Mission Lifeguard 1
Question #1.
What is the percentage
of young people who
have left your church
(or conference)?
Question #2.
How do you know?
How many young
people are in your
church (or conference)?
Question #2.
How do you know?
Once saved,
always saved
Is this a Seventh-day Adventist belief?
Once saved,
always saved
Is this a Seventh-day Adventist practice?
1978
1978
Young people need to create a new identity.
Being different from the established norm
gives them a new identity.
1978
Put them in charge of the church so they can
create their new identity IN THE CHURCH instead of
outside of the church.
2000
2000
1,523 baptized young people, ages 15-16 in 1987.
783 baptized young people, ages 25-26 in 1997.
2000
“It seems reasonable to believe that at least 40-50% of
Seventh-Day Adventist teenagers in North America are
essentially leaving the church by their middle 20s.”
2000
Of the 783 in the last year of the study,
1/3 had changed their address in the previous year.
2000
Of the 783 in the last year of the study,
80% were presently members of the SDA Church.
2000
Of the 783 in the last year of the study,
80% were presently members of the SDA Church.
But only 55% attend church regularly.
2005
NSYR
2005
NSYR
“Religion and spirituality are indeed very significant
in the lives of many American teenagers.”
2009
NSYR
2009
NSYR
“The common wisdom that
religiosity declines sharply during the young adult years
is shown to be greatly exaggerated.”
2011
2011
“43% drop-off between the teen and early adult years in
terms of church engagement.”
2011
“The dropout problem is, at its core,
a faith-development problem.”
2011
“The church is not adequately preparing
the next generation to follow Christ faithfully
in a rapidly changing culture.”
NOMADS
NOMADS
They walk away from church
engagement but still consider
themselves to be Christian.
PRODIGALS
PRODIGALS
They lose their faith and
consider themselves to
“no longer be Christian.”
EXILES
EXILES
They are still invested in their
Christian faith but they feel
“stuck” or “lost” between
culture and the church.
2012
Churches that implemented
MISSION LIFEGUARD
reclaimed 83% of their
young people in 6 months,
and 94% of their young people
in 12 months.
I made up those numbers,
just like other people do when
they “quote statistics” about
young people leaving the
church!
CPR
Connect
P
R
Connect
Praise
R
Connect
Praise
Release
C
P
R
Chit-chat
P
R
Chit-chat
Pout
R
Chit-chat
Pout
Restrict
How hard can it be?
SPOTTERS
LIFEGUARDS
What are the top 3
qualities you would
want in a lifeguard?
A fool-proof way
to keep young people
in the church!
“Church-Boy Charlie”
2012
$8.95 for the booklet.
On sale at SECC Convention for only $5
2012
$39.95 for the complete kit.
Includes the leadership booklet, 2 t-shirts, whistle,
tote bag and media kit.