[NYer]

Ping!

[sparklite2]

” a faith formation class for an hour and fifteen minutes at the end of a long school day and right at the dinner hour “

Maybe that’s part of the problem.

[redgolum]

Part of the blame is the parents also (This article has been written by just about every church, synod, and denomination).

My wife and I were both very secure in our faith. We both had family that did the teaching, and our foundation was not just laid at the church classes.

The other issue is we, as Christians, need to learn to stop giving milk to kids who are ready for more solid food. My old Lutheran pastor wasn't a great speaker, but by God he hit us with issues in confirmation class that I have seen few ask fully grown adults. The point being make the Faith something beyond happy clappy platitudes sung with an acoustic guitar.

[Repent and Believe]

Were Catholic young adults leaving in droves before the “Vatican II” update?

If not, perhaps doing a downdate would amend it? Does anyone know how to do a downdate out there?

I’ve never seen more “glad to be Catholic” children then those of Traditional Latin Mass Catholic families.

[ealgeone]

Some might say that even with unchallenging preaching the Holy Eucharist should be enough to draw people in, but how can that be if people have no grasp of the power and wonder of the Sacrament because no one has taught them—not in a classroom and not from the pulpit?

Perhaps if ya'll shared the Gospel with them instead of the false teachings that you can only be saved by the Eucharist.

All through the book of John it is evident that one comes to Christ through believing in Him. The Greek is clear on this.

Perhaps if catholics understood the use of symbols in John that would be a help as well.

John speaks of the light, living water, the door, the vine, the Good Shepherd, bread, food, flesh, blood all in relation to Jesus.

If catholics believe you "must eat His flesh and drink His blood" then they must also believe He literally is a door or a vine. But we know they don't accept the last two as literal. They must also believe you should gouge your eye out if it causes you to sin. I don't see many blind catholics.

A proper understanding of context and John's literary style of writing would do catholics well.

[sitetest]

God doesn’t touch people’s hearts on our schedule. Some people find him when they are young, others when they’re older.

[Shark24]

Faith formation in general and the teen ministry specifically needs to be “inspirational and transformational”. The teens must be engaged. Using properly formed older teens and young adults as a part of the Confirmation “process” is critical to getting that engagement. I work with some incredible teens and young adults in 3 parishes in SoCal. I have great hope for the future of our youth. “Jesus I trust in You”

[af_vet_1981]

And so people go elsewhere. Perhaps to the nondenominational church up the street where the preaching is riveting and relevant and the community is fully engaged and made up predominantly of former Catholics. They don’t have Eucharist, but people are feeling fed, and returning, week after week. When you sit in Mass this Sunday, try to experience it as a newcomer, and ask yourself: If this was your first and only experience of Catholicism, would you ever return?

Some percentage of teenagers wander. Integrating them in the church or faith community is a family affair. If one loves God with all his heart, soul, and strength and believes that Jesus is the Messiah, one will appreciate the Mass for what it is, where the scripture permeates the worship and one publicly confesses the truth in good order and decorum. If one is not fully committed to the LORD Jesus Christ, one will wander from faith community to community, or sin to sin. It's a shame that the children of believing parents wander to far countries and squander their heritage yet some prodigals return.

Oddly enough Patheos published an article on religious retention rates that showed the highest retention rates among Biblical faith groups as being the Jewish and Catholic faiths. There is a anecdotal retention problem for Preacher's Kids (PKs) for which I'm still searching for statistics.

[silverleaf]

same experience here

[SevenofNine]

Be honest I have CCD on Sunday morning before Children mass at 9:30am then I go inside the church

[icwhatudo]

“Adam and Eve are a myth like the Easter Bunny”

“Anything that seems like magic in the Bible is probably made up”

Two things my young kids learned in “Catholic” school....smh