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Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts

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More than two-thirds of young adults between the ages of 18-22 leave the church - that's a disturbingly high figure. In this follow-up to the popular book "Simple Church", the Rainers spoke to those who left, the dechurched. What reasons did they give for leaving?

Top Ten Reasons Church Dropouts Stopped Attending Church

1. Simply wanted a break from church.
2. Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical.
3. Moved to college and stopped attending church.
4. Work responsibilities prevented me from attending.
5. Moved too far away from the church to continue attending.
6. Became too busy though still wanted to attend.
7. Didn't feel connected to the people in my church.
8. Disagreed with the church's stance on political or social issues.
9. Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church.
10.Was only going to church to please others.

The premise of Essential Church is that the reason they leave boils down to this... "Churchgoing students drop out of the church because it is not essential to their lives."

Part 1: Why People Leave the Nonessential Church
Chapter 1: My Faith is Not My Parents' Faith
Chapter 2: Looking for a different kind of community
Chapter 3: That's Life! it changes
Chapter 4: A New Spin on hypocrisy
Chapter 5: All Eyes on the Main Man
Part 2: How Essential Churches Close the Back Door
Chapter 6: The Essential church and the Back door
Chapter 7: Simplify: Getting the Structure Right
Chapter 8: Deepen: Getting the content Right
Chapter 9: Expect: Getting the Attitude Right
Chapter 10: Multiply: Getting the Action Right
Conclusion: Building an Essential Church: A Case Study

The core of the book is on what is needed to reverse the trend. In short, an "Essential Church" focuses on these four critical areas:

Simplify - Deepen - Expect - Multiple

I thought the book was an excellent combination of research, insight, encouragement, and some practical steps churches should consider if they're serious about reversing the perception that church is irrelevant. It should also be an encouragement and challenge to youth ministry leaders. Whether or not you agree with the steps suggested here and in their earlier book 'Simple Church: Returning to God's Process for Making Disciples', I would definitely recommend 'Essential Church'.

I've been reading quite a lot of statistically based books lately. This is usually not my cup of tea, but the research helps me to understand trends in such a way as to be better at leading my congregation. As you might have guessed, Thom and Sam are related. Thom Rainer is the president and of LifeWay Christian Resources, the co-author of Simple Church, and the author of several other books, many of which are based on statistical research. His eldest son, Sam, is the senior pastor of First Southern Baptist Church in Floyds Knobs, Indiana, and the president and CEO of the Rainer Group.

These statisticians have written a book that examines the trend of church drop-outs. What their research shows is that the American church is in decline, and the largest group of people dropping out of church is young adults aged 18 to 22. Seventy percent of this age group are dropping out of church while only 30% are staying. Consequently the conclusions they draw and the suggestions they make are aimed at what churches can do to stem the tide of back door users in this age group. Even so, the material can be applied across age brackets when church leaders are trying to invigorate their churches.

The book is divided into two sections: Part 1, dedicated to the research itself explaining "why people are leaving the nonessential church"; and part 2, relating "how essential churches close the back door." The dire picture that the statistics paints is one that causes the first part of the book to seem rather on the negative side.

What we are exposed to in part one is the stark reality that the American church is in decline. It is not really all that surprising with books like unChristian opening our eyes to the fact that the up-and-coming generations are finding more and more things to be disenchanted with about the church. Even so, the Rainers present some interview material that shows that the exodus of young people really has less to do with people getting mad at the church than it does with life change. What the authors discovered in polling and interviewing church dropouts was that these young adults just got out of the habit of going to church because it wasn't an "essential" in their lives.

The authors offer these top ten reasons for 18 to 22 year olds ceasing to attend church:

1.Simply wanted a break from church.
2.Church members seemed judgmental or hypocritical.
3.Moved to college and stopped attending church.
4.Work responsibilities prevented me from attending.
5.Moved too far away from the church to continue attending.
6,Became too busy but still wanted to attend.
7.Didn't feel connected to the people in my church.
8.Disagreed with the church's stance of political or social issues.
9.Chose to spend more time with friends outside the church.
10.Was only going to church to please others.

Part two of the book is actually the more helpful part of what the Rainers write. When you read the book don't skip the foundational material of part one, but for the book to be useful, you'll want to get to part two as quickly as possible. In part two we find the positive side of the message--even though young adults are leaving the church in record numbers, they tide can be turned. And it is, the authors argue, in essential churches. What makes an essential church? According to the book, an essential church is one that:
*Simplifies: Getting the Structure Right
*Deepens: Getting the Content Right
*Expects: Getting the Attitude Right, and
*Multiplies: Getting the Action Right

There are two cautions that I would place when reading this book. The first is mine alone: Beware the temptation to approach the material with an attitude of "churchiolatry." While reading the concerns about the exodus of young adults from the church it is easy to begin thinking that the church is the most important thing. Understanding that scripture dictates the importance of gathering with fellow Christ followers, and understanding also the gravity of the fact that Jesus himself created the church for believers, it is easy to make the creation more important than the Creator--especially when we know (or at least think we know) the best way to express church.

