An astronomical number of Christian young people are leaving the faith after they leave the nest. A recent New LifeWay Research survey shows that two-thirds of Christian youth stop attending church for at least a year between the ages of 18 and 22.

A study from the Assemblies of God shows that “at least half and possibly over two-thirds of Christian young people will step away from the faith while attending a non-Christian college or university.” A similar study from the Southern Baptist Convention “indicates that they are currently losing 70-88% of their youth after their freshman year in college.”

In her recent book, Mama Bear Apologetics, Hillary Morgan Ferrer offers a somber reality when it comes to our Christian teens and twenty-somethings: “Most studies indicate between 45%-48% of youth leave the church after their freshman year in college and never return.” (pg. 27)

If the massive youth exodus we are experiencing in the church doesn’t concern us as parents, it should.

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