An interesting article in the Huffington Post provides a Q/A session with Drew Dyck, editor of online publications for Christianity Today, and author of the recently-published book, Generation Ex-Christian: Why Young Adults Are Leaving the Faith ... and How to Bring Them Back.
Motivated by observing his friends who had or were in the process of leaving the Church, Dyck researched why young adults are severing ties with the Church at an alarming rate. He provides helpful descriptions of patterns and categories of people he observed during his research, while cautioning that no two "leavers" are exactly the same:
Postmodern leavers reject Christianity because of its exclusive truth claims and moral absolutes. For them, Christian faith is just too narrow.
"Recoilers" leave because they were hurt in the church. They suffered some form of abuse at the hands of someone they saw as a spiritual authority. God was guilty by association.
"Modernists" completely reject supernatural claims. God is a delusion. Any truth beyond science is dismissed as superstition.
"Neo-pagans" refers to those who left for earth-based religions such as Wicca. Not all actually cast spells or participate in pagan rituals, but they deny a transcendent God, and see earth as the locus of true spirituality.
"Spiritual Rebels" flee the faith to indulge in behavior that conflicted with their faith. They also value autonomy and don't want anyone -- especially a superintending deity -- telling them what to do.
"Drifters" do not suffer intellectual crises or consciously leave the faith; they simply drift away. Over time God becomes less and less important until one day he's no longer part of their lives.
Most intriguing to me was Dyck’s indictment of the youth ministry he observes in many churches. Quoting church researcher Ed Stetzer’s description of most youth groups as "holding tanks with pizza," Dyck concludes:
There's nothing wrong with video games and pizza, but they're tragic replacements for discipleship and catechism. Many young people have been exposed to a superficial form of Christianity that effectively inoculates them against authentic faith.
That’s quite an indictment! Is it accurate in your observation and experience in Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregations?
To be sure, youth ministry involves both spiritual and social aspects. It is probably helpful for each congregation to reflect upon the emphasis in youth ministry it provides - social/entertainment versus spiritual nurture. It would also be reasonable to conclude that these factors impact the likelihood that young people will contemplate serving in vocations such as pastor, teacher, DCE, deaconess, etc. - a major emphasis of the What a Way initiative.
In a separate interview on Ed Stetzer's blog, Dyck offers the following solution:
To stem the tide of young people leaving, I believe churches need to shift the emphasis away from an entertainment model and back to religious education and spiritual growth. Fortunately, there's evidence that this is already beginning to happen. My friends in youth ministry are acutely aware of the problem and changing the way the church relates to the younger generation.
Your comments are welcomed!
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"To stem the tide of young people leaving, I believe churches need to shift the emphasis away from an entertainment model and back to religious education and spiritual growth. Fortunately, there's evidence that this is already beginning to happen. My friends in youth ministry are acutely aware of the problem and changing the way the church relates to the younger generation."
Grace and Peace,
Randy