The Link Between Church Attendance and Youth Retention

By: Wes McGarry | October 8, 2018

Barna conducted a study and found that 97 percent of Christian parents who engage in church have a strong desire to see their teens exhibit a strong faith that lasts into adulthood[1]. More specifically, 93 percent of parents state that they want their children to regularly attend worship services. Roughly 89 percent of parents believe the best way to accomplish this is to attend church together as a family.

One final statistic: 79 percent of teens felt comfortable raising questions, struggles, and doubts, particularly with their parents. In essence, teens are searching for spiritual guidance. The real question is, then, where are they getting it from? Parents need to be spiritually equipped to handle the issues and concerns that their teens are facing. This extends beyond a mere biological relationship. Spiritual mothers and fathers in the church also need to be prepared to address the concerns that are plaguing the Christian life.

Teens are going to look for an answer to the spiritual questions that they have. What is frightening is where they may be looking for the answers. The amazing part of it is though, the majority of parents seem to instinctively know how to handle the situation (at least 89 percent do). For real, last statistic this time: 61 percent of young people who attend church regularly never miss a beat in attendance as they grow into adulthood. The flipside is 78 percent of those who grew up outside of the church or had poor attendance never returned.[2] In summary, the more that children are exposed to church functions as a child, the more likely they are to attend through adulthood.

All of the above information is compiled in a way to demonstrate the importance of regular church attendance and to participate in church activities. This is in the form of Sunday morning worship, Wednesday evening Bible studies, discipleship opportunities, business meetings, mission trips/opportunities, and the list goes on. As parents (figurative or literal) and grandparents (figurative or literal) it is imperative to regularly attending church functions. The younger generation is watching. They know what is important and what is not important from those parental figures. No pressure, but the future of the church rest with those parental figures and their willingness to prioritize attendance. If teens do not see that importance displayed, the statistical likelihood of them falling away from the church is extremely high.

People are insanely busy. Children and teens are watching what the adults around them are doing and not doing. They are observing what they are prioritizing as important and unimportant. They see where people sacrifice and not sacrifice their resources. What is the younger generation seeing?

About the Author

Wes McGarry serves as the Associate Pastor of Westfield Baptist Church. He received his BA in Christian Ministry from Piedmont International University where he doubled minored in Student Ministry and Pastoral Studies. He is currently in pursuit of an MA in Christian Studies from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Wes enjoys Star Wars, serving the local church, spending time with his family, and expressing a deep love to his Savior.