The second caution is one that the authors themselves render when offering the suggested answers to what an essential church is and how you can lead your church to be one, and I concur: Beware of the temptation to use the material in part two of the book to create a "cookie cutter" church. All churches have their own personality, so apply the information according to your situation. All churches are also found in unique situations, so approach the process of becoming essential with your location in mind.

The book itself presents some valuable information in a very readable manner. If you can overlook the overuse of the word plethora (I'm reminded of a certain scene in The Three Amigos), you will be able to use this resource toward turning your church into a God-honoring Essential Church in your community. Wade through the stats and dine on the meat in part two. You will be inspired and challenged. I give Essential Church? three and one-half out of five stars.

--Benjamin Potter, October 21, 2008

In 2001, with my first year of Romanian mission work behind me, I returned home for the summer to discover that my youth group friends had disappeared from the church. Only a small handful of the group was now in the college class. The more I tried to connect with old friends, the more I realized that though many were still in town, most of them were no longer in church anywhere.

Apparently, the problem I noticed in 2001 has only grown. Many churches today are waking up to the fact that a generation of young people is missing from the church. The twenty-something crowd has largely disappeared, and most churches know neither why they have left nor what they can do to get them back.

The statistics show that two-thirds of churchgoing young adults drop out between the ages of 18 and 22. These numbers serve as an indictment against the methods and training common to most children and youth ministries. The numbers also indicate an abdication of responsibility on the part of parents to raise their children to value the church.

This sad phenomenon is described in detail in Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts(Broadman & Holman, 2008) by Thom and Sam Rainer. In Essential Church, the Rainers (father and son) tell us the reasons young people give for leaving church and what the church must do to win them back.

In the first part of the book, the authors show why young people leave what they call the "nonessential church." In the second part, they show four qualities present in churches that retain their young people through the college years.

I appreciate the way in which Thom and Sam Rainer can share stastics and give advice without emphasizing formulas over substance. Again and again, they say that theirs is not a formula for "success." Instead, they are seeking to steer churches back to orthodox practice and teaching.

Here is what they've discovered: churches that retain young people tend to have simple structures, deep and challenging biblical teaching, an attitude that expects commitment from young people, and an outward focus that leads to evangelism and missions. In other words, churches that function biblically do better at keeping their members. (Surprise!)

Essential Church will encourage healthy conversation about what it means for the church to be the church. It represents a call for the church to return to Scripture rather than outdated methods and formulas for success. And maybe a book like this can help churches stop the mass exodus of young people from their congregation.

Dr. Thom S. Rainer and Sam S. Rainer III statistically, scripturally, and sympathetically share a shocking evaluation of the situation in many church sanctuaries across the United States of America in Essential Church?: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts. They saliently and sagely show how we can reverse trends and see a revival of the work of the Lord. I sincerely recommend it!
Dr. Franklin L. Kirksey, pastor, teacher, mentor, writer, and author of Sound Biblical Preaching: Giving the Bible a Voice

this book really challenged me to rethink a lot of what I do and why I do it. I would recommend it to all Pastors and leaders that want to be challenged to do a better job of reaching this generation!

Although the Rainer father and son team are often repetitive concerning the main themes of this work...they need to be, since as churches we have not yet gotten the message. Church today in America has become an optional entertainment choice as opposed to an essential part of life and spiritual development for a huge number of our people. That is simply unbiblical and unfaithful to our Lord and Savior. And instead of blaming sheep for leaving the fold, the God appointed shepherds and other church leaders should be looking in the mirror to find what we might do to seek out those who might be wandering. This book will help us take the first steps.

This book brings to light the major issue of why youth leave the church. As my own kids are now in High school it is very important to me that I make church important to them. Too many books today discuss the issue but this one also offers concrete solutions to help the church slow the great exit of youth out the back door of the church. And I truly believe this message also applies to older generations.

More than two thirds of church-going young adults in the US drop out between the ages of 18 and 22, according to Thom and Sam Rainer in this book. In the course of extensive research amongst young church drop-outs numerous reasons for leaving church were given, but the common theme was that these young people just did not feel that church was an essential part of their lives.

The book discusses the results of the research in some detail, and then attempts to offer a four-step prescription to help churches "close the back door" to stop young people leaving. The first step is to simplify the church's structure by making it very clear what the church stands for and how people are invited to participate. The second step is to deepen the church's impact by providing solid biblical teaching. The third step is to have high expectations of people, and the fourth step is to multiply by placing emphasis on evangelism.

