“When it comes to the faith commitment of parents, it is hugely important that children observe their faith as a lifestyle throughout the week if it is to make a statement about its vibrancy and authenticity. ~John Wilkinson, Canadian youth ministry specialist
“The most effective faith instruction takes place organically.” ~Hemorrhaging Faith
This month’s cover story at Canada’s national evangelical magazine Faith Today is titled Why They’re Leaving, and appears in connection with the release of a study titled Hemorrhaging Faith which was co-sponsored by EFC (publisher of Faith Today), InterVarsity and others and compiled by James Penner Associates. The study is in ‘pre-print’ stage and is available for $15 CDN as a .pdf download.
The website notes:
- Only one in three Canadian young adults who attended church weekly as a child still do so today.
- Of the young adults who no longer attend church, half have also stopped identifying themselves with the Christian tradition in which they were raised.
- There are four primary toxins that keep young people from engaging with the church: Hypocrisy, judgement, exclusivity, failure.
The Faith Today article, in a sidebar, notes four categories of youth:
- Engagers (church is good) 23%
- Fence Sitters (want church on their terms) 36%
- Wanderers (church is not for me) 26%
- Rejecters (church is bad) 15%
For more, I guess you’ll have to buy the report or at least read the article (first link above).
