Why Youth stay in church when they grow up

"What are we doing wrong in our churches? In our youth ministries?" "... we can all look at the 20-somethings in our churches who are engaged and involved in ministry. What is it that sets apart the kids who stay in the church? Here are just a few observations I have made about such kids, with a few applications for those of us serving in youth ministry."

How do you transfer Godly values to kids?

 It's not entertainment, it's not relevance, it's not excitement, it's discipleship, starting with the parents and supplemented by the church.

Here's what one family does to focus their kids on missions

I love reading about what families are doing to put God's Kingdom agenda at the center of their lives. I like this blog from a family about what they do. Preparing your Kids for Global Missions

Are you intentional about your family's life with Christ?

How to have a wholesome Christian Family

Is Your Parenting Hitting or Missing the Mark?

It really depends upon what you are aiming for. Like most parents you long for your children to "succeed" in life. But what does that mean? Is it merely getting into the right schools, having the right grades, the right friends and the right skills so that they can get the right job?

Ask yourself this question, "Am I helping my kids develop the ‘right stuff' from a Biblical perspective?" Are you, like an archer, carefully aiming your parenting to produce Godly children who will not only have a vital relationship with Jesus Christ, but embody God's Kingdom values in the way they live their lives?

What can you do to help your kids develop spiritually? Merely sending them to church activities isn't enough. Studies show that 90% of youth who have heavily participated in church drop out after 2 years in college. For many youth, the checking out begins as early as the age of 16. They find packaged religion to be irrelevant to the real world. What can you do to counter this trend?

1. Embrace God's Kingdom agenda.

Whether you know it or not, you are now teaching them values that either conform to or conflict with God's Kingdom. When you decide to participate in an activity that regularly interferes with spiritual responsibilities (church attendance, Bible study, spiritual service) you have taught them that personal fulfillment is more important than obedience to and fellowship with God. You are on display to them 24/7. They watch your every move, how you spend your time, how you spend your money. They listen to what you talk about. Do they see in you generosity, compassion, and a love of God and His Word? Do they see you ordering your life around God's priorities? You are the first Bible they have read and they started reading right after birth. What have they learned?

2. Create the environment.

How does the environment of your home aesthetically and socially reflect God's Kingdom agenda? Children swim in the environment of the home. Things dear to God's heart can be reflected even in the way you decorate your home. Have you as carefully thought about the "value environment" in your home as you have how you have selected its decor? Think of how you celebrate holidays... what can you do to turn them into "teaching moments" that zero in on what God values?

3. Teach by using experience.

Jesus taught people by taking them places and exposing them to real life. The world and all its activity became a textbook of illustrations Jesus used to drive home Biblical truth. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to begin to serve Christ as a family. Go on family mission trips together. Serve in your local area together. God has placed gifts and abilities in your family and He expects you to use them.

The book, Mission As Life: Making the Kingdom of God Your Family's Passion provides valuable insights and resources designed to help you raise kids to have the "right stuff" from God's perspective. Your family is a microcosm of God's church. God has gifted you and your children for serving Him. Doesn't it make sense that you do that together as a family? Visit Mission As Life for family mission trip ideas and also get a copy of the book Mission As Life.

Can you see your family serving together?

"To solve the sin problems that occur in the family we must avoid syncretism with pagan theories and depend solely upon God's Word. God will not patch his grace onto some humanistic psychological nonsense even if that nonsense is couched and buried in Christian terminology. [3] There is no neutrality. The problems of the family are ethical and spiritual; therefore, we must focus our attention on the Bible and pray for wisdom and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to sanctify our families before God."
 Brian Schwertley has an interesting article from a reformed theology perspective on the Christian family.

Good News: Jesus Is Not Nice

Britain is beginning to see the need for something beyond what the church normally does to reach youth. Church Failing Youth With 'Cool' Ministers, Entertainment

Christian youth encouraged to use social media for sharing the gospel.

How Dads can pastor the family