Page 1 of 18 Reaching Generation Z: A Look at why so many Youth Leave the Church ABSTRACT This paper looks with

detail in to many of the issues facing Christian churches and the reasons why, by conservative estimates, 40 percent of youth leave the church after high school. Through research using primary and secondary sources the researcher discovers that there is a substantial conversation regarding this issue and several groups advocating for a reform of current ministry models. After a thorough presentation and analysis the writer presents his reader with a suggested model of ministry that attempts to blend the principles of the two most commonly traveled roads. This allows for an avoidance of as many weaknesses to current and suggested models as possible. INTRODUCTION Over the past decade, groups like Lifeway Research (2007), Pew Research Center (2010), and Barna Group (2006) have researched Youth Ministry and why youth leave the church. Their research has produced startling results. A substantial discussion surrounding this data has come about in recent years. One side of the argument advocates that the church fall back upon the systems and methods traditional Christian churches have used for decades. This means they maintain or even empower systematic youth ministries and Sunday schools as a means of targeting youth. Under the typical church model the greater congregation is divided into groups based on age, marital status, gender, or general life stage. In regards to youth specifically, this side often argues that the church1 must be relevant and provide an environment that youth are drawn to. Problems arise however when youth programs mirror a lot of culture found outside the church and fail to provide youth with solid, scriptural teaching. The opposing group, one that is quickly gaining momentum, argues that deriving methods of reaching youth from cultural is not rooted in the biblical model for training and equipping youth. In his book A Weed in the Church, Scott Brown (2010) defines biblical youth ministry with the following: the God-ordained methods of youth discipleship that arise from and conform to the Word of God; that promote age-integrated worship, instruction, and fellowship; that blend the diverse ages of Gods people in one congregation; that utilize and depend upon parental authority; and that advocate relationships with wise members of the church, which will make youth wise (Kindle Locations 514-517). Those who would agree with Brown advocate for what is often referred to as a Familyintegrated approach to ministry. This approach to ministry advocates for an emphasis on parental, specifically patriarchal, authority in the church. That not only do fathers play a crucial role in discipleship within the hope they also have substantial influence in the church over youth. While there is much to be gained from this approach there are also limitations. These limitations will be explored in further detail below. Statistics show that whether or not youth ministry should continue as is, youth are leaving the church in alarming numbers. This paper explores and
1

For a definition of the church refer to Appendix A

Page 2 of 18 analyzes the reasons why youth ministry is failing to reach youth and suggests a transition to a model of ministry that is firmly rooted in Scripture, reaches the family as a whole, and also reaches the lost who may not have a cohesive family unit. This will be accomplished through presentation and analysis of data collected through surveys and interviews. Sources such as A Weed in the Church (Brown, 2010), Family Driven Faith (Baucham, 2007), and an excellent film called Divided (LeClerc, 2011) also offer valuable insights into the problems with youth ministry and plausible alternatives. All three of these sources advocate for a Family-integrated approach to ministry. Andreas J. Kostenberger (2010) offers valuable insights into some of the limitations to the family-integrated approach in his book God Marriage and Family that will also aid in completely addressing the issue. There are several important distinctions that must be made in order to understand this issue. First, a definition for Modern Youth Ministry and age-segregated ministry needs to be established. Second, it is not the philosophy of youth ministry we must challenge, but the methodology. Third, modern youth ministry is a problem not only because of its effects on youth but on the family and church as a whole. I will now address in further detail the three distinctions mentioned above. For the purposes of this report I will use Scott Browns definition of modern youth ministry. Brown (2010) defines modern youth ministry as: modern methods of youth discipleship that are absent from or contrary to the Word of God; that arise from the minds of men; that promote systematic, age-segregated worship, instruction, and fellowship; that use age as the basis for participation; that delegate parental responsibility to those who are unqualified to exercise it or to whom God has not given it; that usurp parents authority over their children; that separate youth from the rest of the church; and that advocate peer relationships, which, without parental oversight, make youth the companions of fools (Kindle Locations 489-492). I want to give consideration to the fact that due to racial connotations the term age-segregated may not be the best term. However, the meaning behind the term is necessary. We must be clear that separation of the congregation based on things like gender, age, marital status, or life stage can be problematic. Therefore, in this report the term modern youth ministry will be used rather than age-segregated ministry. Please recognize that the definition above is what is implied by the term modern youth ministry. Next, its important to clarify what needs to be challenged and reformed. If the church is going to challenge reform modern youth ministry as it is currently practiced we must distinguish between the methodology and those who are invested in that methodology. The philosophy behind the movement and the desire to reach youth is a very good thing. Also, the people devoting their life to reaching youth with the Gospel have good, biblical motivations. However, the methods the church is currently using are failing, in most cases, to provide a firm foundation of faith for teens and therefore must be reformed. By making this distinction I am seeking to avoid making a sectarian argument aimed at dividing the church; I want to avoid an us vs. them mentality. The goal is not simply to do away with the work that many faithful Christians have devoted their lives to. Rather, it is my goal, as should be the goal of all believers, that the church would be strengthened to follow Gods plan as closely as possible and therefore be most effective in reaching a lost world with the hope of salvation in Jesus Christ.

