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Karen writes, How do I get my teenager more interested in church? How do I get my teenager more interested in church?
Well, let me start by sharing, well, let me share some data here from the Barna Research Group.
And I quote, Among the surprises emerging from the research is that teenagers do not come to church because it has hot music.
They can get a performance fix from many places.
If the church provides the trappings of substance like hot music, casual and friendly ambiance, fun activities, but not the substance, they are not likely to return.
And listen to this, when teenagers were asked, they listed 18 reasons to come to church.
And down at the bottom, number 14 on this list, was the type of music.
Number 2, now listen closely, all you out there who have fallen for the seeker friendly way of drawing in the youth, number 2 on this list, the quality of the sermons.
Are you hearing this?
Church leaders, pastors, youth ministers, listen up.
Barna goes on to say, and I quote, When pressed to identify the single most important reason why they attend a youth group, the picture changes.
It turns out that relationships bring the kids to the place, but they will not return unless the church delivers the goods.
What are they looking for?
Substance.
Learning practical and credible insights about God was listed twice as often as anything else as being the most important reason for returning to church. End quote.
You see, while we try to entice our young people into coming to church, with all the bells, whistles, and tricklers of the world, they're actually crying out for information.
They're looking to be educated in God's word.
We've totally failed the youth today.
This is a shocking analysis done here by the Barna Research Group.
And listen to this quote, Myth. Today's youth group attenders are tomorrow's church leaders.
Reality. Today's youth group attenders are tomorrow's unchurched.
Teenagers may be attending church events today, but they have little inclination to do so in the future. End quote.
Did you catch that?
The more active a young person is in church, the less likely they will attend church as an adult.
You bring them up in a church that fails to educate them with any real substance, and as soon as they come of age and are able to decide for themselves, they react as someone who has just been released from prison.
They flee from it all.
Why?
Where have we failed?
Where did we go wrong?
Barna says this, and I quote, The reason is so simple that we often overlook it. We are not delivering the goods. End quote.
And Barna concludes with this, If we continue to minister the ways in which we are doing so today, we are strategically facilitating the demise of the church we exist to build.
So how do we get our teens more interested in church?
Make sure that the church of your choice has their focus on education and teaching.
A church with real substance.
Galatians 4:16, Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?
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