Recently I read a great book by John Bowen called Growing Up Christian: Why Young People Stay in Church, Leave Church, and (Sometimes) Come Back to Church. (Click here to see it.) He worked for 17 years in a Leadership Training Program at Ontario Pioneer Camp—a Christian camp. He contacted hundreds of young people who went through that system to inquire about their faith. His book is the result.
Bowen asked the people in his survey who had left the church (now in their 20's 30's and some 40's), this question: "What would be three characteristics of a church you can imagine wanting to join, if any?" He also asked people who have always been in church (and never left from their youth), what has kept them there.
1. Community. 2. Open to Questions. 3. Social Concern. 4. The Style and Content of the Service.
Faith is not about being seen and not heard.
Worship is big. And as you can imagine, there are a huge variety of opinions about worship style. There are many aspects to a service, but two main things jump out as being key.
The kind of music was not as important as the fact that it was "tolerably well" done. But music was not the most important factor.
The worship service is critical. I can't help think here of Karl Barth: To glorify God, to worship, is "the most urgent, the most glorious action that can take place in human life." Do we take that seriously?
1. Community. 2. Open to Questions. 3. Social Concern. 3. The Style and Content of the Service. It's not like these are golden keys that must be present everywhere; church cannot be reduced like that. But they come from research that is both challenging and encouraging at the same time.
And the survey results are obviously from a certain perspective: People who went through this camp and had, from youth, an importance placed on their faith. I can only assume that the answers would be different for someone who has never been in a church.
But it's great food for thought. I'll leave it there. Almost.
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I really enjoyed this blog. It really hits the point. I agree, the most important thing the church can do is be the church and live as the salt-and-light of the community in Christ. Thanks for this.
Hi Crystina, you're welcome! And I agree. When we "are" the church, in our salt-and-lightness, so many other things just come together.