This week I stumbled upon a Facebook article that explained why millennials aren't going to church. It said that "only four percent of the millennial generation are Bible-based believers."
I'm not writing this to dispute claims made in this article because many I see as logical and understandable. I am here, however, to provide a voice as one of the four percent.
I think many people would be surprised to know that "only 2 in 10 Americans under 30 believe attending a church is important or worthwhile," "35 percent of millennials have an anti-church stance," or that "59 percent of millennials raised in a church have dropped out."
Sadly enough, as a millennial myself, I am not so surprised.
It's so easy to ride on the wings of faithful parents and safely live under the umbrella of your 'good Christian family' as a child. Anyone can put on a nice outfit and memorize a Bible verse. Give it some more time, though, and probably starting in high school, you might begin to get a taste of the real world. You can drive, you're a social media maniac, and you know everything about the world. Head off to college and these things only increase.
My point isn't to say that learning about the world or growing up means that you lose your faith; my point is to say that it's tough to have and exercise faith.
College becomes all about acing midterms, meeting for group projects, and seeking out internships and ways to become marketable in the workplace. Sunday becomes just a day and church becomes an easy thing to cross off of the list (keyword being easy).
Gone are the days when your parents took you to church, now it is up to you decide for yourself. Sure, the church you grew up in might not be the church for you forever. That's perfectly okay. The problem isn't the fact that you don't like your parents' church. The problem is that often times, people give up. They stop going to church because they're tired of getting lectured, they feel like they're not heard, or they've become offended by the Bible. The easy thing to do is not to go.
I've heard it argued many times before that Christians don't have to go to church. That's not wrong. It's not required by God, but I can't understand why your faith wouldn't compel you to find a church. The church search is not easy but becoming a part of a community of believers should be one of the motivators to spur us on.
"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25
Christians need community. Christians need to be surrounded by other believers who can point them to the Truth, correct them, encourage them, and worship with them.
Your time in church won't always fill you with the 'warm and fuzzies.' It's not fun to feel spiritually convicted or battle with sin. However being a Christian and counting yourself out of church completely is even harder.
The Lord wants you to fellowship with other believers; He wants you to find a church where you feel at home; He wants you to push aside the cares of the world and commit to seeking Him first.
Even as a part of the four percent myself, I will never say that staying involved in church after going to college is easy. As a college student, I often find myself discouraged in regards to my faith after seeing sin so widely accepted and encouraged by those around me. Often times, the perceptions that unbelievers around me have about Christianity hurt me.
I find encouragement and strength knowing that God never called His people to have an easy life. We were never guaranteed to be free from worry, protected from sin, or safe from ridicule as Christians. We are called to press on, depend on our Father, be bold, love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and love one another.
"But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called..." 1 Timothy 6:11-12
Sincerely,
One of the four percent