Page 3 of 18 Also, it is vital to clarify the effects that current methods of youth ministry have on the church and family. Youth ministry advocates that teens participate in church in ways that arent necessarily beneficial. The common case is that youth are separated from older believers for a separate worship time on Sunday and are often taught different things and worship with different music than their parents might. This seems ideal for reaching youth but often times these groups lack in the kind of solid bible teaching and are too heavy on games and fun. Also, more effort is put into youth ministry than into training fathers to lead their families spiritually. Thus, the family becomes divided as the father fails to lead in the home and nurture his wife and kids spiritually. That being said, there is no biblical precedent for Fathers authority being higher than that of local church leadership. Paul makes it clear in Titus 2 that older men and women are to teach younger men and women, respectively, to observe sound doctrine. In this sense, although fathers have a primary duty to train their children they arent the only ones who can do so. However when church teaching doesnt encourage fathers to fulfill this role and relies solely on church leadership the family is weakened. Overall, weak families make for a weak church. METHODS To research the youth ministry phenomenon it was important that the researcher acknowledge that this subject requires special attention because of the subject matter. Because I am addressing faith I did research using methods that lend themselves to experiential data rather than primarily research that produced traditional, empirical data. Experience is important because I am seeking to discover why so many youth leave the church and what the church can do to better provide a foundation of faith before they leave. In addition to the experiential data found in my own research, I used more empirical data from other sources to provide me with statistics about youth and why they leave the church. Therefore, interviews, a survey, and several secondary sources were employed to provide experiential data as well as empirical data and insight from experts into the problems facing the church. More specifically, I conducted an interview with a pastor who isnt currently working in youth ministry but has past experience from his own youth. The following questions were asked: 1. What are your views regarding youth ministry? 2. Are you familiar with the idea of age-segregated ministry? 3. Is there substantial biblical support for current youth ministry methods? 4. From your perspective, why are so many (roughly 65%) youth leaving the church? 5. Seeing as how your church is reaching young college students very well, what is it that draws them in and keeps them around? 6. Can you see benefits in moving away from current methods and toward family centered discipleship methods? I.e. Fathers disciple their children and youth ministry encourages that interaction. These interviews provided me with perspective and insight into some of the challenges that would arise in moving toward any alternative. The second major source of primary data was a survey conducted via Surveymonkey.com. This site allows users to create free, 10 question surveys that can be shared online with anyone. After sending the survey by email to 8 of my peers and posting it on social

Page 4 of 18 networks like Facebook the survey collected data from 21 respondents. This survey provided me with valuable data of my own to compare to the data other studies have collected. Finally, considerable research into secondary sources was conducted. Books from experts like Scott T. Brown (2011) and Voddie Baucham (2007). These two men are pastors who have done considerable research into the problems facing modern youth ministry and have firsthand experience with successful alternatives to modern youth ministry. Also, several studies conducted by groups such as Pew Research Center (2010), LifeWay Reseach (2007) and Barna Group (2006) provided substantial data.

Page 5 of 18 RESULTS First I want to cover the results returned from the above mentioned survey. Figures 1 through 3 provide results from 21 respondents to a survey given released over the social network Facebook and given to 8 peers at the University of Idaho. Survey Results Figure 1: Age Breakdown of Respondents

17 or younger

18-20

Age
21-29

30 or older 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Number of Respondents Figure 1 shows the age breakdown of all 21 respondents to the study. 10 of the 21 respondents said they were 18 to 21 years old. The remaining 11 respondents said that they were 21 to 29 years old. Another important piece of information regarding the demographic of the respondents was the question pertaining to gender. Of the 21 respondents 76 percent were female while only 24 percent were male. After asking questions to establish the demographics I asked questions pertaining to the respondents experience with church. Specifically, I asked if they had ever attended Christian church, to which 100 percent said that they had. Next I asked which denomination they had been or were a part of. That information is represented in the following figure.

