I have to say that I appreciate the candor (and the pain) of the folks who wrote of their experiences in this blog. It’s the stories of eight 20-somethings who decided to leave the Church. They were all full or part-time church workers.

I identify with them. And it has been very thought-provoking. There’s a couple of reasons…

For one, I was a 30-something when I was bruised and hurt by a church that was pushing the programming button, and I was not hip enough (in their estimation) to stay with the program. There’s more to it than that, and I am NOT saying that it was all “their” fault (or all “mine”), but let’s just say that it only took me, oh, five or six years to believe again that I had something to offer God’s people.

Another reason I’m really struck by their stories is that Ken and I will be leading a singles small group starting next month. Many of these folks have probably had all of the “church junk” they can stand. I don’t want to be part of the reason someone leaves a fellowship! I want to hear THEIR hearts and see THEIR point of view.

The other thing that’s really making me stop and ponder is that, yeah, I’m looking to go back into full-time ministry during or at the end of my classes… When I read something like this I think either, “well, DUH. Working with people is sometimes really disturbing…” or I think “it’s not all about ME, now is it???” And yet — if I am going to be working in an arena that wants to help grow 20-something Christians as the future leaders of GOD’S CHURCH (not any particular brand – GOD’S…) I need to hear their voices and think about their perspective.

Besides, it won’t be THAT long until our teens will be 20-somethings and I sure want to see THEM staying close to God’s heart (and not my definition of what that means…)

From our home to yours…

Deb