Young adults are staying at home in greater numbers than ever before. So, how can the church reach a new niche, the young and ensconced?

Since 1970, the percentage of people ages 18 to 34 who live with their parents increased 48 percent, from 12.5 million to 18.6 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

This phenomenon is the subject of the movie Failure to Launch, starring Matthew McConaughey as a 35-year-old living with mom and dad. Many of the parents' friends are having similar experiences: "Our place is much nicer than anything he could afford," one says at a social gathering that becomes a gripe session about adult children still at home.

"People today think it's a little odd when a young adult stays in his or her parents' house until their early 30s, but it wasn't that uncommon 100 years ago," Andrew Cherlin, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins University told USA Today. "We're moving back in the direction where it's acceptable to stay home."

Although high housing costs are ...