Posted on 09/27/2009 8:43:49 AM PDT by GodGunsGuts
Mike Matthews, editor of Answers magazine, spoke with Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, about one of the most pressing questions in the church today: “With so many children leaving the church by their twenties, what are we doing wrong, and what solutions can the church and parents implement?”...
(Excerpt) Read more at answersingenesis.org ...
Have a blessed Sunday :o)
Young people have always wandered away from their church upbringing after high school. This is nothing new. I graduated HS in 1960 and remember being told by our youth pastor that practically none of us would even bother to go to church once we were away at college. IIRC, the numbers of those who fall by the wayside were about the same then as they are now.
Fewer might be returning to fellowship now than then, but it’s always been a problem. Many of those who fall away eventually know they are missing something and after marriage and a child or two they realize what it is and return to church.
“...what can churches do...”
Start preaching the TRUTH for a change. Spend the first year on the Ten Commandments, make that all Ten, and use scripture to interpret scripture instead of some milk toast preacher who has never heard the truth. Lose the female oriented ‘gospel’, lose the female oriented ‘love songs’ that pass for praise. Skip the ‘announcements’ and passing the plate. Stop playing church and acting like church is a country club. Start telling us (young people) why the Gospel is important and why it is relevant to us in today’s world. GET SOME YOUNG PREACHERS WHO LOVE THE LORD. Put them in the pulpit. Where is the church for young people? Only old people go to the local church, and who wants to hang with old people?
The above would be a good start.
The preceding is based on polling several young people about why they don’t go to church....
Flame away oldsters...
Of course you could always go to a latin mass, learn how to sing Gregorian Chant, learn a foreign language, study the sacred scriptures in context, and worship Jesus Christ present under the form of bread and wine, and receive Him into your heart through receiving Him in communion, Who promised us He would be with us always, even unto the consumation of the world. In such a setting, it does not matter who the celebrant is. Everything is focused on Christ. Plus it is the most beautiful prayer this side of heaven.
I quit going to church in high school but started attending again when I got saved.
I agree that leaving the church is worrisome. What would be a better poll is to find out how many of those young people who leave eventually come back on their own, when they’ve sorted themselves and their faith out.
Kids need to have their faith become real to them, instead of believing it just because their parents do or that was the way they were raised.
I think that wandering is part of the process as they work through it.
You could try to love your fellow Christians instead of preaching hate against them.
I do love my fellow Christians. I even love those who refuse to confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but try to pass themselves off as Christians.
Who made you judge and jury to determine whether a person is a Christian.
***Of course you could always go to a latin mass, learn how to sing Gregorian Chant, learn a foreign language, study the sacred scriptures in context, and worship Jesus Christ present under the form of bread and wine, and receive Him into your heart through receiving Him in communion, Who promised us He would be with us always, even unto the consumation of the world. In such a setting, it does not matter who the celebrant is. ***
Exactly so. It really does not matter. A priest of God is a priest of God. Ad orientam so that the priest is anonymous; not a prancing dancing medicine man strutting about on a stage calling out “Look at ME!!!! I’m preaching the WORD of GODDDDDDDD!!!!!!!”
ahem... pass the basket...there we go...gotta run...the Learjet takes off in an hour...the dog needs air conditioning in his doghouse...my track pants have a rip in...
You bring up another ideal that is found in the Catholic church and hardly anywhere else, the evangelic counsels. Most priests observe chastity, and obedience, and many also observe the vow of poverty. If they remain true to their vows, they can accomplish so much for the Gospel. “How beautiful are the feet of them, who preach the Gospel of peace.”
Thanks for the ping!
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