According to Kenda Creasy Dean, professor at Princeton, teens are becoming “fake” Christians. In a study called the National Study of Youth and Religion, it was revealed that, although 75 percent of teens claim to be Christian, only half actively exercise their beliefs. Dean says many teens have lackadaisical attitudes toward their faith because of lukewarm teaching from churches and parents. “If teenagers lack an articulate faith, it may be because the faith we show them is too spineless to merit much in the way of conversion”, said Dean.

There seems to be a widening gap between the desires of teens and the teaching they receive. Elizabeth Corrie, professor at Emory, says that teens want to be challenged. She observed, “We think that they want cake, but they actually want steak and potatoes, and we keep giving them cake.” This puts the role of teaching our teens squarely on our shoulders.

The problem is that, if we do not teach teens to “live out” their faith, it is probable that the gospel message will be in danger of becoming more watered-down and irrelevant with each subsequent generation.

What can we do to spiritually challenge teens today?

1. Be proactive in our approach. Instead of reacting to major life challenges, our churches need to spiritually equip teens to confront tough issues in their lives. They need the tools to handle life issues such as death, divorce, and difficulties with relationships.
2. Preach boldly. This means calling people to action. We need to convey the message that following Jesus means much more than being good or following the rules; it means getting our hands dirty–helping the poor and homeless. Sometimes we are afraid to preach boldly because we are afraid we will upset people and they will leave. Preaching boldly goes far beyond helping people feel good about themselves; it means challenging people to think of others by sharing their faith with them.
3. Demonstrate by example. Parents of teens usually have the greatest impact on their own children. If we want to teach our children how to serve in the community, we need to serve others—and then ask them to join us. Teens will learn more about watching us than they will from verbal instruction. This increases our responsibility to do more than attending church; we need to demonstrate our faith in action.
4. Increase our expectations. We need to expect more from teenagers than having good behavior or being nice. Since they are very passionate about social issues such as poverty, homelessness, and the environment, we need to help them see the connection between their faith and the world around them. We need to challenge them to be dangerous like Jesus was—by taking risks and doing things that require sacrifice. Calling them to this kind of lifestyle attracts teens because it gives them purpose and direction. It is also radically different than the self-serving, egocentric message perpetuated by the world.

What else can we do to spiritually challenge teens today?

Making disciples is our charge and our very reason for existence!

Jeffrey Jensen Arnett, a psychology professor from Clark University, has termed this phase of life “emerging adulthood.”

Many emerging adults do not seem to be prepared to make monumental decisions that will affect the rest of their lives. So what can followers of Jesus do to help twenty somethings successfully maneuver through these difficult years?

1. Develop authentic friendships with them. Emerging adults need relationships with more mature adults who have experienced this difficult stage of life. They need to know that we care for them. It could be that they have not had mature adult role models. Emerging adults need to know that we are willing to help guide them through life’s complex maze.

2. Allow them to fail. Perhaps emerging adults have been conditioned to be less adventurous in life because they have been coddled by well-meaning parents and teachers. It may be that growing up is scarier for them than the alternative. Although it may seem natural to give them all the answers, it might be time to let them learn some life lessons on their own.

3. Be patient with them. Emerging adults can be flaky in their commitments and in their relationships. We need to accept them despite their flaws. None of us is perfect!

4. Point them to Jesus. Many emerging adults are floundering, trying to find their way. We need to show them that Jesus is the way. He understands what they are going through, and he provides the answers to their life’s difficulties.

What else can we do to to help emerging adults navigate through their extended adolescence?

J.K. Rowling talks about the benefits of failure at Harvard’s 2008 commencement address. There are so many lessons to be learned from our failures. Thank God for not writing us off despite our failures, and for giving us the strength, grace,  and hope to press on!

Among teens, small group attendance has dropped from 30 percent to 21 percent, prayer has dropped from 81 percent to 71 percent, and the percentage of teens that make charitable contributions to churches has dropped from 35 to 26 percent.

Evangelism practices have also changed. In the past twelve years, the percentage of teens who share their faith with unbelievers has shrunk by 18 percent.

What can we do about these changes?

1. Emphasize personal faith development. This means spending less time emphasizing the importance of church attendance to teens, and spending more time coaching them about developing a personal relationship with Jesus. When they are entrenched in a personal relationship with God, prayer, giving, and personal testimonies naturally happen.
2. Underline the mission of making disciples. The Great Commission is for everyone, not just those with a certain gift or personality. We need to emphasize to teens that making disciples is the central purpose of our Christian walk.
3. Equip teens to make disciples. It is not enough to state that our mission is to make disciples; we need to give teens the tools to fulfill their calling as followers of Jesus. This means teaching them how to sincerely develop relationships with unbelievers, engaging unbelievers in spiritual discussions, and ultimately leading them to Christ.

What else can we do about the changing faith of teens?

