If you want to rile up church leaders, drag out dubious statistics about how many Christians fall away from the faith after high school. We fear for our youth, that they’ll rebel against what their parents and churches taught when they leave home and the youth group.
But what if we’re wrong? What if our particular fears about “emerging adulthood,” the period between the ages of 18 and 29, are unfounded? The National Study of Youth and Religion provides us with a treasure trove of valuable information based on interviews with thousands of emerging American adults. Noted sociologist Christian Smith has teamed with Patricia Snell to analyze the data and publish Souls in Transition: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of Emerging Adults, a follow up to the groundbreaking 2005 book, Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers.
I’m always interested in these studies. I didn’t “leave” the church as a young adult. I had a pretty good transition from teen to adult. I often wonder why…. Here are my observations;
1. Worship and other church functions were always about God. Sure, my best friends were there but I always knew that couldn’t be reason # 1 as to the “why” of church.
2. Youth group had zero affect on my continuance in church as a young adult – but I was welcomed into the adult community early and that made all the difference.
3. A smaller congregation was an advantage as there were fewer distractions as to the “why” I attended anything. I think that the fewer distractions from God (both within and outside the church) the more likely a person will maintain worship habits.
Don