Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Something went wrong when a generation of young people left the church. But they didn’t just leave, they left broken, bruised, offended, bitter, and have grown distant from the church. And now willingly and openly ridicule and mock their humble beginnings in ignorance. Those that had callings on their lives now walkout their days with dreams unfulfilled. Young people that were swindled out of their inheritance by the evil manipulation of the devil, or chased out from a pulpit manned by an arrogant dictatorial demanding preacher or the hypocrisies of double standards of those in authority and in their homes.

I weep for the unnecessary and or willful loss. Who will grieve with me? Better yet, who will pray with me that they will return?-Joel Barnaby

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Not everyone ridicules and mocks. They're the more visible and noticable ones. Most just get on with their lives. Some post on AFF with witty and/or annoying banter, but it's not ridicule or mocking. Is it? :heeheehee

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

I don't know the answer to that, Timmy. But, do we want them to return to the same system they left in the first place?

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Miss C, I have seen time after time, where some of the young people are not accepted into "cliques" that are totally spoken against from the pulpit...(but then are some pastors/churches who dont really have a love for their youth) they are shunned for different reasons and it is sad. Once my daughter (who got the Holy Ghost when she was 11 at Youth Camp under Jeff Arnold, and had been baptised since 8 by Rev Keith Clark) she had fell out after she married a person who was not in church and of a different faith...well, she came back on and off because she said she felt God pulling her back...many people had been praying for her, so she and this man decided to seperate for reasons of abuse and other things. We knew God was answering a prayer...but when she came back, she had on pants, in which I was just
so happy she was coming back I never spoke of her clothes, I was going to allow God to deal with her and believed she would come back to how she was raised in time. She attended 2 times and went to the alter, God was dealing heavily with her. My heart was happy. After a moving service and wonderful alter service, she went to the bathroom where a few of the young girls caught her and "lit into her" about her clothes and told her she would never be a part of them or anyone....long story made short....that was the last time she came. ;*-( She is bitter to this day and we pray for her daily. She still asks her dad to pray for her when she is sick :-) so I know she still feels something. I ask for your prayers for her and my son of whom has the Holy Ghost and has been baptised since a very young age. They both are the 4th generation Apotolic. I have placed my son "on the alter" as he is so far out of control it is heart breaking. Asking anyone who reads this for your prayers for my children. I pray for all the young people in every church.....for they are the future coming church!

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

This sad on so many fronts! When will we learn that rules and traditions of man don't save or even bring us closer to God but in fact they enslave us and separates us from the Grace of God. I pray that your children find a church that preaches Christ and Him crucified for that is the Gospel.

Reading your post I am reminded again why I left!

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

I will be praying for you and your children, GC. The message may be right, but how it's preached may not always be led by the Spirit. Because kids and young people sometimes see the "image" only. And others see "through" it to the spirit behind it. Sadly that is where bitterness enters. This also happens to adults, and is passed down to their children, and so it spreads. :(

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:thumbsup

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How right you are. I have let my children know after they knew of the TPC tragady that there was anger at first, but after much prayer, I am no longer angry, maybe hurt but allowing God to heal the hurt while praying for everyone who was and is a part of this tragady, including TB.

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Thank you very much! :thumbsup

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Sincere young men were mentored in churches that preached the gospel, Spirit and Truth. Unfortunately sometimes tacked on to that truth were the traditions and attitudes of man. Along came a generation that questioned the additions and let it be known that they didn't see it the way it was handed down to them. And here we are today, recovering from the backlash. Some have softened their approach. Some have broken away to rebuild. Some have fallen by the wayside their spirits wounded and broken. Some are just hardened and have walked away. Oh that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

:thumbsup

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

:thumbsup

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

ANY lies that are told to anyone will have that person questioning everything else once those lies are discovered. Whether it be all the many holiness standards that make up the classic pentecostal "look!" or whether it be the disdain that so many of the older generation have for science and scientists, which can really turn a young persons mind upside down once they enter college and have REAL physics and chemistry classes which are (surprise surprise) somewhat at odds with the Children's Bible Pop-Up book version of things which they were taught in Sunday school.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Yes, God created Science.

