Young People Leaving the Church (by Jessica)

When people think about the younger generation leaving the church they think about the college kids. They are the ones physically leaving the church. But when do their hearts start to leave the church? When do they start to doubt the Bible and what is being taught to them? Well, 39.8% first start doubting in middle school, 43.7% start doubting in high school and 10.6% start having doubts in college. What percent of kids go to church? It starts at 95% going to church regularly during elementary and middle school, 55% going regularly during high school and 11% going regularly during college. The most kids leave church mentally during middle school and high school. (Surveys are of Evangelicals in America)
If you look at the church in England you will see very little. Most of their churches are either dead or dying. The churches that are empty are not honored as being a church. They are being turned into: bars, restaurants, strip clubs, museums etc. England used to be a Christan nation but now that has declined. The same thing is happening to America. The church is dying. The college kids aren't coming back to church. There is the exception, of course, but for the most part they are not coming back. Some of the top 10 reasons for leaving the church are: 12% Boring service, 12% Legalism,11% Hypocrisy of leaders, 10% Too political, 9% Self righteous people,7% Distance from home, 6% Not relevant to personal growth,6% God wouldn't condemn to hell, 5% Bible not relevant or practical, 5% Couldn't find preferred church in area.
(Info taken from book I've been reading; Already Gone by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer)
Parents say that their kids won't leave church if they bring them to Sunday school, youth group, church etc. But they are leaving the church. The church is losing 61% of its young people. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. Adults expect young people to rebel. So the young people are. They are leaving church as quick as they can. Deut. 6:6-7 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up.(NKJV) The church can't teach everyone's children all day as parents can. God gave that responsibility to parents. Sunday school teachers only spend around 45 minutes each Sunday teaching children. Most of that is telling Bible stories. There is nothing wrong with Bible stories but are Bible stories going to be enough to get them through high school and college? Will 45 minutes a week be enough? Let's say parents, taught their children for an hour each day. That would be 7 hours a week and 365 hours a year. In Sunday school the time that children spend learning is about 36 hours a year. Parents can decide what to talk about. For example, our dad might read an article that he might or might not like. If it is something that we need to talk about, we talk about it. I personally have learned more from this than I ever did in Sunday school. Instead of the church teaching the young people our family believes that it is the parents responsibility and the parents gift to teach their children. - posted by
Jessica

Not Being Caught Off Guard (by Katrina)

The book I have been reading is called Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends

The part I have been reading is by Grace Mally a 12 year old girl.

Grace was sitting in the car and Sarah said, "let's write a book to help brothers and sisters". Grace thought "another one of Sarah's big ideas". They have seen familys not get along. So they agreed to write the book. They said we shoudn't be suprised if it is hard to get along. The very first brothers on earth fought. They fought and Cain even killed his brother Abel.

When we say something without thinking about it it can lead to trouble. Some years ago Grace's dad had gallbladder surgery. That night after the surgery Grace's dad was very sore. Grace's mom had to help Grace's dad get into the bed. In the night the phone started ringing. Grace's dad got out of bed and ran to the phone. Then he remembered the surgery. In the same way, we can be caught off guard in our family and that can cause problems.

This book helps me not to be caught off guard when my brothers and sisters say or do something I don't like. It helps me not to say something bad. It helps me to be aware of it so I am not caught off guard and then all of a sudden say something bad. - posted by Katrina