Page 6 of 18 Figure 2: A Representation of Denominations

19%

25%

Bap:st Presbyterian

5% 5% 15%

Catholic Non-Denomina:onal Lutheran 31% Methodist

Of the 21 total respondents to the survey 20 answered this question. As shown by the pie chart above, there is a pretty even distribution among denominations for the average American who has attended church at least once. The last relevant piece of data from this survey is probably the most telling piece as well. Although 100% of respondents said they have attended church at one point in their life and 16 of the 21 said they had at some point been involved in a youth ministry nearly 40 percent no longer attend church. Figure 3 is a representation of those who currently attend church after having been a part of a church at one point during their youth.

Page 7 of 18 Figure 3: Breakdown of Current Church Attendees

39% Yes 61% No

Figure 3 clearly reveals that nearly 40 of youth leave the church after leaving their parents homes. This adds backing to much of the data found in other studies on this issue. Most conservative estimates claim that 40 percent of youth leave the church while other would claim the number is as high as 85 percent of youth. Other Results Scott McConnell, a writer for LifeWay Research Blog wrote an article in August, 2007 detailing much of the findings of research done in 2007 by LifeWay; the article was titled LifeWay Research finds reasons 18 to 22-year-olds drop out of church. McConnel (2007) writes that the study from LifeWay Research reveals that more than two-thirds of young adults who attend a Protestant church for at least a year in high school will stop attending church regularly for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22. In light of these statistics LifeWay produced their own study to determine if there were common reasons why youth would leave the church. In April and May of 2007 LifeWay surveyed 1000 adults from ages 18 to 30. McConnel writes that each of the respondents said they had attended a Protestant church for regularly at least one year in high school. The article continues to detail some of the main reasons people leave the church so commonly around age 18. McConnell (2007) says that most of the top 10 reasons relate to life change. The most frequent reason for leaving church is, in fact, a selfimposed change, "I simply wanted a break from church" (27 percent). McConnell goes on to describe that a large percentage drop out of church because of a change in the place that they live. However, he also notes that religious, ethical or political beliefs, contributed to the departure of 52 percent of church dropouts. Ed Stetzer, director of LifeWay Research concluded McConnels article by saying There is no easy way to say it, but it must be said. Parents and churches are not passing on a robust Christian faith and an accompanying commitment to the church Christian parents and churches need to ask the hard question, what is it about our faith commitment that does not find root in the lives of our children? Another prominent study regarding youth ministry was conducted in 2006 by the Barna Group. An article from Barna Group (2006) describes the studys findings. The study sought the

Page 8 of 18 reasons why, as their title describes, Most Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years (Barna Group). According to Barna (2006), 75% of teens engage in conversation on matters of faith with peers and 2 out of 5 attend at least one youth group meeting in any three month period. Similar to the data I collected in my survey, Barna (2006) also found that more than four out of five teens say they have attended a church for a period of at least two months during their teenage years (81%)(Barna Group). Interview Results Josh Martin is the worship pastor of Resonate Church. Resonate is located in Pullman, Washington and Moscow, Idaho. Resonate has grown from a church of around 50 people to weekly attendance of 700 people in just 5 years. Martin would agree with much of what Kostenberger has to say regarding the shortcomings of family-integrated approach to ministry. When asked whether or not he saw biblical support for dividing the family with youth ministry. He responded with a lengthy answer regarding the nature of the word Father in scripture. The word Father is two-fold he said, One is a biological father speaking into his biological son the truth of walking with Christ in the context of family and in the hopes of making him a Godly man and fully devoted follower of Jesus, he said. The other, Martin said, is a spiritual father, those who steps in and takes care of students or youth who dont have fathers or families. He went on to explain how youth ministry played a part his coming to Christ and how it was essential for him; it was so important because he never met his biological dad. He went on to say that some youth ministries are soft. They are heavy on games and light on Jesus, he said. But, he went on to emphasize that some arent and are standing in the gap for the fatherless and motherless and broken and hurting. When asked why he thought so many youth leave the church, Martin said teens leave the church after high school because the faith was never their own. They never felt the weight of their own spiritual resurrection and in some ways mom and dads faith was lame to them. So their first professor makes fun of creation or the idea of God, their world is rocked and they dont have a foundation Finally, when asked if he saw benefits in a family-integrated model like others might he had the following to say. In theory its great. Kinda. Scripture would even say its best. Kinda. A Father is an influencer, and when its at its best a Father leading his son in discipleship is beautiful. But life is messy. A whole lot of people in the church have fathers who are horrible. This pretty much sums up the biggest challenge with a strictly family-integrated church model; it leaves little room for the lost and broken youth who dont have anyone but the people in their church or no one to get them in the doors that first time. The way Martin put it the world is a train wreck of daddy issues, so creating a family centered discipleship model is only going to work for the select families who are all Christians and all still together. That leaves out half the church if not more. Literary Results Mention should be made of the analysis I have done on sources such as A Weed in the Church (Brown 2010) and Family Driven Faith (Baucham 2007) and God, Marriage and Family (Kostenberger 2010).These sources have provided me with substantial insight into the conversation that experts are having about youth ministry. They also helped to provide me with

