I have yet to find the definitive, empirical study as to why kids leave church, although it is a very hot topic right now across the ecumenical world. But here is what we do know — kids are leaving! This is not news.

Many of our kids leave high school, go off to college and take a break from church. The bad news — the Barna Group and other researchers point out that, for the first time in their ongoing studies of church life, many of these kids are not returning to the church when they marry and have kids.

Why is this happening? What can we do about it?

Only God and parents really know how delicate children are. While many teens “commit” their life to Christ, not much happens before or after that for many of our “churched” teens. In sociological studies, a majority of moms and dads report that religion and faith are among the most important influences in their lives. And yet, over and over again, this is not lived out.