This is why we do what we do.. So that you have a chance now to plant yourself firmly in faith, and so that you can help others do the same during turbulent times ahead.

Young People Leaving the Church

A new survey finds that Protestant churches are losing young adults in "sobering" numbers.

Seven in 10 Protestants ages 18 to 30 — both evangelical and mainline — who went to church regularly in high school said they quit attending by age 23, according to a survey by LifeWay Research. And 34 percent of those said they had not returned, even sporadically, by age 30. That means about one in four Protestant young people have left the church.

In the four years after high school, few of those surveyed had kind words for Christians when they reflected on how they saw church life. Just over half (51%) of Protestant young people surveyed (both the church dropouts and those who stayed on in church after 22) saw church members as "caring" or had other positive descriptions, such as "welcoming" (48%) or "authentic" (42%).

Nearly all of the dropouts (97%) cited life changes, such as a move, for stopping their attendance. Most (58%) were unhappy with the people or pastor at church. More than half (52%) had religious, ethical or political reasons for quitting. Dropouts were more than twice as likely as those who continued attending church to describe church members as judgmental (51% for dropouts, 24% for those who stayed), hypocritical (44% vs. 20%) or insincere (41% vs. 19%).

The good news is that 35 percent of dropouts said they had resumed attending church regularly by age 30, with an additional 30 percent attending sporadically. Twenty-eight percent said, "God was calling me to return to the church." The survey found that those who stayed with or returned to church grew up with both parents committed to the church, pastors whose sermons were relevant and engaging, and church members who invested in their spiritual development.