Saturday, February 7, 2015

Why are Young Adults Leaving the Church? Part II


A couple weeks ago I posted a blog pointing out two reasons why young adults are leaving the church.  Here’s the second part to that post with reasons three and four.  I’ll try to stop after this post although more reasons could probably be listed.  You may want to share some of your own.

3.  The church typically functions as a “religious service provider” trying to attract and keep “customers.”

John Ortberg was the first person I heard use the term “religious service provider.”  It succinctly describes what may be the single most off-putting characteristic of the church, at least for young adults.

In the post WWII era, churches learned to tap into (or maybe give into) the hyper-consumerism of our culture.  By using marketing strategies to make the church more “appealing” to un-churched people, we have taught church members to function like customers. 

I realize that statement sounds harsh.  You may think it is inaccurate.  I would respectfully respond by asking you to reflect intently on statements that I hear from church attendees on a regular basis.  I don’t like that music.  I got a lot out of that worship service. The programs at that church were not meeting my needs.  We’re going to try out another church.
 
While many may feel that these statements are a “natural” part of church culture, most young adults I know are reacting negatively to this kind of religious consumerism.  Frankly, as a pastor who feels the pressure of producing “better products,” I’m glad they are.    

Striving for excellence in our service to God is healthy.  Striving to please church customers is unhealthy.  Churches who really want to minister to young adults (and everyone else for that matter), must muster the courage to defect from the “religious service provider” model. 

4.  The church seems to be compelled to distinguish ourselves by pointing out the sin of those outside the church instead of our own.      

Most of the young adults I know frequently call attention to Jesus’ teaching against judging others.  They are drawn to his words in the Sermon on the Mount when he admonished the crowd to take the log out of their own eye before they attempted to take the speck of sawdust out of someone else’s.  (Matthew 7:1-5)

In his book, Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller tells a story from his years as a student at Reed College in Portland.  Along with some other Christian students (definitely the minority at Reed) they set up a confession booth on campus during a Renaissance festival.  But instead of hearing the confessions of the students, they confessed to the students all the sins of the church down through the ages.  The students were shocked that Christians would confess to them.  They were also disarmed by it.  Some became open to conversations about Christianity.

I tell that story, not just to illustrate the fact that young adults outside the church have come to expect those inside the church to be judgmental, but to point out that a little honesty and a little humility can have a big impact.  To misquote a familiar passage from 2 Chronicles 7:14, If we (the church) will humble ourselves and confess our sins, then young adults will hear and respond.    

What would happen if the church became known, not by our tendency to call out the sins of others but by our willingness to confess our own?  If we hope to minister to young adults in a meaningful way we need to place a high priority on extracting the beams from our own eyes.   

To reiterate what I said in the first blog, I love the church deeply.  I am not an outside critic trying to tear the church down.  I’m a member of the family attempting to initiate conversations (sometimes hard conversations) that will facilitate healing. 

As I write this blog the church I’m privileged to pastor is conducting a dental clinic, providing free dental care for those in our community.  Right now people are shopping in our clothing closet for free clothes.  I’m grateful to be part of a wonderful family of Jesus followers who are living out their faith in such beautifully redemptive ways.

I’m also committed to helping the church (particularly the church in our part of the world) become more beautiful and more redemptive.  I’m happy to hear from others who would like to participate in the conversation.  

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