of significant adults in the lives of teenagers also increases their likelihood of remaining connected to the church. Students need a web of caring adults around them that will support and mentor them as they mature into adulthood. These could be parents, Sunday school teachers, or church staff members. A possible solution here, that many miss, would be relationships with older adults. Reaching across the generations and establishing relationships with mentors and prayer supporters could play a significant role in the lives of students.
For far too long, teenagers have been viewed as "the church of tomorrow." The reality is that if they are not meaningfully involved in the full life and ministry of the church as young people, they are not likely to stick around. Students possess enormous gifts and talents and often the only place they get to exercise these abilities is in leadership roles at school. No wonder school related activities command such loyalty.
The challenge for the church is to move beyond gift identification among students to the creation (or freedom for students to create) opportunities for the exercise of their gifts. The philosophy of "ministry to youth" needs to change to one of "ministry with youth."
The Students...themselves ultimately get to choose whether or not they will be involved in a church as they become young adults. Parents, family members, and churches can do all the right things, and still teenagers can drop out of the church. Students also bear the responsibility for their own spiritual health. They can only live on the borrowed faith of their families and friends for so long. Beyond their conversion, they must be equipped to move to an ownership of their faith.
An Important Question...Student ministry has grown both in depth and breadth over the past several years. Programs, events, and resources abound, but spiritual results (from dropping baptism numbers to church dropouts) seem to be lacking. This leads to a very important question:
As student ministry continues to mature, are we developing students, or student ministries?
In other words, has student ministry become increasingly sophisticated at the expense of the spiritual transformation of students? How can this be remedied?
The solution is not to find a better plan for student ministry, but to find a biblical model for student development.
A Biblical Model...Is there a biblical model and biblical principles that will:
• Ensure a balanced approach to student development?
• Operate through the two God-given institutions of the home and church?
• Allow students to grow as Jesus grew?
• Equip students to KNOW Jesus, OWN their faith, and make their faith KNOWN?
We believe the answer is yes! LifeWay Student Ministry has developed a strategy (Download the PowerPoint of LifeWay's strategy for student development) for ministry to students that is based on Luke 2:52 and the Sermon on the Mount, and is implemented through the home and the church. See model below.
This model is now being used to guide the creation of resources, camps, and events that LifeWay produces for ministry with students and their families.
Recognizing that God is the One who moves in the hearts of teens and young adults to draw them to Himself, focusing on the spiritual development of the students in our care can help to lay a solid foundation for continued spiritual growth as they mature into adulthood. Will you invest some time in the students in your home and church?
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