Page 9 of 18 context and data from which I can form an alternative ministry model. In his book Scott Brown (2010) claims that the youth programs that we have relied upon to foster a haven of orthodoxy for our young people have actually dumbed down a whole generation and kindled the fires of apostasy2 in many (Chapter 2, Section Title: Manhood and Womanhood Mangled, para. 3). Brown writes against modern youth ministry and offers alternatives. He claims that the current methodologies employed by the church are contributing to a great exodus of youth from the church and the breakdown of the churchs and parents authority in the lives of youth. Brown (2010) claims that modern youth ministry not only creates apostasy but that age-segregated youth ministry is the result of apostasy in the church (Chapter 2, Section Title: How did we get here? para. 2). He says that apostasy is brought on because we have set aside the Word of God for the sake of our traditions in many areas of church life (Chapter 2, Section Title: How did we get here? para. 2). Voddie Baucham (2006) who writes primarily in favor of a familyintegrated church structure would agree with Brown when he says that our children are falling away because we are asking the church to do what God designed the family to accomplish (p.9). These men present a clear argument against modern youth ministry. The claims of those advocating for a family-integrated model of ministry, as Baucham and Brown have many strengths to offer and should be seriously considered by any ministry leader who is struggling to see their youth gain a strong foundation of faith. However, there are limitations to the family integrated model. Andreas Kostenberger (2010) explains those limitations well in his book God, Marriage and Family when he says the argument (for familyintegrated churches) proceeds from what a family-integrated approach is not segregating church members by age group, life status, etc. that is, arguments are framed in light of the perceived failures of the traditional church (p. 260) Kostenberger (2010) argues that issues arise when you elevate the family to a point that even scripture does not and therefore, override the teaching that the church exists with the familial pattern of headship and submission but will continue to exist after families no longer do in eternity. ANALYSIS The preceding results reveal that there is a substantial, on-going conversation over data regarding youth leaving the church in large numbers and what could or should be done about it. Beginning with an analysis of the results of my survey, moving into an analysis of the secondary conversation and finishing with an overall summation I will apply meaning to the data found in the results section of this paper. The first key piece of information from the survey is that 100 percent of the people who took the survey said that they had attended Christian church at some point in their lives prior to college. However, nearly 40 percent of those people no longer attend church. This statistic is of the more conservative estimates as compared with data cited by Barna Group (2006) and LifeWay Research (2007). As Figure 2 shows, it doesnt matter what denomination their church was a part of, people still leave the faith in large numbers after their teen years. This is a huge issue for the church to face. Data found in secondary sources serves to affirm the findings found in the admittedly small sample size my survey covers. For example, Barna Group (2006) and LifeWay Research (2007) clearly found that anywhere from 40 to as high as 80 percent of youth are leaving the church after their teen years.
2

Definition: (n.) a complete renunciation of religious beliefs.

