Adventist News Network recently featured a commentary by Lisa Rasmussen sharing her views on the issue of keeping youth not only in the church, but satisfying their spiritual needs and getting them involved.
Many Seventh-day Adventists are concerned with keeping youth involved in church.
I was in a unique position to observe this at the church’s recent General Conference Session — I operated the exhibit booth for the General Conference’s Office of Assessment and Program Effectiveness. Patrons were challenged to answer the question, “What would you like to tell your church?”
Of the hundreds of written responses received, some replied with exhortations and others with questions. But the vast majority took the opportunity to express concerns. One of the most common topics was youth.
“What can the church do to maintain the interest of the 20-35 year old?” wrote a 62-year-old woman.
Many church leaders in attempting to address disappointing youth retention rates have assumed that they must compete with modern media and secular entertainment by making their presentation of the truth flashy and exciting without a lot of depth. Unfortunately, this approach isn’t what most youth are looking for.
So what do youth want?
Source: Adventist News Network
