The growing loss of young believers has become a pressing concern for pastors and congregations. Young adults are vital to church development and serve as an important source of future ministers. Preventing their departure is therefore crucial to the church's long-term growth. But how do young Christians themselves view this issue?
Five Christians shared their views; only their surnames are used for safety reasons.
Sister Lin, a youth fellowship co-worker and first-generation believer, shared that her first visit to church was led by a friend. She expected rigid preaching, yet during the small-group sharing, attendees shared about workplace stress and uncertainties about the future. Instead of providing direct solutions, the pastor responded, "We can pray about this confusion together." She said, "That atmosphere of acceptance and facing challenges together grounded me far more than doctrine. That's why I stayed, came to faith, and eventually joined ministry." For her, retaining young believers is simple: avoid empty preaching and offer practical support.
Brother Zhang said that for him, it was the sense of being needed. He felt lonely when he first started working, so he tried to attend the youth fellowship. The leader invited him to help record activities since he enjoyed making videos. Though he initially joined to pass the time, positive feedback on his first edited video, "Our activities look so heartwarming," made him feel recognized and valued. "Being able to contribute made me feel I wasn't just an observer," he said. He believes that when young people are involved and affirmed, their commitment naturally grows, reducing concerns about their departure.
Sister Chen, a third-generation Christian, recalled that she once felt the church was disconnected from her life. That changed when a family member fell ill, and a church auntie began sending her daily prayer messages and even helped her figure out the hospital registration. "They didn't preach doctrines; they helped me through a difficult time with concrete actions. That's when I realized faith isn't abstract, but it's someone willing to bear your burdens with you." She believes retaining young believers requires building a loving, supportive fellowship where everyone can feel at home.
Regarding the loss of believers, Sister Li noted that she has seen many friends leave the church because they felt labeled. "For instance, someone who chose to rest on the weekend and skipped a service was accused of not loving the Lord enough. Someone who enjoyed playing role-playing mystery games was told to avoid worldly entertainment. Young people are highly sensitive to judgment, and once they sense they are not accepted, they will choose to leave. Youth fellowships should move away from conservative and extreme teachings. These approaches no longer build people up, and they often focus on trivial matters that are ultimately meaningless."
Sister Zhang added that the youth fellowship should help believers integrate faith into their daily lives rather than treat it as a weekly obligation. "Only when people experience the strength of faith and the support of fellow Christians in their work, relationships, and everyday decisions will they be willing to remain in the church. For example, when facing setbacks, they know someone will pray for them; when making choices, someone will help them think things through. This integration of faith into real life is key to retaining young people."
In summary, these members believe the key to keeping young believers in the church is to create a warm, family-like community where mutual care and support enable them to grow. Only then will young people be willing to stay.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times, and the author is a Christian in Fuzhou, Fujian.)
- Translated by Poppy Chan