Page 10 of 18 Also, the textual data shows that there are groups within the Christian church who are speaking out boldly against current methodology and advocate for an immediate and thorough reform of youth ministry. When analyzing this data it is important that we realize the emotional importance in this problem. For the person who truly believes the Bible and follows Christ the eternal separation from God in Hell is a very real thing. Putting ourselves in the shoes of a Bible-believing Christian parent the question then becomes: which three of your five kids will go to Heaven and which two wont? Although this may be hyperbole it is important to realize that parents who truly believe the Bible should have strong convictions that demand a reform of the current methodology that fails 40 percent of youth. While we probably cant expect 100 percent of youth staying in church after their teen years but we should expect that statistics would be improved. Thom Rainer (2005), a researcher with the Southern Baptist Convention, says that nearly one-half of all church members may not be Christians (As cited in Baucham 2007, p. 177). If this is true, there is a huge problem in our churches that will only be compounded if our churches fail to reach the subsequent generations. Therefore, the second important observation we must make is that it would not be enough to simply do away with all youth oriented ministry. As stated earlier in the introduction to this paper the desire to reach youth with the truth of Christianity is a noble and Biblical desire. Also, as supported by Kostenbergers insights into the issue, and the results of my interview with Pastor Josh Martin, we must realize the need for thorough attention paid to youth, particularly youth who come from broken families. However, the methods we are currently using to reach youth with the gospel need to be reformed. Youth ministry has exchanged the plans for youth discipleship found the Bible for a catchy, trendy, hip alternative more rooted in culture and the traditions of men than scripture itself. Scott Brown (2010) says the hunger for relevancy and attractiveness has driven youth ministry into various forms of hipster idolatry. This craving for something better and cooler than God has made youth ministry look more like a rock concert, coffee bar, or club rather than the holy people of God. DISCUSSION Discussion Regarding the Family-Integrated Approach The family-integrated approach to ministry has several commendable traits that must be mentioned. First, churches must recognize the value of strong families and their ability to strengthen the church as faith is passed on from generation to generation. Second, it is important that any biblical church place a healthy emphasis on fathers to lead their families well. Many traditional churches have neglected this aspect of biblical manhood and in the lack of training for fathers youth ministry and the church has had to fill their role. Lastly, the family-integrated approach provides a church culture that naturally creates cohesion within families. If converted family members are encouraged to worship together and learn about God together they will naturally grow closer to one another. With these strengths in mind there are clear weaknesses to the family-integrated approach that must be considered. First, as Andreas Kostenberger (2010) describes how Christ himself talked about how allegiance to him and his mission would take priority even over familial ties (Matthew 10:34-36). Another way of putting it is to say that Gods church can exist,

Page 11 of 18 for a time, apart from the nuclear family. Therefore, as Kostenberger (2010) puts it, this injects a crucial dose of realism into any approaches to church structures that work from the ideal intact family unitin many nuclear families, the father is either not a believer or absent altogether (p. 250) Kostenberger points out what many critics of the family-integrated approach cite as a major concern. If the church is to reach out to all people with the gospel natural difficulties occur when ministry is founded on an ideal family structure. Rather, the church should be an entirely inclusive body of believers, regardless of marital status, age or any other qualifier. The idea of being family integrated but not holistically integrated is troubling. Kostenberger (2010) claims the church should be integrated in every conceivable manner (p. 261). This includes gender, age, race, marital status, socioeconomic status, and so on. This stems from the all inclusive nature of the gospel and Jesus commission to redeem all people through his cross, without qualifications. Therefore, it is not enough to emphasize family integration without equally integrating any other group into the church. Second, its important not to raise the familys authority or the fathers authority to a level that God hasnt. The family has a distinct role to nurture and develop each of its members to be faithful followers of Christ but the church must retain its authority and responsibility to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19) The fathers authority is still subject to the authority of the appointed leaders of the church and the church has the responsibility to disciple those fathers as well as their wives and children without usurping the fathers role in the home. Lastly, we must understand that even though there is no specific mention that families were separated for worship during church gatherings there is also no biblical reason to believe that they werent at times. There is clear mandate however for older men in the church to train younger men and older women to train younger women in how they should live (Titus 2). This doesnt necessarily mean that this older man has to be the father to the younger man. Sometimes, as Josh Martin stated in our interview, this father is a leader in the church who takes it upon himself to fill that role where there is a need. (Josh Martin 2011, personal communication) Discussion on the Traditional Youth Ministry Approach First, there is a clear mandate for parents, more specifically fathers, to teach their children the ways of God and train them in righteousness (Deut. 6:4) Modern youth ministry can easily usurp parental authority and provide an opportunity for fathers to abdicate responsibility by creating an environment that says the church is both more qualified and relevant than parents. If the church is the main influence in a childs spiritual development the parents are in sin by not taking up their God-given responsibility. In the absence of a parental unit in that childs life the church family becomes the next best authority for training the child. However, statistics show that even if that is the case the church is failing to achieve the mission of training that child in the way of the Lord. The second way that modern youth ministry deviates from scripture is that it ignores the patterns of worship set forth in both the old and new testaments. Throughout scripture there is a clear pattern that they whole community of Gods people worship together as a fully integrated body of believers. That being said, we cant place an unhealthy emphasis on reaching youth to the point that we over emphasize games and fun and attractiveness but forget to offer them Jesus. However there are certain strengths that can be taken from current youth ministry models and applied to a successful church structure.