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Why are you losing young people? The internet is to blame, mostly. Makes it easier to see what else is out there. E.g., alternatives to "believe this or die".

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To answer your question with my own opinion Cindy....

The reason I think we are losing young people is because they have been taught to highly regard and respect a system... i.e. the church and its ministers.... more highly than God himself.

How often I heard the saying while growing up "It ain't Bible, but it's so anyhow" in regards to the clothesline standard questions.

Instead of allowing each individual to follow the leading of the Spirit in their lives, the "system" has taught to honor the man-made rules and laws, instead of following the leading of the Spirit in their lives.

And when those man-made laws, and traditions fail to keep one within its boundaries, and you have not been taught how to allow the Spirit in your life to guide you... then you fall into apostasy and begin to blame God for all that's wrong in the church system... and that is why we are losing young people, because of disillusion with a system that is failed and cracked and broken at its very core...

Yet only when one turns and follows CHRIST and not a church system (pastor/preacher/ministry) will there be a restoration in that life. We don't follow men, we follow Christ. We honor those who work in the ministry, and appreciate all they do, but we do NOT respect or esteem them higher than the Lord himself.

But that is in essence exactly what the current church system has done, is to elevate the "ministry" to such a place that when that ministry fails, as all human nature will... then it destroys the faith of the people.... Satan's perfect plan in action.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

:nod

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

I think what you said in this post, the statement in bold letters, basically sums up the issue.

I crinch sometimes when I hear preachers preach. There's only one pastor I've been under in my entire life that I've felt comfortable taking new converts or interested individuals to listen to at all times, and that was my pastor back home in DC, which is why I attended his church for so long. He preaches the truth, preaches strongly against sin, but I have never heard him be purposely offensive or outright disrespectful. I sat under pastors who will preach and mention young people over the pulpit and use them as examples for "what not to do" or spread their sin over the pulpit, to my shock and dismay, and personally wanted to walk out of the church, and I wasn't even the point and topic of the conversation. I've sat under pastors and in churches where I quite frankly didn't feel comfortable bringing the lost to the church. I've felt more comfortable in some cases having people come to my own home with a select saints from the church I know can handle evangelism, and work with them myself to receive the Holy Ghost, because I've seen people who are "working" with the lost for them to receive the spirit of God doing all sorts of insanity. Grabbing their throats, putting their hands on their jaw and moving their mouths up and down, telling them they can't get a drink of water because the Devil's trying to distract them.

I've held it in for a long time, out of respect and out of respect for order and decency, even when I've been admonished for not inviting enough people to church, I've literally wanted to say I can't invite people to this mess, they'd think I'm nuts, your nuts, and we're all nuts and it's not just because we dance and speak in tongues it's because some of us actually are nuts.

I guess when you get to much "man" in the church and not enough of God you get these problems.

Going to the young people, I was thinking about today's society and how many distractions there are for young people, and even young people in the church. Ipads, Ipods, cellphones, tv, internet, facebook, twitter, etc. People don't even know how to put together whole sentences because the majority of what they say and read on any given day is in the confines of 140 characters on twitter. Young people are not being taught critical thinking skills, they are being constantly dumbed down by the media, I mean I have the opportunity to go out on the streets and witness to some of these young people and have seen just the gradual dumbing down of society.

And we as the saints of God have an obligation to reach out to these souls, and in order to do that we can't just hand them tracks about Acts 2:38 and the godhead and expect them to read it, comply, and run to the church on Sunday. I think some people feel like passing out tracts is witnessing, and that's one of my biggest pet peeves. I gave him a "Understanding the Godhead in 3 Steps" tract, yeup that'll get him off drugs.

