Hello friends!

Last week, we shared that we had invited others to weigh in on an important question someone sent to us:

Why are so many 20-30-year-olds leaving Churches of Christ for other churches?

Many responded—many of you, included—and we are truly grateful for your insights and interest in this topic. Thank you!

➡️ This week, we want to give you a preview of where we plan to go from here.

As we began reviewing the feedback, we noticed that responses naturally fell into two broad groups:

• From those who have left Churches of Christ, and

• From those who have stayed but shared their thoughts on why others might have left.

Within the group who reported they had left Churches of Christ, we also identified four, general responses:

1. A very few claimed that busy schedules and lifestyles slowly drew them away.

2. Many would say they left because Churches of Christ did not meet their needs.

3. Others reported they left because of negative or hurtful experiences within the church.

4. Most claimed they left because they disagreed with certain practices, policies, or teachings.

Our plan is to explore each of these general categories in the order listed. Because we plan to discuss several particulars in these general categories, we will likely spend several weeks—or even months—in this series.

Also, in our responses, we aim to address both those who have left and those who have stayed.

We want you to know where we are coming from, too:

✔️ We are not here to trash-talk the church or its members. We love the church and the people who make up God’s family. The last thing we want to do is push anyone away from Jesus or create discontent in a church community.

✔️ We know we don’t have all the answers. We hope to learn and grow together.

Ultimately, our hope is that every person comes to know Jesus and grows in him. Healthy churches help people do that, so our aim is to encourage environments where spiritual growth can thrive.

**A quick reminder: we intentionally try to keep our newsletter responses concise. For more in-depth conversations, we invite you to listen to The Church Things Podcast, which serves as an extension of the Growing Steady, Together newsletter. In fact, here is this link to this week’s podcast.

Until next time—when we’ll begin exploring the claim that busy schedules and lifestyles caused some to drift away—may God bless you!

Kerry and Becky

🤔 What’s on your mind?

Just a reminder: if you would like a sounding board for some “church thing”—a situation, question, problem, or concern—we’d be happy to reflect on it with you. Let us know what it is, and we’ll be honored to respond!