Hemorrhaging faith …
Why and when young adults leave the church.
According to Rick Hiemstra, Director of Research for the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, young Canadian adults who have left the church by 25 years of age are unlikely to return. Hiemstra’s comment is informed by the recent findings in Hemorrhaging Faith: Why and When Canadian Young Adults are Leaving, Staying and Returning to Church, a ground-breaking Canadian study of 2,049 young people between the ages of 18 and 34.
Other troubling revelations in the study include:
- Two in three young adults who attended church weekly as a child don’t do so today.
- Three out of five young adults who stop attending church reject their Christian identity.
- More young adults checked out of church between grades 8 and 9 than between high school and post-secondary education/careers.
Why are most churched young adults leaving the church? One of the study’s significant findings is the direct correlation between hemorrhaging faith and the spiritual disciplines of Christian parents. When the mother and father are seen by their children reading their Bibles, praying, and attending church regularly, they will likely continue in the faith as adults. But when parents inconsistently or rarely read their Bibles, pray, or attend church, their children usually stop attending church as soon as possible.
How to cultivate resilient faith.
Parents, you are the most important spiritual influence in your children’s lives. Do your children see you regularly reading your Bible, praying, and attending church? More is caught than taught. When you aren’t practicing basic spiritual disciplines, your children ultimately view your Christian faith as inauthentic or hypocritical.
The study is a wake-up call. The disengagement and attrition of young adults from church and faith must be stopped. Something more than another book, purpose-driven programs or parenting workshops is required. Sending our children to Christian schools or improving the youth ministry in local churches won’t make a huge difference. What’s needed is for parents to be spiritually responsible. We must do what we’re not doing. Regular Bible engagement and prayer coupled with faithful weekly church attendance should be normative for every Christian mom and dad.
Please share your views about the Hemorrhaging Faith research.
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Summary
Hemorrhaging Faith. A study by the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada reveals that young adults, particularly those who leave the church by age 25, are unlikely to return. One key finding is the connection between a child’s church involvement and the spiritual practices of their parents. Parents must practice consistent Bible reading, prayer, and church attendance to cultivate resilient faith in their children. Parents are their children’s primary spiritual role models. To reverse the trend of young adults leaving the church, parents must take spiritual responsibility and model authentic Christian practices.
© Scripture Union Canada