Page 12 of 18 Current youth ministry methods do a good job of reaching out to youth who dont come from an intact nuclear family. The church must make itself a welcoming community to all people, including youth without strong parental units or parents who may parent well but arent believers. Second, youth ministry typically does a good job of allowing students and youth to take up leadership roles and help disciple younger youth. While this can be dangerous and probably doesnt fall into what Paul talked about in Titus 2, it can provide an excellent opportunity for youth to grown in the spiritual discipline of leading a disciple. Third, youth ministry often does an excellent job of encouraging youth to live out their faith. In other words, they provide many opportunities to do evangelism or serve others in their communities. Lastly, youth ministry provides a great alternative environment for youth to interact with peers and avoid many of the pitfalls teens usually get caught in. A Proposed Model Having looked at two prominent models of ministry and their strengths and weaknesses in approaching youth ministry I want to propose an alternative that hopefully strikes a balance. Granted, there will always be shortcomings in any model that would have to be re-evaluated, and there is no one-size-fits-all model of ministry. Each church must adapt a model to best fit its particular context. My proposed model of ministry would be two fold; there would be large scale and small scale perspective. First, the church and its elders must have a deep understanding of the importance and influence of fathers in the lives of their children. Therefore, there must be considerable teaching done, on a large scale that specifically instructs men in how they should biblically lead and love their children and wives. If the men can fulfill their roles as husbands and fathers there would be substantial change in the amount of youth who stay in church. As fathers pass down a robust faith and commitment to being a follower of Christ their children will be more likely to adopt this faith as their own. The teaching directed at fathers should not be allowed to overshadow teaching that builds up and instructs all other church members in how they should be an integral part of the mission of the church; which is the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Second, the church would not have a separate meeting for youth who are old enough to understand the teaching their parents receive. Ideally, youth from 6th grade on would worship with the rest of the congregation and receive necessary assistance in community groups or from parents. Age-appropriate teaching and fellowship would be provided for children younger than 6th grade but not required. If parents felt that their families should remain together they would be encouraged to let their children grow up worshiping with the congregation as a whole. Also, on a large scale, consideration would be given to events aimed at attracting youth who otherwise wouldnt come to church, dont have parents to guide their faith, and other lost people who are lacking a typical family unit. The second, small scale, portion of this model would be fulfilled by community gatherings based on neighborhood affiliation throughout the week. Resonate works on a model similar to this. People meet each week to gather in community and discuss the teaching from the previous Sunday. This provides an opportunity for people who live near one another to connect, share one anothers burdens, pray for one another and enjoy a meal. Resonate is made up primarily of college students and therefore you rarely see youth. However, within a church made up of families these groups would contain people of all ages. Essentially parents, single people,

Page 13 of 18 seniors, and children all do life together and the community becomes an integrated part of the lives of those children. This is a very brief overview of a possible model but whatever a church might use it would be important for its leaders to remember the all inclusive nature of Jesus church. The gospel is meant to be a light to all peoples regardless of age, race, gender, socio-economic status, family history, ethnicity or any other qualifier.

Page 14 of 18

References
Barna Group. (2006, September 11). Most Twentysomethings Put Christianity on the Shelf Following Spiritually Active Teen Years. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from Barna Group: http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/16-teensnext-gen/147-most-twentysomethings-put-christianity-on-the-shelf-following-spiritually-active-teen-years. Barna Group. (2011). Six Reasons Why Youth Leave the Church. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from Barna Group: http://www.barna.org/teens-next-gen-articles/528-six-reasons-youngchristians-leave-church. Baucham, V. T. (2007). Family Driven Faith. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. Brown, S. T. (2010). A Weed in the Church. Merchant Adventures LLC. Kindle Edition. Kostenberger, A. (2010). God Marriage and Family. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. LeClerc, P. (Director). (2011). Divided [Motion Picture]. McConnell, S. (2007, August 2). LifeWay Research Uncovers Reasons 18 to 22 Year Olds Drop Out of Church. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from LifeWay: http://www.lifeway.com/article/165949/ Pond, A., Gregory, S., & Clement, S. (2010, February). Religion Among the Millennials. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from Pew Forum: http://pewforum.org/uploadedFiles/Topics/Demographics/Age/millennials-report.pdf

