Why millennials are leaving the church

[nebula]

"You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business as usual and expect us to stick around. We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there."

 

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/27/why-millennials-are-leaving-the-church/?sr=fbmain

[missmuffet]

I saw this and I thought it was interesting.Their are Churches I have been to that I did not find Jesus there.I didn't post it because it was a blog.I did not think we could post a blog  .

[other one]

interesting.... 

[enoob57]

Rev 3:1

3 "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,

'These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
NKJV

[JDavis]

Very interesting...

 

What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.

We want an end to the culture wars. We want a truce between science and faith. We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against.

We want to ask questions that don’t have predetermined answers.

We want churches that emphasize an allegiance to the kingdom of God over an allegiance to a single political party or a single nation.

We want our LGBT friends to feel truly welcome in our faith communities.

We want to be challenged to live lives of holiness, not only when it comes to sex, but also when it comes to living simply, caring for the poor and oppressed, pursuing reconciliation, engaging in creation care and becoming peacemakers.

You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business as usual and expect us to stick around. We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there.

Like every generation before ours and every generation after, deep down, we long for Jesus.

 

How many of these things do we see on this very forum?  culture wars, the battle between faith and science, fighting over political parties/points of views.

 

Seems that millennials would not find our little forum very welcoming.

[Steve_S]

Very interesting...

 

What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.

We want an end to the culture wars. We want a truce between science and faith. We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against.

We want to ask questions that don’t have predetermined answers.

We want churches that emphasize an allegiance to the kingdom of God over an allegiance to a single political party or a single nation.

We want our LGBT friends to feel truly welcome in our faith communities.

We want to be challenged to live lives of holiness, not only when it comes to sex, but also when it comes to living simply, caring for the poor and oppressed, pursuing reconciliation, engaging in creation care and becoming peacemakers.

You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business as usual and expect us to stick around. We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there.

Like every generation before ours and every generation after, deep down, we long for Jesus.

 

How many of these things do we see on this very forum?  culture wars, the battle between faith and science, fighting over political parties/points of views.

 

Seems that millennials would not find our little forum very welcoming.

 

It's according to what some of this means. How it's worded is fairly innocuous, but what it may or may not mean needs to be clarified, specifically with regards to the LGBT statement. Are people from that community welcome in most churches? Yes, I would say they are. The problem, generally (and it gets misunderstood, a lot) is that this specific community generally wants the church to endorse the sin that accompanies it.

 

1Co 6:9  Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 

1Co 6:10  nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Look at this list here. Dare I say most to all people are at least guilty of a couple of them. I certainly am. Am I being a hypocrite for saying being a drunkard is wrong, even though I've been a drunkard? The problem isn't that people have fornicated, or committed adultery, or participated in homosexual acts. We (thankfully) have the gift of grace and a Savior that was willing to die for our iniquity.

 

1Co 6:11  And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

 

The problem begins when people start pointing to verses like that and saying that some of those aren't even wrong. That we, as a Church, shouldn't lovingly and consistently disciple newer Christians away from these behaviors (not just these, I'm simply using this as an example).

 

1Co 5:1  It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles—that a man has his father's wife! 

1Co 5:2  And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you.

 

Most people have read of this situation. The people paul are writing to here are puffed up. I'm not using this as an example saying that we need to start kicking everyone who falls down and sins out of church (which is addressed in the following verses). My point here is that, as a church, we are supposed to be mourning when brothers and sisters fall into unrepentant sin, not saying "it's just fine, do whatever feels good."

 

Basically, what this sounds like is that, at least partially,they're looking for a socially acceptable form of Christianity. This is never going to happen with the current social normatives that are in place.

 

Luk 6:22  Blessed are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you, and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake. 

Luk 6:23  Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven, For in like manner their fathers did to the prophets.

 

We're probably doing it wrong if the world accept us.

[gdemoss]

I have never found the Jesus I see in the pages of scripture anywhere on the planet.  I do however see glimpses of him in some people who claim to know and love him.  

[missmuffet]

I have never found the Jesus I see in the pages of scripture anywhere on the planet.  I do however see glimpses of him in some people who claim to know and love him.  

Yes,once in awhile I am drawn by someone who I can see really loves the Lord by what they say and their actions.It is humbling.I am sad to say that it does not happen very often.

