At this week’s Online Training Conference 2011, one of our presenters, Kara Powell, raised questions that are part of her research at Fuller Youth Institute. First, Kara mentioned that in her research with 500 teens, the kids were asked to define Christianity. One in three youth did not mention Jesus in their definitions – and these were church kids who were active in youth groups across the country.
Kara also mentioned that in her studies, 40 percent of committed Christian high school kids walked away from their faith in their first year of college. The number struck home when Kara said something like: “So picture five great high school kids you know right now; then draw a red ‘X’ through two of them, because they are not going to hold onto their faith as they go through college.”
Why is that? One of the reasons Kara and her team believe kids walk away from their faith is that it isn’t deep, isn’t “sticky.”
She talked about Dallas Willard’s concept of a “Gospel of sin management” that replaces a real, vibrant relationship with Jesus, and instead presenting a list of do’s and don’ts, because that’s the easiest thing for parents and youth leaders to identify, to discuss and teach.
How would you go about ensuring that the children and teens in your sphere of influence understand that the most important thing about being a Christian is maintaining a close relationship with Christ? What does that look like to you? How would you describe it to them? How would you go about helping them develop a “sticky faith”?
While I understand and agree with the concerns raised by this Kindling post, I struggle with the “sticky/stickiness” metaphor. Sticky refers to something that sticks externally. The church has done a great job of providing sticky experiences when the need is for a faith that’s so woven into the warp and weft of our being it’s meshed internally and can’t be unstuck.
The book “Blah, Blah, Blah – Making Sense of the World’s Spiritual Chatter” is resource that may be helpful in guiding youth to discern what worldview their teachers, professors, friends, and the world is espousing while holding up a biblical worldview as the standard.
The devotional “Who’s Following Whom?” in a recent Thursday Mail highlighted the need for all of us to develop our relationship with Jesus in a way that’s not dependent on the whims, fickleness, or even stickiness of others. We need to ask ourselves, our camp programs teaching campers how to weave a relationship with Jesus that will last regardless of personalities, external circumstances, current trends, etc.
I agree with Henry. Already Gone is a great resource and puts some things in perspective. For as long as I remember, we’ve talked about kids leaving the church once they go to college. I’d agree with that because I’ve seen it too. But Already Gone shows that the reasons for leaving started long before they reach college. College may be the place we notice them leaving the church, but they were already doubting their faith when they leave during college. I know I’m generalizing, but I think it is a good wake up call. We should be concerned about them at the point at which they stop going to church (college) and we should be concerned about them at the point when doubts may start to arise (as early as elementary school). I’m glad we are in ministries that can come alongside local churches in showing kids that God’s Word is truth they can trust and in living authentic lives that show a real relationship with Christ.
Ken Ham and Brett Beamer have an excellent book entitled “already gone.” The main point of the book is that young people aren’t lost at college. Rather they have left long before they graduated from High School. While still at home they went through the motions but did not develop a deep faith. The reasons found many will find surprising. The two biggest:church leaders compromising on the Word of God; and the hypocrisy they see in adult Christians. It is worth the read.