Church Attendance & the Idea of Mentorship for Young Adults & Teens
 |
| via stock photos, teens side-by-side |
You've probably seen a few videos or reels showing today's young people acting-- to be frank-- quite stupid. From thinking Bach was a 1970s rock band to hoping for a visit to the Redwood Forest located in Australia. We shake our heads and conclude that our world is going to a brainless hell.
But let's not write off the future quite so fast, and the church may be just the place to give you some encouragement. According to Gitnux.org, teenagers are going to church today at a pleasantly surprising rate. The study found that 78% of youth who have experienced mentorship programs attend church weekly, as much as three time per week. The term "mentorship programs" is not specified, but we know the main component is a spiritual mentor. Could there be a connection between having spiritual direction with a devoted, godly, compassionate adult at a personal level and going to church? There's no argument here -- absolutely! We'll show up for church to find someone who is praying for us, taking the time to get to know us, will listen to us, and teach and guide us to draw closer to God. Who wouldn't? More about what a mentor is in a moment, because we need to think about what's really stronger, the mentorship or the attendance?
Of course, it could be argued that youth who attend as often as three times per week are just more likely to acquire a mentor. Frequent fliers get perks. Makes sense. Just to dig a little more, what about the sporadic attendees? They shouldn't bother? "We'll get serious when you get serious" is the process we lean on? Is this an example of a young person seeing the fruit of their good works or reaping what they sow?
Will a young nineteen-year-old continue to attend a church where he or she has no spiritual mentor? In looking at the flip side of this study, no, not as often anyway. The Gitnux research expands, claiming that young people who continued regular attendance without a mentor dropped to 49%. So, almost 30% of young people without a mentor won't be seen walking back through the church doors too often.
Barna.com adds more details through their own research. They claim that Gen Z young people are attending church more than Millennials and more than Gen Z's Gen X parents. Even more than their Baby boomer grandparents! Gen Z's are the first generation to exceed in church attendance compared to the older generations, and those that continue have a spiritual mentor.
So, they need our help. How, exactly? What is a spiritual mentor? A spiritual mentor is anyone who has received God's grace of salvation through Jesus Christ and is perceived by a young person to be a steadfast, available, and godly leader, friend, and safe haven. This person may be a discipleship group leader, a Bible teacher, one of Mom or Dad's friends, a next-door neighbor, a college professor, an aunt or uncle, a boss, and on and on. Whoever or wherever this mentorship develops from, the "program" should continue within the church building, where critical fellowship is blessed. Therefore, the connection does not need to start in a church setting, but it should be maintained and cultivated in one. Keeping this within the standards and confines of required church procedures decreases the availability of desperately needed mentors. But mentorship still requires discipline to stay in God's word, to submit to the Holy Spirit, and to apply biblical guidance and prayer to daily life. Mentorship begins with having compassion like the heart of Christ followed with a hunger to exalt the freeing truth of Jesus' gift and the love of God.
If this isn't a system started in the church, it can still take root in the church, which is most likely how these relationships and church attendance are thriving.
The Process for the Program
How can they thrive? An ideal mentorship program begins with a mentor answering a call to minister to a young person. (We should be ready for God to guide us to just one young person and not overlook the one in preparation for many.) After forming a trustworthy relationship with Christ at the center, a mentor prays for the young person and sees to it that church is a priority.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16
A mentor should meet the young person at church, sit with them during service, bring a latte for them and find a trendy sofa (popular in churches today) to sit and share a laugh and current happenings. Lunch after church, a scheduled coffee during the week to discuss the sermon, introductions to friends at the church, helping them to get plugged in with other young people, and getting to know the immediate family and their needs -- keep them coming! This is the real safe haven where they will find truth.
Securing the opportunity to provide godly mentorship should be followed by the mentor securing an accountability mentor to the mentor. Mentors need to be held accountable, and seasoned mentors know how to direct mentors to stay in the Bible, to stay righteous, and to reflect Christ in mentoring.
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17
This is a mentorship program. There are no excuses for not taking the time to care for our young people because we didn't sign up for the ministry whose meetings have already started. If we see that our neighbor in her young 20s is receiving no spiritual guidance, step forward.
While we all are to reflect Jesus and have compassion, we are not all called to the same ministry of mentoring young adults or teens.
But there are two ways we as adults can begin to be a part of this. For our own children who are Gen Z young adults, we must pray continuously, asking God to provide our children with a spiritually filled mentor. Someone in addition to parents is needed for our children to learn from. We pray for a mentor to come and for God to equip the mentor with strength, courage, and obedience in stepping up to mentor our children.
Secondly, we must pray and act together as a church to be prepared for the youth and young adults God places in our lives. We are instructed to do so.
Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:30
Do I have a spiritual mentor? Do I have a younger neighbor who has one or needs one?
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; 1 Peter 3:15
If the research is correct, we're in a cushiony spot for ministry to fall right in our hands. Be ready.
My resources:
New Barna Data: Young Adults Lead a Resurgence in Church Attendance
https://www.barna.com/research/young-adults-lead-resurgence-in-church-attendance/
Youth Ministry Statistics 2026 | 130+ Verified Stats
https://gitnux.org/youth-ministry-statistics/