By Lillian
Kwon
Christian
Post Reporter
Mon, Jun. 29
2009 05:08 PM EDT
The Bible calls the Church
"the Body of Christ." Today, that body is bleeding profusely, says a
Christian author and sought-out speaker.
"The next generation of
believers is draining from the churches, and it causes me great personal and
professional concern," said Ken Ham, founder and president of Answers in
Genesis and a Young Earth creationist.
Hoping to shed light on what
he believes is a monumental problem, Ham enlisted the
services of
While previous surveys have
shown that Christian students tend to quit church during their college years,
the data collected by ARG found that most of them were already gone in middle school
and high school.
According to ARG's survey,
95 percent of 20- to 29-year-old evangelicals attended church regularly during
their elementary and middle school years. Only 55 percent went to church during
high school. And by college, only 11 percent were still attending church.
"They're sitting in our
churches right now ... and they're already gone," Ham said during a
"State of the Nation" address last week.
Delving deeper into some of
the reasons for the exodus, the research group found that nearly 40 percent of
the surveyed twentysomethings first had doubts about the Bible in middle
school. Another 43.7 percent said they first doubted that all of the accounts
and stories in the Bible are true during their high school years. Only around
10 percent said they first became doubtful about the Bible accounts during
college.
Among those who said they do
not believe all the biblical accounts are true, the top reasons they gave for
doubting the scriptures were: "it was written by men" (24 percent),
"it was not translated correctly" (18 percent), "the Bible
contradicts itself" (15 percent), and "science shows the world is
old" (14 percent).
In an even more alarming
finding, attending Sunday school proved to be of no help in strengthening a
young person's faith. In fact, the survey revealed that Sunday school is
actually more likely to be detrimental to the spiritual and moral health of
children.
Recognizing that such data
may not sit well with many Christians, Ham encouraged believers to consider the
research before reacting.
He stressed, "We're not
advocating getting rid of Sunday schools." Instead, we're advocating a
revolution of them, he added.
Sixty-one percent of the
surveyed young adults said they attended Sunday school while 39 percent said
they didn't. When comparing the two groups, the survey revealed that those who
attended Sunday school are actually more likely: not to believe that all the
accounts and stories in the Bible are true, to doubt the Bible because it was
written by men, to defend keeping abortion
legal, to accept the legalization of gay marriage, to believe in evolution, and to believe that good people don't need to go
to church.
Part of the problem, Ham
pointed out, is the curriculum. While Sunday school teachers teach "Bible
stories," children are left to learn biology, anthropology, geology,
astronomy and other science courses at public schools.
By merely calling it Bible
"stories," churches end up communicating the biblical accounts as
"fairytales" rather than history, Ham noted.
"To them, the Bible is
not real," he said. "In churches we're teaching moral things,
spiritual things, relationships, doctrine ... [but] we're not teaching those
earthly things. We gave that up to the world."
"Who said that's not
for the Church?" the Young Earth creationist asked, noting that the Bible
deals with geology, biology and other sciences.
"We gave it up because
we didn't know how to deal with it and now we're losing generations," he
said.
Ham – whose
But by being taught such
views, students begin to question the first book of the Bible, particularly the
creation account. Later they find themselves not trusting the entirety of the
Bible and its authority.
"If we teach our
children (or anyone) to take God's Word as written concerning the Resurrection,
the miracles of Jesus, and the account of Jonah and the great fish ... but then
tell them we don't need to take Genesis as written but can reinterpret it on
the basis of the world's teaching about millions of years and evolution – we
have unlocked a door," Ham wrote in his book.
That door is the door to
undermining biblical authority.
"When we undermine the word
of God, the next generation undermines it more and more," Ham said.
The foundation of biblical
authority and God's word is crumbling in
There's a spiritual problem
in
Churches have failed to raise the younger generation on the authority of God's word
and to teach them how to defend their faith or give answers to secular attacks,
Ham said.
"We let them (secular humanists) take
generations of our kids and give them a different foundation," he
lamented.
Christians have an epidemic
on their hands and what they need now is a "complete renovation," not
a mere remodel, Ham stressed.
It's time to call the Church
back to the authority of the Word of God. And for the Young
Earth creationist, that call begins with Genesis.
By Audrey
Barrick
Christian
Post Reporter
Wed, Aug. 08
2007 03:22 PM EDT
Gone are the days when young
adults attended church because they're "supposed to," said Scott
McConnell, associate director of LifeWay Research.
New research has confirmed
speculation that young adults are leaving the church in droves.
