The Odd and Radical Call: Challenging Youth to Live Out Their Faith
Author: James Mor
September 06, 2024
In recent decades, many churches have focused on providing fun and games in order to attract more young people to Jesus. Tragically, it hasn’t worked.
According to research by the Barna Group, "Nearly six in ten (59%) young people who grow up in Christian churches end up walking away, and the unchurched segment … has increased in the last decade from 44% to 52%, mirroring a larger cultural trend away from churchgoing in America. When asked what has helped their faith grow, ‘church’ does not make even the top 10 factors."
Our problem is not that we are asking too much of our youth, but that we’re asking too little.
Jim Davis and Michael Graham, in their book The Great Dechurching, observe that many young people who grew up in culturally Christian environments—where faith was often presented in a diluted, socially acceptable way—are now among those leaving the church. This trend reflects the broader issue that when churches focus too much on making a watered-down Christianity easy and fun, they may fail to instill a deep, enduring faith in the next generation.
Church, for this generation, can be more of a social club—a place to find friends and community. But as it enters new stages of life, such as college or the workforce, church life is gradually replaced by new communities. This drift from faith isn’t a sudden departure but rather a slow and subtle process, like a ship slowly meandering off course.
In 5 Views on the Future of Youth Ministry, Kenda Creasy Dean suggests that youth groups must embody Jesus in a way that creates an “oddness” in our lives. It’s easy to conform to cultural values like niceness, politeness, and hard work. But where is Jesus in all this? While these virtues are good, they are not uniquely Christian. The challenge is to live out the radical demands of Christ, which often defy cultural norms. The goal is not to defy these values as an end in itself, but to be different, “odd” even.
The demand that Christ places on us is not to be nice or to stay in our social and relational lane, but to defy those categories outright. Loving God fully and loving neighbor (especially our enemies) are not cultural values. Being a Christian indeed is odd, that is, if one follows the way of the cross. Jesus’ invitation is one of new life but always through the way of the cross (Matt. 16.24-26). It is a life where suffering is expected and a cause for joy (Col. 1.24). How then do we demand this great and gracious burden of our youth so as to lead them?
We need to ask ourselves some tough questions. Do our youth see us living out a faith that is distinct from the culture, or are we merely blending in? How much do we look like those around us? Do we engage with our neighbors in a way that reflects the love of Christ? How do we model the odd life of Jesus to our youth, to the next generation? Do they see the holy struggle of living faithfully? Are we flexible, willing to entertain those who differ from us? Do our youth see encountering the perspectives of others as an opportunity for the truth of Jesus to shine brighter, or are they overly sheltered?
These questions aren’t exhaustive, but they’re a good starting point. Our task as the church is to model a life of deep conviction and dedication to Jesus. This responsibility falls on both parents and on the entire body of Christ. Our faith must have deep roots, or it will be withered by busyness and the distractions of life.
This lifelong journey of discipleship happens everywhere—in our homes, cars, dinner tables, youth groups, Sunday worship, and community gatherings. The church, as Christ’s new creation, is where this work unfolds, shaping a generation that follows in the way of the cross with joy and perseverance.
The time has come for churches to move beyond creating subcultures and start challenging young people to embrace the radical, life-transforming call of Christ. If we continue to offer a watered-down faith, we’ll keep losing the next generation to a world that demands more of them than we do. But if we dare to present the full, uncompromising gospel, we might just find that young people are ready to rise to the challenge. It’s not about making faith easy—it’s about making it real.
James Mor is the Youth Resident at New Covenant Church.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash.
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