For several years I have been writing about Barna's studies which show Gen Z is turning away from their faith to atheism at double the rate of previous generations. Today, I want to share a study from Pew which shows the same thing and says the Christian majority in the US will drop below 50% by 2070 - just over forty years in the future - you will find the article at this link.
So, why does this matter? First, it is clear what we are doing and have been doing is not "working". While in our churches we teach children what the Bible says, we are not teaching them why they are able to believe, so when these children grow up and are faced with challenging situations or questions from others, they end up turning away from the faith they once had. We must change what we are doing.
Secondly, in far too many churches we send the loud message by our actions that it doesn't really matter if we go to church. How do we do this? By not following up with children who are absent and by "rolling up our sidewalks" in the summer and shutting down ministry opportunities.
Third, we do not support and encourage grandparents so they are able to hand down confident faith.
If we are serious about turning these statistics around, we must change what we are doing and how we do it. We must use curriculum which truly engages children (such as Deeper In for Children) AND which teaches the "whys" (such as Anchored). We must engage our children and families in meaningful ways throughout the summer, and we must equip grandparents. These things will make a difference.
So, what will you do to make a difference?
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