In our early meetings in forming The Quest one of the topics that kept coming to the table was the issue of young Baptist leaders leaving the association and even their Baptist roots in general. Being a pastor to young people, I naturally gravitated from the “Why are they leaving?” to the “When are they leaving?”
It may be earlier in life than we think.
There have been many surveys, polls, books, and popular media written about the large exodus of young people leaving the church right after high school. They may be transferring to the emergent movement, crossing over to another denomination, or completely forgetting all things about God in general. This is not a relatively new problem—think back to many of your own youth groups and Christian peers. Where are they today?
However, this is a problem that needs to be addressed.
In many ways it has been brought up that many involved as young Baptist leaders are the future of our association. I don’t think it would be unfair for us to take that same idea and apply it to the generations that are following after us. This is where the Youth section of our website comes in. We’d like to be able to have thought-provoking discussion on the issue mentioned before as well as some of these areas:
- Teaching methods in relationship to age, culture, technology, and God’s Word (not necessarily combined)
- Working with kids before they are teens
- Culture issues (pop, media, postmodernism, and ethnic)
- Teen movements within and outside the association
- Youth ministry ideas
Youth pastors and lay youth leaders, this will be the spot where you can hang out and discuss youth issues. Here’s where you get to respond and let us now what you’d like to talk about. Drop us a line in the comments or shoot me an e-mail at the link below. May we never fall into the trap of being those that Paul warned Timothy about in his first letter addressed to him:
“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV)
May we be examples up and down the generational lines.
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