We’ve heard the statistics, read the articles, even seen it in our own congregations.
Teenagers are leaving. Statistics state that 70% of teens will stop attending church after graduating from high school.
As a teenager who grew up in the church, I have had a front row seat in this mass exodus. I am not an expert, researcher, or pastor, but if I’m In the teenage trenches. There are many reasons teens leave the church, from hypocrisy to legalism to peer pressure. Despite these outside struggles, I know it doesn’t have to be this way. How do I know?
Because I’m a teenager. And I’m still in church.
I have struggled with the same problems that many teenagers say they have. But I have had a firm foundation: solid teaching and Bible truths that have helped me resolve questions and doubts, and strengthen me through the struggle.
Unfortunately, not all teenagers have had my experience.
Instead of undiluted biblical truths and concrete theology, many receive a watered down message. They are being entertained in the youth group, isolated from older and wiser followers of Christ. They are drawn to pizza parties, games, and shows, but leave with the burning issues of their hearts still unanswered. Games and fun times were never what kept me in church or helped me through the turbulence of my teenage years. Instead, it was the gospel-soaked truth that kept me coming back.
Teens need the Bible, because it contains the answers to our deepest questions.
Looking back on my own life and my interactions with other teens, I have discovered four central themes that we need to hear that will help us stay strong in God and grounded in the church.
1. We need to listen to the Bible
Teens need the Bible, for it contains the answers to our deepest questions, and the wisdom for our most difficult struggles. Please don’t give us a shortened version. Encourage us to read it for ourselves, and model a lifestyle centered on God’s Word. They are to create an atmosphere of trust in the Scriptures that whets our appetites and makes us hunger for more.
2. We need to hear about sin.
The church needs to speak clearly to teenagers about sin. Not in a grandiose way, but in a loving, firm, and biblical way. Our eyes must be opened to the fact that sin is not mere Christian language; It is a reality that manifests itself in our daily lives.
When we understand the severity of our sin, our desperate need for grace, and that Jesus is the only hope we have, our youth groups will experience a transformation. Only when we look the depth of our sin face to face can the full power of forgiveness and grace be unleashed.
3. We need to hear the biblical truth about current issues
Teens are saturated in a culture with unbiblical views on issues like abortion, same-sex attraction, pornography, premarital sex, gender identity, suicide, and more. But the church sometimes doesn’t face these issues head on.
Through my work as an editor at a blog for Christian teens I have received numerous emails on topics such as lesbianism and depression. In each email, these teens share their confusion and struggles. Their feelings of shame and cries for help are palpable. I have also read articles explaining why masturbation, homosexuality, and rebellion are okay because God will forgive us anyway. Are teenagers confused? Absolutely. Do they need to hear Biblical truth? Desperately.
Homosexuality, abortion, and suicide are not just bleak ideas for today’s teens. They are personified and they are real. These issues can show up in your friend across the street, or the new girl at school, or the video you come across on YouTube. Christian teens should have real, honest, and biblical answers to tough questions.
Help them understand what Christians believe and what the Scriptures say about these hot topics. They need to know what they believe in and why, because the world will fight to destroy those beliefs. So please don’t dodge the truth. Teenagers crave real answers.
4. We need to hear about radical transformation and obedience
When Jesus spoke of salvation, he painted a radical picture. He spoke of being born again, a process so drastic and mind-blowing that it changes one’s life (Jn. 3:1-21). He spoke of repentance: turning away from one way of life to embrace a completely different way (Mt. 5-7). He spoke of carrying the cross and following Christ to the point of death, giving up everything for the privilege of knowing and loving him (Mt. 16:24-26).
Teens need a gospel and theology that will outlast quicksand and temporary feelings.
This is the gospel teens need to hear. Teens need a gospel and theology that will outlast quicksand and temporary feelings. We need to build our house on the rock of Jesus Christ, or we will never survive the storms that life throws at us (Mt. 7:24-27).
Following Jesus is not easy. As we learn what the Scriptures say about the problems we face on a daily basis, we have to make difficult decisions. Will we be obedient, or will we make concessions? Will we stand our ground and risk our reputation and our friends, or will we slide slowly?
That is why the church needs to empower and resource teens and challenge them to go to the Scriptures, equip them for ministry, and teach them sound theology. These are the things we need to ignite an adolescent awakening to passion for Christ throughout the church.
Please listen to the hearts of teenagers. Don’t be afraid to bring up the topics we need to hear, even if they’re difficult or unpopular, even if they go against the culture, and even if it seems like we don’t want to hear.
Originally posted on . Translated by Team Coalition.
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