Evangelicals losing its young people

[Paul Whitaker]

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/us/06evangelical.html?ei=5087%0A&em=&en=a7abe4a9ae7a0ade&ex=1160280000&pagewanted=print

[Anne and Dwayne Hood]

Paul, I may be wrong, but it seems that many young people are changing to churches that are not a certain denomination. At present, we do not have a child or grandchild in the Church of the Nazarene, but they do go to church regularly. When our son was at Trevecca, lots of young people were attending other churches that were not Nazarene churches.
At one large church-Belmont, they would have young people standing on street corners at times on Saturdays giving out sandwiches,etc. Some of these types of work and helping projects attracted the young college students. We have four teen age grandchildren, plus a 12 year old that is into youth work at another denomination. They seem to like to help more than being entertained. Not saying that none of the Nazarene churches are also operating this way.

[Barbara Moulton]

While teens may be disappearing from evangelical churches, I would have to believe they are disappearing from mainline churches as well.

But if my town is at all reflective of the rest of North America, the evangelical churches are retaining more of their teenagers then the mainline churches.

[Stan Self]

Barbara, I think you are right. However, I hope we evangelicals won't hold up the mainline churches as a standard against which we measure ourselves.

[Barbara Moulton]

Barbara, I think you are right. However, I hope we evangelicals won't hold up the mainline churches as a standard against which we measure ourselves.

My point was simply that the church as a whole in North America is losing its young people. Focusing on it as an "evangelical" problem is misleading.

Having said that, I love the people I know from the mainline churches. Most of my volunteer chaplains come from that catchment area and they are the kindest and most gracious group I have ever met.

If I was to measure myself against them, I would probably be found wanting.