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Wednesday, July 20, 2005
I read a quote yesterday in a book called "The Gutter" by Craig Gross that I'd appreciate a little insight on:
"As long as I'm breaking bad news, here are some statistics you probably don't want to hear: Of Americans in their mid-twenties to early-thirties, only 28 percent regularly attend church, and that number dwindles when you look at people between eighteen and twenty-four, with only 8 percent regularly attending. Eight percent! A generation ago, half our parents and grandparents were dutiful churchgoers, but now young, single and well-educated adults are the least likely group of people in the United States to attend church. By the year 2010, 100 million people who went to church this Sunday will no longer be going."
Don't get me wrong. I'm not pulling a "sky is falling" thing here. I have some questions about the data here (like, what defines "regular" attendance" and where did you find the data--footnotes were absent--and who compiled the data and for what reason, etc.) but the main point is still the same:
Young people are voting with their feet and failing to make attending "big church" a priority.
So, grown-ups (and I know many of you reading are grown ups, too, because you stop me in hallways to talk about this blog!) and teens alike...give me some feedback. What are some of the reasons you've experienced that would give credibility to the author's assertion? If you disagree (and some of you should/will), talk about where the author's missed a few things.
Brent 4:27 AM
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