American youth who grew up in Christian families are leaving the church at a massive pace.  Curtis talks with Kara Powell, executive director of The Fuller Youth Institute, about the complex  reasons for this trend – and what can be done. They discuss why any understanding of the causes – and therefore the necessary response – must include parents and churches doing the hard work of self-examination and self-transformation.

This excerpt has been edited for length and clarity. 

CURTIS CHANG: Kara, let’s whiteboard this for a moment. How could pastors get young people involved in their church? I’m not endorsing any of these ideas, but let’s brainstorm. You mentioned having the senior pastor involve young people in sermon prep.

KARA POWELL: Exactly.

CURTIS CHANG: Another idea is for the senior pastor to regularly meet with a group of young people, like a kitchen cabinet, for lunch every couple of months to hear directly from them. Any thoughts on having young people serve with elders?

KARA POWELL: Absolutely. Some churches have done that. We usually recommend at least two young people, as being the only young person in that setting can be intimidating. And some prefer post-18, it may not be suitable for a 15-year-old to be involved in every aspect of church leadership.

By the way, Curtis, on 1010.org, we teamed up with the Barna Group to create a resource for any church leadership team. It’s a template for a two or three hour discussion on how their church needs to change. Check it out on 1010.org, the easiest way to our website.

We also collaborated with Barna on a sermon series with three outlines for senior pastors. If I were a senior pastor, I’d ask each member of my pastoral team how they involve young people in their work.

CURTIS CHANG: And if they say it’s not in their job description?

KARA POWELL: Great question. I think a key way for all those areas to improve is by involving young people. For the worship pastor, why not enliven worship by including young voices? For the adult discipleship pastor, consider how mentoring relationships with young people fit into your vision.

CURTIS CHANG: True. Also, adult formation ministries should address how parents are being formed, especially since parenting is a significant spiritual challenge.

KARA POWELL: Absolutely. We need to recognize that grandparents, too, play a crucial role. They’re increasingly involved these days, whether through afterschool pickups or weekly Zoom calls.

CURTIS CHANG: And there’s a special tenderness between seniors and young people. For example, during the pandemic, my daughter chose to stay with her grandma and she found a unique comfort and care that I couldn’t provide. We’d zoom them and they’d be knitting together! It’s like my daughter instinctively knew that this relationship was what she needed. 

KARA POWELL: That’s heartwarming. Seniors have a unique gift and role to play with our youth and it offers meaning and purpose post-retirement. Many seniors are looking for that sense of purpose, and what better way than investing in the younger generation? One example is Slick, a 71-year-old volunteer in a junior high ministry who bought a used limo to take kids through the McDonald’s drive-thru during the pandemic. 

Photo by James Baldwin on Unsplash