sparks
In a Lifeway Research study, it states that "two-thirds of those who attended church regularly for at least a year as a teenager say they also dropped out for at least a year as a young adult." As a former youth mentor, I often avoid reading these studies as these articles leave me with a long mental panorama of childhood friends and youths I have personally journeyed with who have decided to leave the church. Over the years, I cannot help but affirm these statistics...these research studies do align with the ministry attendance records as many choose to dedicate their lives to building a promising career, solid friend-network, and establish their own definition of freedom. As a church servant and their former youth mentor, I am often conflicted when Christmas and reading weeks come along. I ask myself, "should I really message these youths/friends?" "do they care about these church friendships that they have built during their junior/high school ye