I am partnering with EvangelismCoach.org to conduct a free Webinar on August 26th at 9 pm EST, 6 pm PST. A Webinar is a web-based seminar with visual aids that happens in real time. That means you have the opportunity to participate and ask questions. And, as a bonus, I will be giving away five free copies of my book, Living Dangerously, to participants (must be present to win).

In this Webinar, you will learn the most important ingredient in making disciples. Topics include:

• Results of nationwide research study on the conversion process
• The most important ingredient in making disciples
• Seven most influential traits of intentional disciple makers
• How to prepare for making disciples

You can register by going here.

The study revealed that 65 percent of Millennials label themselves as Christian, yet their beliefs do not reflect traditional beliefs. For example, over half (53 percent) disagree that the Bible is the Word of God, two out of three Millennials never read the Bible, and 67 percent rarely or never visit a church, synagogue, mosque or temple.

How can these differences be reconciled? In other words, how is it possible to be a follower of Jesus and not believe in the inspiration of Scripture, not read the Bible, and rarely step foot inside a place of worship? The answers to these questions may be very complex.

One possible explanation may be that Millennials have adopted religious labels without adhering to distinct religious practices. Sam Rainer, director of the research, said, “For many Millennials, Christianity is a family heirloom rather than a faith commitment.”

It is also plausible that Millennials have become cynical about religion by watching and listening to extremists on both sides of the religious spectrum. Christians and Muslims have bombed innocent people in the name of religion. These atrocities have possibly contributed to the misunderstanding of religious values in the minds of Millennials by clouding their perceptions of how these values are manifested in their lives.

Another reason for differences between religion and practice may be that Millennials do not understand the connections between religion and behavior. Labels do not change beliefs and behaviors; what changes people from the inside out is a personal relationship with Jesus!

One thing is for certain: Millennials are religiously diverse. What, then, can we do to help Millennials make valid connections between religion and behaviors?

1. Listen to Millennials. This means more than letting them talk. It means allowing them to express their beliefs without condemnation or quick judgments. When Millennials know that we sincerely care for them, they will be more open to our guidance.

2. Help Millennials understand that Christianity is not just a label, but a lifestyle. They may have a somewhat looser definition of Christianity than older followers of Jesus. We need to help them understand that following Jesus is a commitment that affects every breath we take.

3. Teach Millennials how to develop an intimate relationship with Jesus. This involves training them to practice the spiritual disciplines. Developing a relationship with Jesus will help Millennials connect their faith with their behaviors.

4. Mentor Millennials with humility. Working with Millennials requires us to be open about our own weaknesses and failures. This will demonstrate that our beliefs are more than skin-deep, and they will learn to emulate our example.

A PowerPoint presentation of the research can be found here.

What else can we do to help Millennials understand the connection between Christianity and behaviors?

Two weeks ago I was struck by this printed message on my sales receipt. Yes, I know the clerk is not the Messiah, but the implication is there—Jesus came to give his life for us.

Jesus physically left the earth 2000 years ago, but not before charging us to make disciples of unbelievers. We are called to be ambassadors of Christ by being Jesus to others. This means putting the spiritual needs of others first.

Think about it. We are the link between an unbeliever and the cross. This gives us an incredible burden and responsibility for the spiritual welfare of others.

How do we put the spiritual needs of others first?  At the risk of sounding overly simplistic, I will suggest three ways.

1. By being transformed into the image of Christ. This is not natural. It takes consistent training in the spiritual disciplines to develop an intimacy with Jesus. Faith is not static; it is a dynamic process, and it can be grown. When we focus on our own spiritual growth, we will become more like Jesus every day. We will be transformed from the inside out; and, as a result, our character and actions will reflect his glory. As we become true disciples of Jesus, we will not only be like him, but we will become him. Our reflection of Jesus will attract unbelievers and lead them into relationship with him.
2. By serving others. Recently, some friends of ours were traveling and their car broke down. When they called us, it was getting late and the car repair shops were already closed. We happened to know some people who lived in a nearby town, so we contacted them to ask if they could help. They responded by saying that they would be happy to feed our friends and put them up for the night. When we thanked our gracious friends for their help, they replied, “Thank you for the opportunity.” Just as Jesus came to serve us, we have opportunities every day to put others first by serving them.
3. By trusting in the leading of the Holy Spirit. In Luke 12:12, Jesus said, “for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” We are human, and do not have limitless wisdom or knowledge. This is why we need allow the Holy Spirit to guide us as we interact with unbelievers. He will show us what to say and when to say it. Allowing the Holy Spirit to guide our hands and feet requires us to sacrifice our pride and to subject ourselves to his will—where ever that may lead. Trusting the Holy Spirit may yank us from our comfortable lives, but it will certainly allow God to use us to meet the spiritual needs of others.

If we desire to spiritually impact unbelievers, we must put them first.  It’s not about us; it’s about being instruments for God’s glory.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death—

even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8)

Be dangerous like Jesus!

Excellent video on reaching out to our community.