Part 1: Why Young People Are Leaving the Church: Segregated Age Groups

In this video, Mike introduces the first of 10 reasons why he believes 70%+ of young people are leaving the church today, and things the North American Church can do to help retain their young people.

PLEASE WATCH AND LET ME KNOW AND CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE OTHER IDEAS ON HOW TO HELP REVERSE THIS DISTURBING TREND.

Mike Hauser is a Pastor in Southern Ontario, and has been serving as a Pastor since graduating in 2002 with a 4 year Bachelor Degree in Theology. Mike has been married to his high school sweetheart since July 1999, and together they have 4 interesting and entertaining kids and a dog.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Why
• Teens
• Leave
• The
• Church
• Youth
• Ministry
• Sticky
• Faith
• Think
• Orange
• Reggie
• Joiner
• Young People
• Un-Christian
• David
• Kinnaman
• Already
• Gone
• Ken
• Ham
• Goodbye
• Generation
• Sawler
• Sustainable
• Mark
• DeVries

[PsalmsPoetic]

I love your video and I agree with many of your points. In the years that I've been involved in youth ministries I never considered that youth ministries may have a huge role to play in the so called exodus. I would like to offer one more 'what if' if you don't mind. What if our emphasis was more on connecting our youth to Christ and less on connecting them to our churches.

[mikehoserthecloser]

@PsalmsPoetic

That's a powerful what if! We have a poster in our youth venue that asks "What is your facebook/quiet time ratio"? We allude to it regularly at our jr. & sr. high discipleship nights and remind students that if they are not feeding themselves on God's word throughout the week, and rely only on church and the youth group....there is a good chance they don't have a relationship with Jesus....only a relationship with church, and that won't cut it! Great point for sure tho!

[briancourtney]

I know you're focused on the church but really it is sad that as a SOCIETY, we don't focus on connecting youth, children, and adults. It's sad to me that kids don't know their neighbors and learn from them and are accountable to them. We segregate on all levels of community not just at church. You might be interested to read about the "40 assets for youth". Not church focused but helps to see the role that ALL adults can play in child development.

[mikehoserthecloser]

@briancourtney

Thanks Brian.  So true! I'll definately check that out. :):)

[TheLoringLank]

I've been in youth ministry for 10 years and have noticed that children might be leaving the institutional "church" but they are not leaving Christ. If we have the close minded idea that "church" is something that happens from 10:30 to noon on a Sunday morning we've got a HUGE problem. The (institutional) church needs to recognize that "two or three gathered in my name" is "church". We have church whenever we meet and the focus is intentionally on God. Our idea of what Church is needs to change.

[mikehoserthecloser]

@TheLoringLank

Agreed! I recently heard of a church that welcomes people each week by saying to everyone "thanks for bringing church into these rooms this morning". The church is not a building, or an institution, but a community of people regardless of meeting location.

Great Point LoringLank!

[denis651000]

Give your life over to Him and Him alone (no church, youth group, pastor, deacon, bishop, youth minister) and He will do wonders. Study His word and do your best to live by it. Surround yourself with true believers and grow with one another. Share the new life with others and tell as many as you can who it was that changed your life........JESUS!

[denis651000]

To feed the poor, help the needy, and support the widows no less. So in closing, because I could go on forever as to what I believe alot of the "churches" problems are. I will leave with this final thought. OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND TRULY ACCEPT JESUS AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR.

[denis651000]

Well buy, one of a thousands books telling you how to be a better Christian, or the church can hire a speaker to come tell the church, or attend a mission trip to a far off land, or you name it its been done by the church, to help fix you or at least try to get more people in the churches doors...

[denis651000]

Many think of church as the building they go to on Sunday with the other people (oh yea, "Christians") and wonder where' the love, fellowship, growth, etc etc..... all the beautiful discriptions of church that we read in The Bible.

[denis651000]

One word ekklesia was replaced in the New Testament (NT) with church. So, when reading the NT and the scripture associated with the word "church," makes one wonder why church isn't what The Bible says a church should be and is.

[denis651000]

I too am sadly frustrated, disappointed, angry, hurt, (you name it) with the "churches" I have attended. It's hard to pinpoint the exact cause, but I am sure alot of it has to do with "paid professionals" and man now running the church... and NOT God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

[denis651000]

I don't know about you, but when I truly took Jesus as my Lord and Savior (a little over 3 years ago) I had only one desire, to share with others what He did to and for me. Now at 46 years old, and still a sinner, I find it hard to share with others (especially in "church") how Jesus changed me and my life.

[denis651000]

Do some research on your own and start learning what The Word of God is truly telling each and everyone of us. Paid Pastors, Bishops, Clergy, Priests, etc etc etc.... answer to man for their PROFESSION they were "called" to.

[denis651000]

The reason (I believe) so many are leaving "the church," young and old alike, is because "the church" is NO longer what Jesus intended it to be. So called "Christians" have been "doing church" all wrong for such a long time.

[MrMisterCocunut]

The reason why the youth and I left the church was because the older church members wanted us seen not heard. They didnt want us dancing or singing but instead serving them food and being taught how to be a deacon. Those people were hypocrites also,they punished us for talking to loud or any simple thing but they would do wrong and some people were even stealing from the church and not everyone was together. The adults were split into cliques.I would rather be an atheist than go back to church.