While all this is going on our own young people go astray because we don't offer them anything but a set of "dos and don'ts" and tell them if they leave the church they're going to Hell. I get aggravated with parents who think that by taking their kids to church on Sunday and Wednesday night they're doing their jobs as Christian parents. Your children are in church generally 6 to 7 hours a week, but in school being brainwashed by the world monday-friday from 8am to 3pm and you're surprised that they're distracted by the world?

Even the kids in the church have no desire to know Christ, because the truth is a lot of the adults in the church don't really know Christ. They know Apostolic doctrine. They don't know Jesus. Church has now become something we do because we don't want to go to Hell, rather then something we do to come together to touch the throne of Heaven and experience God. Young people are distracted by the world because they're not interested in going to church, hearing the pastor preach and never seeing any results.

The Bible stresses instilling the word of God, and it has to be the parents, not the pastor. We have to put the word of God in our children from day one, and I mean overload them with it. It can't just be Bible stories, we have to fall in love with the Word of God as a body and stop simply relying on comfortable and fiery preaching to keep us and the youth of our churches. There's a lot of shouting going on in the churches now, lots of dogmatic preaching, lots of "I'm going to Heaven and you're not because...", but not a lot of loving Jesus. It seems like more and more I go to churches and it's like a bunch of people sitting in a building with the door locked and Jesus is standing outside the doorstep of his own house with the weak and damaged soul of a sinner in his hand knocking on the door asking "Can we please come in?"

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

I would like to nominate this post as THE POST OF THE DAY!

:yourock

I can't agree more, or add anything to what you've said.

:preach

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Amen

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

WOW An Awesome Post !!! http://freeemoticonsandsmileys.com/3...you%20rock.gif

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Well my answer is not as spiritually or doctrinally deep as all the rest of you.

And I do believe there are situations where problems are way over analyzed.

So here is what I have seen both growing up in youth group

Watching the youth groups today.

And hearing my daughters talk about our current youth group.

It is as simple as a division between what we call "Lifers" and "Newbies"

The divide between those who have been in since birth and those who come in during their preteen and teen years.

You can see them in our church.

They talk, socialize.

Once things settle for service.

They sit in groups, two to three pews apart.

It was that way when I got in at about 11 years old.

Oh yeah, everyone talked and fellowshipped with me.

But that was it. Even after I was 17 and had been there 6 years.

The same is true at churches today.

I see my daughters struggle with it.

but I am not silent about it

I don't keep it from them.

I know your not supposed to talk about people in the church.

But if my daughters know the truth, they can, and have, deal with it better.

It is sad. Of the "Newbies" I grew up with, I am the only one of 6 who is in the church today.

And I was gone for a long time.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

I imagine the reason many leave Church is because most of them are boring to a young person compared to the world. If they get a real connection with Christ, experience his favor, encounter him they are far more likely to stay. Such a walk with him is more dynamic than all the world offers.

I came to Christ outside of Church. A hippie who was drawn to begin reading the Bible. I had years of drinking, smoking pot, LSD, ups, downs and all arounds. But Christ revealed himself to me. I received the Holy Ghost with tongues and prophecy and was having amazing encounters with Jesus BEFORE I went to any Church or met any Christians.

Some 7 months later when I attended a Church to be baptized in the Church Of Christ they persuaded me to start attending their Sunday School. Boy was I shocked. The young adult class was so shallow it was not funny. They enjoyed the things of the world with seemingly no passion for Jesus.

Noahs Ark, Moses bush, Christmas...thats what I think of when I think of Sunday School. The Elders tried to talk me out of my walk with God saying he doesnt do the amazing things I testified to.

After leaving there and meeting up with the Jesus Movement THEN I was thrilled! Other young people who actually hungered for the things of God. That were on fire. We did not do crafts and plays. We went out on the street and preached to hippies, hookers, pimps, gays, whoever was out. We prayed for the sick and cast out demons. We baptized people and some got the Holy Ghost.

I tried to get back in a regular Church. The Pastor called for anyone interested in working to reach young people for a meeting. His wife was asking for suggestions how to strengthen the young people.

