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Hello friends! Last week, we discussed one reason some young adults left the church: the demands of a busy life gradually pulled them away. ➡️ This week, we’re looking at another reason many young adults gave for leaving: they felt the church was not providing what they were searching for. In other words, they didn’t find in the church some of the things they felt they needed most. Here are four needs some young adults mentioned that they felt were not being adequately met. (In our next issue, we plan to share four more.) Connection. Some younger adults said they struggled to find a genuine sense of community within the church. What they longed for were authentic, meaningful, and spiritually-enriching relationships. A safe place to ask questions and express doubts. Some felt that open discussion and honest soul-searching were discouraged out of concern that candid conversations might cause others to stumble. A stronger commitment to serving others. Some said they wanted to be part of a church that was more focused on social justice and meeting the needs of others beyond its walls. A more meaningful ministry for children. Some felt the church did not offer enough engaging and spiritually-enriching opportunities for their children. We would like to offer a brief response to both those who may have left the church—or are considering leaving—for reasons such as these, and to those who remain. (For a more extensive discussion of these matters, go to this week’s Church Things Podcast. 🎙️Listen here.) First, we all can agree on this: God intended for his children to be blessed by being part of a church family. We understand the desire for a church family that meets important needs. Having acknowledged that, we know most of us are mindful of the danger of approaching church with a consumer mindset. Our Lord reminded his followers that he himself “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Mark 10:45). While our involvement in a church family should and will bless us, our focus should not be solely on what we receive. We should also ask, “What can I contribute? How can I serve?” That said, there is nothing wrong with expecting to receive blessings from being part of a church family. It’s biblical! Yes, a church should be a place where people build meaningful relationships and feel safe asking questions or expressing doubts. A church should look beyond itself and seek opportunities to serve its community. And those who follow the one who said, “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14), should be deeply concerned about the spiritual and social well-being of the children in their care. We believe the longings expressed above by our young adult Christians offer valuable insight for church leaders assessing the health of our churches. We’d love for you to join the conversation. A great place to start is this week’s podcast, The Church Didn’t Provide What We Were Looking For (Part 1), which explores these ideas in more depth.
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