There is a lot of talk about how churches can retain young people. Many student ministries around the country took a major pause in their activities to respond to safety protocols and health concerns due to the pandemic. Colleges had to shut down and send their students home, leaving many college ministries scrambling to make necessary changes to still reach and disciple their students.
Now that we are almost on the other side of the pandemic, these ministries are gearing up to innovate and relaunch to reach the upcoming generation. Considering the type of year we have had, the harvest is certainly plentiful in this regard. Young people have been formed and shaped during a pivotal time in not just American history, but world history. The discipleship opportunities before us are limitless.
The church, however, has missed pivotal keys to keeping the next generation engaged. Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research says, “The reality is that Protestant churches continue to see the new generation walk away as young adults. Regardless of any external factors, the Protestant church is slowly shrinking from within.” Lifeway Research found 66% of churchgoing teenagers stopped attending church on a regular basis when they became young adults. Ben Trueblood, director of student ministry at Lifeway, said those numbers speak to the issue at hand. “We are seeing teenagers drop out of the church as they make the transition out of high school and student ministry,” he said. “This moment of transition is often too late to act for churches.”
Here are three areas the church can focus on to significantly impact how we disciple and equip our students who are navigating the ever-changing culture around them. Read More
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