I suggested get them out on the street! Lets go to the malls and the airport and the sports events and tell people about Jesus! She looked at me as if I had not said anything. Then a young man raised his hand and suggested a hay ride and a bon fire. NOW they got excited ! Thats it!

Its no wonder youth want out of Church. At least back then they were being treated like children. Not challenged to discipleship. Not taught God is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. He was not real to many of them.

Since I myself gave up on these systemite type Churches a long time ago I cant blame young people (or old) for leaving them. They rob people of their zeal and lock them into playing Church.

The real important question is are they leaving false Churches that are detrimental to their growth as a Christian or are they leaving Jesus? Almost everyone I attempt to witness to where I work responds by saying something like "Well I dont go to Church as much as I should". They instantly equate Church attendance with being a Christian.

Instead of always treating them like Sunday School kids why not teach them to forsake all and follow Christ? When they begin to encounter the Lord Jesus Christ they will want fellowship with like minded people. It depends a lot on what kind of vision the older people give them of Christ.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Do you consider your daughters to be newbies?

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

I'm a "newbie" myself. Came in at 16. I had the basic frame work down though, my mother was a backslidder so up until age 8 I was raised in the Holiness church. I knew the lingo, knew the traditions, knew the DOs and DONTs, so I fit in, and yes I experienced what you're talking about.

I experienced the hurt of losing all of my friends in the world. It took until after I graduated High School to really "stay saved" because no one was saved in my high school, no one in my immediate family was saved. The problem is there are those who are "raised" in the church who know no better. Their life has been church since they were born. Some of them take this largely for granted. Those of us who have been "in the world" can testify that there's nothing out there, but many will not take our word for it. Those who remain saved often times have such a bond with those who they grew up with in the church, outsiders aren't as welcomed as they should be. They are not reached out to, because some people that were raised in the church don't realize what it's like to be in the world. To have every friend you've ever had, your very support system in life leave you because you're living this new life. It's sad, but many young people come in, and fall away for that very reason. I plan on raising my children in the faith, this is a principle I will ALWAYS be careful to teach them, to reach out to the newly saved and be that support system they need.

Sometimes I wonder, if I didn't already know what church was like and to expect to be alone after I accepted Christ... would I have survived to be saved to this day? The sad answer is considering the statistics... I doubt it.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

A lot has been shared so far. I would SURMISE that most have formed opinions from personal experiences. But I am not sure that any of these things... division, standards et al is the crux of the matter.

Non Penetcostal and Non Standards churches face the same issues of their youth leaving...

Fact is, our schools and society are quickly entering a post Christian state... It's just that the youth have more courage to express it.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

What exactly is a "post Christian state"?

Can we honestly and realistically blame society for destroying youth in a remnant church and be comfortable with that answer?

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Really good point. 1-12 they are indoctrinated into secular humanism. Not to mention in College.

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My primary point was not to place blame, but just acknowledge that this is not a thing unique to Pentecostals or conservative "standards" churches. I think the stats are something like 85% of today's Christian youth abandon the faith by college age... A "used to be Christian" mentality is normal in today's public schools and universities. To be post-Christian is comfortable, and in many classrooms the majority identifies with either a declining Christianity, or an abandoned Christianity.

Preserving a Christian worldview in the formative years, and keeping godly parents as the primary influence is of utmost importance.

It's not a cure-all, but it certainly is one of the reasons we homeschool.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Exactly. It is amazing... or depressing perhaps... the beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and habits that our children pick up in public school. I had started off home schooling our children and they wanted to go to public school. I wish I would have stuck to my guns now. I have great kids... don't get me wrong... but I see things in them that they never would have picked up without the influence of their "friends" at school.

Despite it all my kids are very involved in church and still live for God but it has been a constant struggle to keep attitudes at bay that are so prevalent at school but not allowed at home.