[nebula]

How many of these things do we see on this very forum?  culture wars, the battle between faith and science, fighting over political parties/points of views.

 

Seems that millennials would not find our little forum very welcoming.

 

The way I see it, if a person is not interested in the culture wars, the battle between faith and science, the fighting over political parties - they just won't spend time in those threads.

[revolutionist90]

What millennials really want from the church is not a change in style but a change in substance.

We want an end to the culture wars. We want a truce between science and faith. We want to be known for what we stand for, not what we are against.

Jesus came to divide Matt 10: 34-35 and not to bring peace because to fully obtain peace would mean to become of the world. Culture wars are happening because of the ever ongoing battle between good and evil.There is already a truce between science and faith because science is understanding what God created. But the problem is that too many people put faith into science as a supreme being and not God. God has to be before science because he has already created what we are learning. For example, creationism has to come before atheistic evolution (or evolution in general) since the Bible does not say anything about evolution. Thus the war between faith and science is a man-made war that should not be around in the first place but has started because of non-believers push for their views to be dominant. 

The third sentence illustrates confusion on this group of millenials. You have to first be against something to stand for something, i.e you have to be against abortion to understand that you stand for life. This just sounds like a "peace and love" type of Jesus that the modern generations are so enamored with. 

 

We want to ask questions that don’t have predetermined answers.

 There are questions with predetermined answers and those that do not have predetermined answers because God only knows. At the end of the day we can study the bible to understand our world because nothing has changed during biblical days except some social norms (no underage marriages etc) so many problems of today are pre-determined because they have been happenings since the earth was created with man. 

 

We want churches that emphasize an allegiance to the kingdom of God over an allegiance to a single political party or a single nation.

 I agree that the church should not have an allegiance to a political party but I do believe that some political parties embrace judeo-christian values more than others. Embracing a political party for the right reasons is less about power and more about protecting God given freedoms. 

 

We want our LGBT friends to feel truly welcome in our faith communities.

Another "feel good" desire. LGBT will never "feel" welcomed because they want to be normal and their sin justified but they are welcomed their sin will just not be accepted. If an LGBT is in the pew and a minister is talking about how LGBT is a sin or a psychological disorder (which imo there is mounting evidence that it is a result of mutations or psychological disorder) then the LGBT will automatically feel unwanted. The problem is that the minister is speaking the truth, the truth hurts so instead of the millenials embracing the truth of the Bible they fall on the "feelings" of others. A very common assertion in today's time. They forget that is someone is a pedophile, a true incestuous, an adulterer or a fornicator they also will not feel welcomed but then again they are not having protest to make their sins normal (well except for NAMBLA).

 

We want to be challenged to live lives of holiness, not only when it comes to sex, but also when it comes to living simply, caring for the poor and oppressed, pursuing reconciliation, engaging in creation care and becoming peacemakers.

I agree with this because they are rarely challenged to live good lives in this "feel good" society.

 

You can’t hand us a latte and then go about business as usual and expect us to stick around. We’re not leaving the church because we don’t find the cool factor there; we’re leaving the church because we don’t find Jesus there.

Though there are many churches who lack substance I do believe some fault lies with the millenials in that they want their own version of Jesus which is the "feel good" type that is cherry picked while forgetting the divider type since he is more intense.I give them kudos for wanting to live a Christian life but I do think from their desires of the church they are misguided in certain areas especially since they want total peace when in this world there can be no peace until Jesus returns because of evil. 

 

Like every generation before ours and every generation after, deep down, we long for Jesus.

Of course, even those who are idolaters want their version of Jesus but is it the true Jesus. The question is are the millenials creating their own version of what Jesus should be based on his quotes of mercy and grace and ignoring some of his other divisive quotes that indicate that he expects obedience. I find it more and more common to make a "new" version of Jesus from a few quotes and not understanding the whole version. Not that I understand fully but I do know at one point he said "love thy enemies" while at another he said "Do you think I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword". He is more complex then what we give him credit for. 

I see know new revelation about my generation. They say the same things they have always said and still want to circumvent harsh truths for the sake of their own or others sentimentality. They want a watered down version because the real version hurts other feelings.