WHY ARE PEOPLE ARE GIVING UP CHURCH

For Many Reasons

The first point I want to make clear is that the church will be here till the end of times and no one can stop it or dismantle it. Matthew 16:18 states “And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock (Jesus) I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Church is a community of believers. Romans 12:4-5, tells us “so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We are adopted into God’s family. Ephesians 2:19,consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household.” And we are told the church was built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, saying that believers are “fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone” (Ephesians 2:19-20). We, believers, are the church and there will always be a remnant till Jesus returns. Church will prevail!

There are many different views of the church. Some allow modern society and culture to define what a church should look like. While others hold to the traditional scripture led definition of church. As we can see from the information above God has a plan for the church and how it should look like and consist of. It is built on Jesus and is considered to be a family of believers. Jesus understands that we need each other and the church (the gathering of His children in fellowship) is the place where we can find strength, support, and fellowship.

Now that we know the church is here to stay, let’s consider why so many people are leaving the church. A recent survey conducted by the Barna Group found that less than one percent of the young adult population in the United States has a Biblical worldview. Even more startling, the data shows that less than one half of one percent of Christians between the ages of 18 and 23 has a biblical worldview.

Another study by Fuller Seminary also looked at why young people are falling away from the faith. The Fuller study determined that the most important factor in whether young people leave the church or remain steadfast in their faith is whether they have a safe haven to express their doubts and concerns regarding their faith before leaving home. Such a refuge is found in two places: their home and their church youth ministry.

The Fuller study also found that most church youth programs tend to focus on providing entertainment and pizza rather than building up young people in their faith. As a result, teens are ill-equipped to face the challenges they will encounter upon leaving home.

Two studies conducted by both the Barna Group and USA Today found that nearly 75 percent of Christian young people fall away from the faith and leave the church after high school. “One of the key reasons they do so is intellectual skepticism. But how many of these youth were actually taught the Bible in their homes or in church? Statistics show that children today spend an average of 30 hours per week in school where they are often taught ideas that are diametrically opposed to biblical truths, e.g., evolution, the acceptance of homosexuality, etc. Then they come home to another 30 hours per week spent in front of a television set bombarded by commercials and sitcoms, playing video games, or connecting on social media. This is in contrast to the time spent weekly in the church classroom: 45 minutes. Not only are most youth not being well-grounded in the faith, but they’re also not being taught to intelligently examine the views of skeptics who will inevitably challenge their faith. A key factor in keeping young people from falling away from their faith is the influence of their parents. One particular study found that when both parents were faithful and active in the church, 93 percent of their children remained faithful. When just one parent was faithful, 73 percent of their children remained faithful. When neither parent was particularly active in church, only 53 percent of their children stayed faithful. In those instances where neither parent was active at all and only attended church now and then, the percentage dropped to a mere 6 percent.

Churches need to take a hard look their youth programs. Instead of entertaining youth with skits, bands, and movies, we need to teach them Scripture with logic, truth, and a Christian worldview. Frank Turek, a Christian author and lecturer on apologetics, addresses the problem of youth falling away from the faith this way: “What we win them with, we win them to. If we win them with entertainment and low commitment, we win them to entertainment and low commitment. Charles Spurgeon was way ahead of his time when he implored the church to start “feeding the sheep rather than amusing the goats.”

Why do so many preachers kids fall away? Because many preachers’ kids often think they have to be perfect, feel like a hypocrite when they aren’t perfect, and think everyone is watching them. They also believe the church is stealing their father’s time away from them, adding resentment to their list of complaints about the church.

Adults are a different story; however, many adults and young people share the same acceptance in changes that have evolved via cultural norms and societal changes and want them infused into the church. .

They say the problem is:

*The church lacks tolerance concerning different gender roles and views this as archaic.

*Leaders not consider reassessing how roles are distributed and opening all avenues

 of service to everyone, regardless of gender.

*The church ignores modern issues like social justice, mental health, or environmental concerns.  

*The church prides itself on dogmatic teachings. People say the church holds rigidly to dogma, refusing to allow questions or different interpretations.  

*The church has exclusionary membership rules. They practices things such as closed communion or restricted membership that may contradict the message of inclusivity (which is a miss-conception) and open-heartedness central to Christian teachings.

*The church chooses judgment over compassion especially towards marginalized or non-traditional groups, they stray from Jesus’ teachings that emphasize love and acceptance of everyone (which is another miss-conception).  

*There are over-structured Youth programs that do not allow the flexibility for young people to explore faith on their own terms.

*The church has a lack of environmental awareness and concerns. They feel the church has a duty to lead in stewardship, reflecting the call to care for creation found in scripture, and embracing green practices as part of their ministry.

*The church has insufficient support for the marginalized churches and fail to provide robust support for those marginalized that may not fully embody the teachings of Jesus, who focused on serving those in need.

In essence, some people want more out of church which includes becoming a social justice entity, want church to be fun, non judgmental, a relaxation of the definition of sin, and a place where it is all inclusive to everyone no matter how different the views are from the true Word of Scripture.   

Today we have so many distractions, pressure to change, accept, and become inclusive it may be difficult to stay true to His church and its foundation. However, we must remember that if you have been run out or hurt by a church it was man that chased you away not God, church was founded on Jesus and His principles not on inclusiveness to whatever, and His church is a gathering of His children called by His name, to do works he called us to do, in a manner He prescribes. And to be the salt and light of the world as we are justified by the shedding of His blood on the cross.

This is who we are and what His church is supposed to be with no acceptations.

Church was instituted by God and will never dissolve nor His word.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). 

Many people do not know what the church is supposed to consist of and what it is supposed to be like. Therefore, they make up their own mind (emotionally) what the church should be like and the direction it should take, regardless of what scripture describes as the church and how it should be.

Scripture and what we are called to do and how to act as described is not a pick and choose system of beliefs. We are to believe, trust, follow, and share His truths if we call ourselves Christians. If not we are free to find another religion, god, or group to follow. 

Blessings, Dennis

01/22/2024