Another thing that affects kids is this... kids don't mind believing truth... but young people are quickly turned off by elders taking a stand that they cannot sufficiently support with scripture. Now... they may not be able to support their stands because it is not biblically based or it may be because the elders are used to a "Because I said so" atmosphere where flimsy reasoning has been fine heretofore. But, if you can't support what you say you believe with good solid scripture it turns the younger generation off and they begin to lose faith in the entirety of Christianity because they feel that all of it must be just as flimsy.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Well what's the solution?

I'm sorry if I misunderstood your point but it seemed like what you were saying was something along the lines of this flight from Christianity is natural and to be expected.

I mentioned society is a major reason why many of youth are being distracted, but the problem is I feel as though there's something we're not doing right to combat the distractions. The question is what?

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

The sad part is, a lot of things we do IS supported in scripture, but that "because I said so" mentality has held us bound for so long, we don't know the scripture well enough to know where in scripture it's supported.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

:thumbsup

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:thumbsup

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:thumbsup

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They are losing the younger generation, because there are two predominent influences calling the young people in these times. One is compromise. Embrace wordliness under the guise of enlightened Christianity. The other is a sincere call for truth, which neccesitates a return to the Word of God. Not the Word of God plus tradition, the Word of God sans tradition. This young generation isn't just going to put up with someone shoving unbiblical absolutes down our throats. If you can't defend your doctrines against scrutiny, then why would we want to embrace that mickey mouse theology and look like fools when a real Bible student takes us to task for our poor exegesis, misunderstanding of context and cultural norms, and overall poor hermenutic?

The younger genreation wants to declare truth to a genereation that doesn't belive there is such a thing. But there is such a thing! There is a truth that is more powerful, more dynamic, than all the philosphies of man put together. A life changing truth, that is more than a philosphy, but is the very power of God himself. That truth is the gospel of Jesus Christ, to preach Christ crucified and resurrected, and the implications that has for everyone whether they accept the offer of grace or reject it.

We can declare the truth of the gospel in the person and power of Christ. We can stand in the face of the most bitter persecution and preach the gospel and defend the truthfulness thereof. We don't have to create an "environment of worship" or have a group of people who will amen our every point, even when those points are absolutely unbibilical and just buzz words and recycled phrases. We must have a truth that can stand up to scrutiny, and the harshest persecution. We can declare the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the power of a living Christ to save souls and change lives even in 2013. What we can't declare and stand up to scrutiny, and has no power to change lives, are the misguided traditions of men. I can't declare in a prison (where everyone wears short sleeved jump suits) that if you don't wear long sleeves your're going to hell, or if you have a beard you're going to hell, or if you watch TV you're going to hell. I can't declare to an intellectual man that a person ought not to have a TV, but there is nothing wrong with the internet. Telling sinners that they can't wear shorts doesn't deliver from sin. Oh, but they say "no, no, no, you don't tell them that at first." OK, right. You hook them, and don't concern yourself with the minutia of standards, but then after a year or so, you throw it on them as heaven/hell issues. I can't do that. Not only is it deceitful, but more importantly it is unbiblical. I preach repentance from sin. Fornication, adultery, homosexuality, theft, lying, greed, pride, etc. If wearing shorts, trimming hair, and watching TV are sins, then they need to be repented of at the time of conversion, not much later on using the bait and switch method. They have added so much to the gospel that it becomes drowned out by the noise, and becomes unrecognizable, yet when we raise a red flag to ask some questions we are shouted down and sat down. We are called rebellious, compromisers, charismatics, and warned that our families will be torn apart. Divorces will happen, kids will end up on drugs, our ministries will be destroyed, God will write ICHABOD on our lives, we'll believe a strong delusion and be damned, and finally be forever separated from God, burning in hell......all because we don't bow the knee to their standards. And then folks say "why is the younger generation leaving?"

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Thank you, Jason.

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AMEN

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

Jason, I hear you, and I know duplicitous living and hypocrisy are never good...

However, I don't think the retention rates are any better for churches that don't preach against beards, TV or short sleeves... nor do they have lower divorce rates.

Re: Why Are We Losing Young People?
 

You hit the nail on the head.:thumbsup