Page 15 of 18 APPENDIX A All Charts and Graphs: Figure 1: Age Breakdown of Respondents

17 or younger

18-20

Age
21-29

30 or older 0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Number of Respondents Figure 2: A Representation of Denominations

19%

25%

Bap:st Presbyterian

5% 5% 15%

Catholic Non-Denomina:onal Lutheran 31% Methodist

Page 16 of 18 Figure 3: Breakdown of Current Church Attendees

39% Yes 61% No

Interview Transcript: 1. What are your views regarding youth ministry? I love it. Its not para-church. Its age specific in the church. I view it in the same way I would view childrens ministry or senior adult ministry or womens minsitry or mens ministry. 2. Are you familiar with the idea of age segregated ministry? Age segregated ministry is the same as niche segregated ministry. If you say we shouldnt break people up in age (at times) then you should also say we shouldnt break people up in affinity. Greek ministry or biker ministry or basketball ministry are not biblical as well. 3. Is there substantial biblical support for current youth ministry methods? I view the word Father two fold. One is a biological father speaking into his biological son the truth of walking with Christ in the context of family and in the hopes of making him a Godly man and fully devoted follower of Jesus. Thats wonderful, and at the very heart of God. The other is a spiritual father, those who step in and take care of students or youth who dont have fathers or families or typical Christian upbringing. When we read in the scripture a verse giving us the picture of mentorship being Father and son I believe its best when biological but its not that easy. I dont really know what you mean by current youth ministry methods and models so I dont know what experience you are drawing from. But I came to know Christ and was discipled by a youth ministry model that was beautiful and helpful for me (a guy who doesnt know his biological dad at all and the guy I call dad doesnt know Jesus).

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Again, theres no biblical support for any niche ministry or any New Testament support for instruments in worship or the specifics of Church Membership or even substantial support on how to be a godly parent. The substantial truth of scripture is how God redeemed His enemies through the cross and how all of our life should be seen and lived in light of that. Some youth ministries are soft. They are heavy on games and light on Jesus. Thats a needed corrective. But some arent. Some are standing in the gap for the fatherless and motherless and broken and hurting. Some are providing a safe place for students and great afterschool programs for at risk teens. A lot of this depends on what you mean by youth ministry. 4. From your perspective, why are so many (roughly 65%) youth leaving the church? Teens leave the church after high school because the faith was never their own. They never felt the weight of their own spiritual resurrection and in some ways mom and dads faith was lame to them. So, when their first professor makes fun of creation or the idea of God, their world is rocked and they dont have a foundation of their own, namely Christ, to stand on. Or, they never found community once they came to college. They wanted to love Jesus but also wanted to experience college life... sex, drugs, rock and roll, etc. (Im overstating that on purpose.) Bottom line, college outweighed their upbringing or their surface level conversion. 5. Seeing as how your church is reaching young college students, what is it that draws them in? What draws people to Resonate is ultimately Jesus, but for the sake of an answer Ill say community and depth. I think we offer deep truth and passion for Jesus along with a welcoming community of people who are wiling to love you as you are and invite you to change. Our villages (small groups) are a place to belong, and our large group gatherings are a place to be inspired and encouraged and challenged. Deep is the new relevant. And relationships are the new linchpin. We offer both of these. 6. Can you see benefits in moving away from current methods and toward family centered discipleship methods? i.e. Fathers disciple their children and youth ministry encourages that interaction. In theory its great. Kinda. Scripture would even say its best. Kinda. A Father is an influencer, and when its at its best a Father leading his son in discipleship is beautiful. But life is messy. A whole lot of people in the church have fathers who are horrible. The world is a train wreck of daddy issues, so creating a Family centered discipleship model is only going to work

Page 18 of 18 for the select families who are all christians and all still together. That leaves out half the church... if not more. Divorce rates are brutal and single parents are everywhere. If you institute a full fledged family only discipleship model you can exclude a major portion of the lost world.... who are the very people the church should most want to minister to. So, Id say moving away from niche based or age specific ministry is fine in principle but foggy in implementation, especially in a church who is growing and reaching people far from God and christian upbringing.