LifeWay Research released
study results that showed that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend
a Protestant church stopped attending church regularly (at least twice a month)
for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22.
While many do return and
attend church at least "sporadically," 34 percent said they had not
returned by age 30.
"Lots of alarming
numbers have been tossed around regarding church dropouts," said Ed
Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research, the research arm of LifeWay Christian
Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention, in the study. "We wanted to
get at the real situation with clear research – and there is some bad news
here, no question. But, there are also some important solutions to be found in
the research. When we know why people drop out, we can address how to help
better connect them."
Most of the young adults who
stopped attending church had not planned in advance on quitting the church.
Only 20 percent of the church dropouts said that while attending church in high
school, they planned on taking a break from church once they finished high
school.
Almost all church dropouts
were related to life changes. The top reason in this category
young adults listed was "I simply wanted a break from church"
(27 percent).
Transitioning into college
was also a major reason for quitting church (25 percent); 23 percent said
"work responsibilities prevented me from attending;" and 22 percent
said they "moved too far away from the church to continue attending."
"It seems the teen
years are like a free trial on a product. By 18, when it's their choice whether
to buy in to church life, many don't feel engaged and welcome," said
McConnell, according to USA Today.
"When life changes,
reshuffle priorities and time in young adults' lives, church doesn't make it
back on that list for a lot of them and I think that maybe tells us where we've
prioritized those things," commented Stetzer in a LifeWay podcast.
Two out of three young
adults reported attending church at least twice a month through the age of 16.
The percentage drops sharply at ages 17, 18, and 19, with only 31 percent
attending at age 19. And attendance remains low through age 22. Attendance
rises slowly afterward.
Although some still wanted
to attend church, 22 percent said they "became too busy" and 17
percent "chose to spend more time with friends outside the church."
More than half (52 percent)
said "religious, ethical or political beliefs" contributed to their
departure from church. More specifically, 18 percent said "I disagreed
with the church's stance on political or social issues;" 17 percent said
"I was only going to church to please others;" 16 percent no longer
wanted to identify with a church or organized religion; and 14 percent
disagreed with the church's teachings about God.
On church or pastor-related
reasons for leaving, 26 percent said they left because "church members
seemed judgmental or hypocritical" and 20 percent said they "didn't
feel connected to the people in my church."
The research poses some
great cause for concern, said Stetzer who recognizes the frequent criticism
toward youth leaders regarding the high dropout rate.
"People have been
beating on youth ministry like a low-hanging piñata on cinco de mayo for a few
years now. I think we've got to ask some hard questions and I think it's okay to ask those hard questions," said Stetzer in
the podcast.
"This research should
not just say 'Oh, the sky's falling,' but 'What do we need to do
differently?'"
Why some return
Most church dropouts,
however, aren't gone for good. Among those who stopped attending church
regularly and who are now ages 23-30, 35 percent currently attend church twice
a month or more. Another 30 percent attend church more sporadically.
The primary reason church
dropouts eventually return to church is because of encouragement from family or
friends. Thirty-nine percent returned as a result of their parents' or family
members' encouragement and 21 percent attribute their return to their friends
or acquaintances.
On a more personal note, 34
percent return because "I simply the desire to return" and 28 percent
said "I felt that God was calling me to return to the church."
Other reasons for returning
include "I had children and felt it was time for them to start attending"
(24 percent); and "I got married and wanted to attend with my spouse"
(20 percent).
Some stay
Some still decide to remain
in the church through ages 18-22. Most (65 percent) said "Church was a
vital part of my relationship with God" and more than half (58 percent)
said "I wanted the church to help guide my decisions in everyday
life" as reasons for staying in church.
Half said they felt the
church was helping them become a better person; and 42 percent said they were
"committed to the purpose and work of the church."
Those who stuck with the
church during their young adult years largely remain a churchgoer. Only 6
percent of young adults who stayed do not currently attend church.
"When, by God’s grace,
young people see the church as essential in their lives and choose to continue
attending, their loyalty remains strong," McConnell said in the study.
Stetzer noted, "Teens
are looking for more from a youth ministry than a holding tank with pizza.
"They look for a church
that teaches them how to live life. As they enter young adulthood, church
involvement that has made a difference in their lives gives them a powerful
reason to keep attending."
LifeWay researcher directors
stressed the importance of relationships that can keep people in the church and
parents in passing a robust Christian faith to their children.
LifeWay conducted the survey
in April and May 2007 on more than 1,000 adults ages 18-30. Each indicated that
they had attended a Protestant church regularly for at least a year in high
school.