I have read too many of George Barna's books to place too much faith in the book-based-on-a-survey genre, but this book is one of the better ones of the genre. The problem outlined in the first part of the book is based on solid evidence, whereas the prescriptive solution is based on the author's observations and opinions rather than solid evidence, but nonetheless in my opinion the prescription is appropriate. The problem addressed is a critical one, so I recommend this book to church leaders.

This book is just as factual and real for churches today, as the first book which I read called "High Expectations". Christian churches need to put into practice the teachings of Christ and also take a realistic look at the reasons which Mr. Rainer points out in this book. He not only shows us why we are loosing generations of believers, but how to get them back into church. He explains very plainly, how to shut the back door and NOT the front door.

I would recommend this book and "High Expectations" to any church member, but especially to the Pastor and/or Sunday School Director, as proof that many churches are not doing ministry very well in today's society. Many of them have large membership rolls (for statistics), but only a fraction of those members ever warm a pew on any given church day. Mr. Rainer gives us ways to correct this situtation, which allows us to have a better and more effective church for Christ.

p.s. I had to read Mr. Rainers book "High Expectations" for a class at a Bible Institute where I attend. It spoke so true to me that I purchased additional copies for my Pastor and Sunday School Director. We are now applying principles from the book within our church and growth is taking place. This book "Essential Church", adds more fuel to the spark which was ignited by reading Mr. Rainers solutions in "High Expectations".

Rainer and his son wrote Essential Church: Reclaiming a Generation of Dropouts based on a nationwide survey of those leaving the church in recent years. Their findings are interesting and provocative.

"The American church is dying. Conversions are declining in almost every denomination. Even in some of the more relatively healthy denominations, conversions to Christianity have stagnated..." Page 8

"Perhaps most startling is the gravity of how many exit the church and the pace at which this exodus is occurring. Each generation that passes loses more than the previous generation. Shock does not begin to describe how we felt after reading the research results. The church is losing the generational battle. Not only are we losing our nation to the ways of the world, but we are not winning our own children in Christian families. Multitudes are dropping out of the church." Page 14

They stress like others, that the loss is greatest among the young:

"The average church is losing the young generation, and those young adults are not returning." Page 8
"More than two-thirds of young churchgoing adults in America drop out of church between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two." Page 75


And their explanation makes sense, and squares with what I've seen:

"The most glaring issue of estrangement for eighteen- to twenty-two-year-olds is the interminable gap between their personal beliefs and their church's stated beliefs. ... Only 53 percent of all young adult churchgoers state that they are in line with the beliefs of their church. To be blunt, God has converted our children, but we have failed to disciple them." Page 30

They document not only quantitative decline, but decline in quality:

"One survey states that only half of churches feel that they do a good job of engaging the community and making others feel welcome. Additionally, only 40 percent of these churches feel that they have any real impact on the community of the world. This survey was taken among people within the church. So 60 percent of the people in our churches do not believe they are making an impact on their community." Page 55 56

They also confirm other sources indicating that the dramatic increase in busyness among Americans makes church involvement less likely:

"We're busy people. We bolt about our daily routine in a tornado of rapid activity. Time is a precious commodity and we fill our time with as many activities as possible. We cram one-hour tasks into fifteen minutes, and then we speed twenty-five miles over the speed limit to make up for the rest. We overcommit. We underplan. We procrastinate. We're perpetually late. Then we complain about little sleep and no time for exercise or leisure. Americans spend their time like their money, using as much as they have (if not more) and saving none." Page 74

"Through our research we were not surprised to learn that new and busy schedules often moved the church to a lower priority among the dechurched." Page 75

I was interested by their finding that those leaving don't feel bitter about the church, and still consider themselves Christians. They are leaving because they don't see any reason to continue.

"Particularly with the younger generation, church is another time slot to fill. It is a check box on the weekly to-do list. The churches of the dropouts were not a place where they wanted to spend free time. It was the opposite. Church was just another time waster for them... droves of students are divorcing the church, and they do not cite irreconcilable differences. They do not leave mad. For many, no one compelling factor is pushing them away. They just want a little time off. They want their space. When they leave the church, there is no void. A gaping hole doesn't form when they exit. They leave quietly, and the church continues on as usual." Page 75, 76

Apparently, a big part of this failure has to do with the lack of interest in college students on the part of churches.

"Most churches do not have a college and career ministry for young adults between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two. And the reason is not because these churches are located outside of college towns. Ten percent of the population in the United States is between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four. That's more than thirty million student-age people!" Page 81

To me, this is incomprehensible, although I've seen this myself. We find most churches have little or nothing going on with college students--the most promising age range for raising up workers who serve God long-term. I think it goes to show that churches are more interested in adults who pay the bills than in raising up workers.

This is a good book. Recomended.

Dennis McCallum, author Satan and His Kingdom: What the Bible Says and How It Matters to You and Organic Disciplemaking: Mentoring Others Into Spiritual Maturity And Leadership