Reclaiming Missing Youth

Dr. Barry Gane

 Introduction
• "The Church is languishing for the help of
young men (and young women) who will
bear a courageous testimony, who will
with their ardent zeal stir up the sluggish
energies of God's people, and so increase
the power of the Church in the world." Ellen G.
White, Messages to Young People (Nashville: Southern, 1930), p. 25.
“ Preachers, or layman advanced in years,
can not have one half the influence upon
the young that the youth, devoted to God,
can have upon their associates." "With
such an army of workers, as our youth,
properly trained, might furnish, how soon
the message of a crucified, risen, and
soon coming Savior might be carried to
the whole world." Ellen G. White, Messages to Young People (Nashville:
Southern, 1930), p. 204, 196
 Longitudinal Study (USA)
• Dr. Roger Dudley of the Institute of Church
Ministries at Andrews University has
conducted a ten year study of 1523 young
Adventists. In the tenth year the best
estimate is that 49% had left the church.
These were baptized, committed youth at the
start of the study. Of those who remained in
the church only 55% attend regularly!
• The Valuegenesis study has shown that 28%
are not planning to be in the church when
they are 40.
 Reasons Youth Give for Leaving the
Church
• Church membership without personal
conversion
• Impersonal, uncaring attitude on the part of
older members
• Phony-appearing lives of adult members
• No sense of relevance to needs
• Religion didn't make a difference in own life
and didn't want to be a hypocrite
• Absence of thinking for oneself
 Reasons Youth Give for Leaving the
Church . . .
• Misplaced emphasis with
non-essentials too
important
• Academy (church school)
disciplinary methods
• Preoccupation with
organization on the part of
leaders
• Quality of sermons
• Ila Zbaraschuk 1973
Valuegenesis Results (Aust/NZ)
• Adult members are living phony lives
• The church places too much emphasis on
non-essentials
• Attitudes of older members are critical and
uncaring
• Church leaders are preoccupied with
organization and not concerned with
people
 Valuegenesis Results cont.

• Worship services are dull and

meaningless
• Do not want to be a hypocrite
• Church is too restrictive
• Attracted to a different lifestyle
• Do not have any real friends at church
• Church does not allow me to think for
myself
Five Main Factors
• Control - not allowed to think for self,
problem with the doctrines, emphasis
on non-essentials
• Lack of Caring
• Lack of meaning and purpose
• Personal integrity
• Control - discipline, family problems,
too restrictive
 Roger Dudley’s Ten Year Study

Four Main Reasons for Severing Connection

1. Alienation
Feelings of not being accepted, needed, or valued

2. Irrelevance
See the church as not making a difference in their lives

3. Intolerance
See the church as lacking love in action and displaying extreme legalism

4. Inconvenience
Would rather rest at home or could not fit church into their program
Valuegenesis Results (Aust/NZ)

SDP NAD
12 18 12 18
It challenges my thinking 50% - 22% 55%-25%
It encourages me to ask questions 46% - 23% 50%-24%
It is open to new ideas 61% - 28%
It feels warm 61% - 38% 65%-44%
It is friendly 77% - 52% 85%-55%
The Withdrawal Track

A Cry For
Help
 • Valuegenesis II Results
• Attitudes to Church

Perceptions of the Church in Valuegenesis II

Able to be myself
Feels Warm
Tolerant of Difference
Friendly 11 to 12
Welcomes Strangers 18 to 19
Fellowship is Good
Teachers/ Adults friendly
Teachers/ Adults care

0 20 40 60 80 100
 Valuegenesis II

How the Church Shapes Up

Inclusive

Exclusive

Flexible
11 to 12

Rigid 18 to 19

Exciting

Dull

0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Impact of Youth Ministry on Religious Education
Program at Local Church (VG II)

Go Because I 71
62
want to 39
Look Forward 63
49
to Going 23
M ore then Weekly Youth M in
Can Be 65
45 Weekly Youth M in
Yourself 37 No Youth M in

Makes You 53
37
Think 17
Rel Ed 58
46
Interesting 19

0 20 40 60 80
Percentage True and Very True
Impact of Youth Ministry on Perceptions of Church

Feel church is growing 42

22
Feel church is not growing 6
16
Feel church is open 40
36
Feel church is closed 4
8
Find Church Flexible 33
17 Weekly Youth Ministry
No Youth Ministry
Find Church Rigid 8
16
Find Church warm 42
28
Find Church cold 5
10
Find Church exciting 23
11
Find Church Dull 7
18

0 10 20 30 40 50
 Sexual Abuse Reported by SDA Youth

28.8 28.6
30

25

20
Males
15 10.8 Females
10
5.1
5

0
SPD NAD
Perpetrators of Sexual Abuse Within the Seventh-day Adventist
Church

30
25
20
15
Series1
10
5
0
Father Mother Close Family Boyfriend Brother
Friend Friend Girlfried Sister
 Relationship to the Seventh-day Adventist Church

50

40

30

20 Series1

10

0
Non-church Church Local Church
Attenders Attenders Leadership
The Withdrawal Track
Withdrawal

A Cry For
Help

Youth Goes Church Screens

Into Denial Out Cries

Youth Becomes Youth Skips

Hurt and Angry Church

Church Punishes
and Shuts Out Church Feels
Youth Pain
 Reclaiming Strategy
Step 1
* You will need to construct a list of the missing
youth.
* Church Clerk's records - these should have the
names of all baptized youth
* Sabbath School record cards - more names of
youth who may not have been baptized
Remember that all youth are not the same and must be seen as individuals.
 Reclaiming Strategy
Step 2
* Alert your elders and Church Board
* Sell the reclamation concept to your youth
team and let them know how many youth
have already left
* Brainstorm to recall other names that may
have been missed
 Reclaiming Strategy
Step 3
Youth group leadership team - prayer for
missing youth and then construct
a strategy for
contacting them.
 Reclaiming Strategy
Step 4
* Contact - personal contact is best. Let
them know you are interested in them
- invite them to a neutral
fellowship activity first so that relationship
can be established
- ensure that their friends at
church make contact as well
F R IE N D S H IP R E C O R D B L A N K

N a m e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ A g e _ _ _ _ S e x_ _ _ _
A d d re s s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_____________________________________________________________________
____________
P h o n e _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ B a p tis e d - Y E S _ _ _ _ _ N O _ _ _ _ _

P a r e n ts - M a r r ie d _ _ _ S e p a r a te d _ _ _ D iv o r c e d _ _ _ S in g le _ _ _ S D A F _ _ _ M _ _ _
D a te th e y la s t a tte n d e d _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
F r ie n d s s till a tte n d in g _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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W h a t d id th e y e n jo y a b o u t c h u r c h _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

P r e s e n t r e la tio n s h ip to c h u r c h _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
P r e s e n t r e la tio n s h ip to fa m ily _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

W o rk /S c h o o l_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
D a t e s o f V is it s

F ir s t V is it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S e c o n d V is it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
T h ird V is it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ F o u r th V is it _____________________

F ifth V is it _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S ix th V is it _______________________

C o m m e n ts
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 Some Important Things to
Remember . . .
Make the List
Pray for them
Visit (make it short)
Invite them to something neutral
Involve them
 Closing the Back Door
• Learn their names
• Affirm what they do well
• Let them know they have value
• Occupy their time – spend time with
someone who has high values –
• Mentor
• Rehearsal skills – what are they going to
say the next time - Communication