http://pursuingholiness.com/2008/01/why-are-churches-losing-their-young-people/ pursuing holiness, following politics Sun, 21 Mar 2010 05:14:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://pursuingholiness.com/2008/01/why-are-churches-losing-their-young-people/comment-page-1/#comment-41508 Griffin Sun, 06 Jan 2008 20:14:44 +0000 http://pursuingholiness.com/2008/01/02/why-are-churches-losing-their-young-people/#comment-41508 Churches are losing people (young and old) because they aren't embodying Christ. People who grow up with parents of faith and make the decision to follow Christ just because they're told to do so - they don't actually know what it means. Christians use words like "become saved" and "accept Jesus" but don't live out lives that show what it means. I regret that I can't remember who said "preach the gospel always, use words if necessary," but Churches are relying on sermons and little else to preach the gospel when the church body itself is responsible for delivering this message through their lives. Churches are based on capitalism and popular culture far more than they are reflective of the life of Jesus Christ. Young people aren't dumb - we know when something isn't worth our time. And the Jesus that the church represents doesn't seem to be worth giving over our comfortable albeit mediocre lives for. If anybody wants to find out more about this topic, I would recommend two books I've read recently which are "Blue Like Jazz" by Don Miller or "Irresistible Revolution" by Shane Claiborne. Happy searching! Churches are losing people (young and old) because they aren’t embodying Christ. People who grow up with parents of faith and make the decision to follow Christ just because they’re told to do so – they don’t actually know what it means. Christians use words like “become saved” and “accept Jesus” but don’t live out lives that show what it means. I regret that I can’t remember who said “preach the gospel always, use words if necessary,” but Churches are relying on sermons and little else to preach the gospel when the church body itself is responsible for delivering this message through their lives. Churches are based on capitalism and popular culture far more than they are reflective of the life of Jesus Christ. Young people aren’t dumb – we know when something isn’t worth our time. And the Jesus that the church represents doesn’t seem to be worth giving over our comfortable albeit mediocre lives for. If anybody wants to find out more about this topic, I would recommend two books I’ve read recently which are “Blue Like Jazz” by Don Miller or “Irresistible Revolution” by Shane Claiborne. Happy searching!

]]> http://pursuingholiness.com/2008/01/why-are-churches-losing-their-young-people/comment-page-1/#comment-41444 Pacesetters Bible School Newsletter » Blog Archive » Young People Leaving the Church Thu, 03 Jan 2008 00:14:49 +0000 http://pursuingholiness.com/2008/01/02/why-are-churches-losing-their-young-people/#comment-41444 [...] some more interesting data on young people leaving the church–not that we haven’t heard it before. The question is just what do we do about [...] [...] some more interesting data on young people leaving the church–not that we haven’t heard it before. The question is just what do we do about [...]

]]>