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"Worldview training for all the World" ........ Psalm 50:12 Premier Worldview® Center 800-948-3101 |
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"Worldview training for all the World" ........ Psalm 50:12 Premier Worldview® Center 800-948-3101 |
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Why Do Our Youth Depart?By: Dan Smithwick 03/22/2002 Why Do Our Youth Depart? By: Dan Smithwick 03/22/2002 My Dear Church, Why Do Your Young Depart from Me? Dan Smithwick Nehemiah Institute, Inc. March 2001 It is of little surprise to pastors, Christian educators and parents that a high percentage of young people stop attending church after leaving home. Whether it's off to college or off to work, the church doesn't seem to fit the schedule of most young adults from Christian homes. One study of over 3,500 incoming freshman at various state and private universities who identified themselves as 'born again' Christians found that by their senior year, between one-third and one-half said they no longer considered themselves as such. If a person is willing to change his or her position on being a born-again Christian, how much more are they willing to give up regarding their views and practices relating to church attendance? Throughout scripture we find numerous warnings not to depart from the faith. Consider the following: "This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (Joshua 1:8) Now then, my sons, listen to me, And do not depart from the words of my mouth. (Proverbs 5:7) Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) Undoubtedly, these words of scripture have been spoken frequently by pastors, teachers and parents and have been heard by our young people. Yet many depart. Why? I believe the answer to this is largely due to the lack of relevance of the church and the Christian faith, as seen by young people. While the church was the dominant force in building our nation (founding universities and hospitals, producing scholarly statesmen who drafted state constitutions and later the federal constitution, creating charitable organizations to care for the poor and widows, etc.), today the church has been pushed (or voluntarily retreated) into a non-defining role for how society should live. The agenda for today's public square is clearly shaped by secular and anti-Christian forces, not the church. In essence, the church has left the world. Contrary to the first century church and the Reformation-era church, the 20th century church has abandoned a Biblical world and life view. The church offers only a personalized and pietistic religion. The message received by young people is one of how to get to heaven when they die (something which none of them are thinking about!) but not how to live while on earth. With no comprehensive philosophy of life being offered by church leaders (at least in the majority of our churches), it's little wonder that young people find the church irrelevant. The results of PEERS testing from 1988-2002 show a consistent and alarming decline in Biblical worldview thinking among students. Over 75% of students graduating from Christian schools score in the Secular Humanism category on the PEERS Test. Only in a small number of Christian schools (less than 5%), where a distinct program exists focusing on teaching subjects from a Biblical worldview were there found good scores. These schools also showed a slight increase over the twelve-year period. What kind of views causes low scores among students? Listed below are some of the more troubling views (all of which are anti-biblical) found by PEERS testing among students in Christian schools, Agree . The ideal government guarantees the citizens a minimum income, social security, unemployment compensation, health insurance and housing. 77.2% . Moral values are subjective and personal. They are the right of each individual. Individuals should be allowed to conduct life as they choose as long as it does not interfere with the lives of others. 75.4% . In social, economic, cultural and political affairs, people should have equal rights. Social reform should, therefore, be designed to correct existing inequalities and to equalize the conditions of nurture, schooling, residence, employment, recreation and income that produce them. 84.2% . One of the most effective ways of curbing inflation, if not eliminating it all together, is imposing wage and price controls. 80.7% . Day-care schools for infants and toddlers, under the supervision of professional educators, will enhance the educational process of children and will produce more well-developed and productive citizens. 73.7% Note: These results are based on responses of students with composite test scores of 25.0 or less (scale of -100 to +100). Average scores of students from traditional Christian high schools from 1988-2002 was 28.2. I believe PEERS results gives evidence of why Christian youth are departing from the church. Rather than the church, the state is viewed as the official body for deciding 'how then shall we live.' If the church and the Christian school continue with programs where the output is increasingly secular, our nation will soon be a very different nation from what is was for its first 200 years. The loss of the ability to think critically and biblically will lead to chaos and darkness, as history bears evidence. For the sake of the Lord's name and for the sake of our children, we must return to a solid Biblical-worldview philosophy of instruction in the home, schools and churches. Please consider implementing our worldview training and assessment programs as shown on our web site. Or call 1-800-948-3101 for a free Info Pack.
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