Are Our Youth Ministries Failing?

Anyone working in youth ministry has heard the startling statistics about students dropping out of church after youth group.  There has been several studies that place the figure somewhere between 50 to 70 percent, and some that have put it at over 80 percent. (Check out a LifeWayResearch article at http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D165949%252526M%25253D200906%2C00.html ) Which means that many youth groups are missing the mark.

If our goal is to introduce and encourage a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ and we are only 20 to 50 percent successful, then that is NOT A PASSING GRADE.  I know the old adage about making a difference in just one person's life is worth all the effort.  That is true, however, we CAN DO BETTER.  There is a renewed emphasis on preparing students for the transition from high school to college.  We should also encourage students to consider a Christian college education or connect them with a college ministry on public campuses.  Each of these DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

But there's more we can do.  In a particularly thought-provoking article, (http://religion.ssrc.org/reforum/Clydesdale.pdf ), Dr. Tim Clydesdale presents the idea of an "identity lockbox" that young adults place the faith of their youth during the college years.  They become proficient "compartmentalizers" and stow their faith during a time when it is seemingly not very useful or practical.  The verdict is still out whether this generation of students will return to their faith.  However, it is clear that they place practical needs like degree completion, socialization, political acceptablity, and social resonsibility above faith disciplines and involvement.

Perhaps what youth ministries are failing to do is to encourage practical, critical thinking.  Moving beyond worship bands, sound and light systems, and the "world's largest banana split" contests to encourage high school students to vocalize their doubts, put action behind their convictions, and feet to their passion.  Mission trips and service projects are tremendous ways to do this . . . if we allow time for preparation and follow-up.  Let them question why we do the things we do.  And let them debrief afterwards.  Too often we want to supply them with all the answers, when the conversation that begs the question is what will help them most.

What do you think?  How can we better get a passing grade?