YOUNG ADULTS : DROPO UT? TECH CHURCH PASTOR S CONVER SION PARENT S YM CULTUR E BRAIN

MoralisticTherapeuticDeism

REVIEW Our Conversion Story, when we rightly understand it, and rightly communicate it, becomes the strategy God wants to use to extend His kingdom. Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses … when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.”

MAIN QUESTION Does your church have a plan for making disciples of its members? Does it have a well-designed, well-communicated, intently pursued plan for making disciples?

DISSUADED FROM DROPOUT? (1) If you had a proven plan for your spiritual growth to take place this next year? (2) If the Bible was explained to you and taught behind the pulpit and in your small group? (3) If the people in your church were all deeply and seriously committed to your church body and to you? (4) If there was a vision matched by well thought out plans for reaching out to the community for the sake of Jesus Christ?

ESSENTIAL MODEL Simplify —develop a clear structure and process for making disciples, Deepen —provide strong, biblical teaching and preaching, Expectation —have an attitude that communicates to its members that they must be committed to the local congregation, and Multiply —have an outward focus and be driven to reach people for Christ (start new churches!)

GOD’S WILL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION Deuteronomy 6 2 so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the L ORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Judges 1 8 Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the L ORD, died… 10 After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the L ORD nor what he had done for Israel. 11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the L ORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the L ORD, the God of their ancestors,… Psalm 78:1-8 We will not hide them from their descendants; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done …he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children. Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget his deeds but would keep his commands.

I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST (1) The dropout problem is a naturally inherited problem from our spiritual grandparents. (2) The dropout problem is not just a youth problem, but an entire church problem. (3) Young adults might be leaving for good reasons. Be missionaries to our youth in their culture!

INTRO SUMMARY There isn’t ONE factor when we research the dropout problem or faith defection. Problem: Young adults, after graduating High School, are (1) not interested in keeping up the habit of attending church, (2) have much their spiritual energy fade, and (3) lack a faith that is consequential.

NOTE The greatest influences in young adult lives are those of adults, most specifically, the parents.

YOUNG ADULTS: DROPO UT? TECHNOL OGY IDOLS CHURCH WARS: TRAD VS. EMERG WEAK PASTORIN G INCOMPLE TE CONVERSI ONS “FAKE” CHRISTIA N PARENTS POOR YM EXPERIEN CE FAST- PACED CULTURE LATE BRAIN DEVELOP’ T

A FRAMEWORK FOR MINISTRY TO FAMILIES 1. Shared Wisdom 2. The Intergenerational Golden Rule 3. Parental Discipleship 4. Plan, Pray, Repeat 5. The Earlier the Better 6. Faith Talk Regularly (Back Seat Theology) 7. Adult Support (5:1) 8. Enemy Awareness and Cultural Engagement 9. Do Your Part, Let God Do His 10. Biblical Teaching 11. Identity Formation 12. Their Choice

YOUNG ADULTS: DROPO UT? LACK INTIMACY CHURCH ILLUSION QUESTION AUTHORIT Y INCOMPLE TE HALF ALIVE STILLBOR N FUN- BASED CULTURE CAUGHT LATE BRAIN DEVELOP’ T

Simplify —the Church develops a clear structure and process for making disciples (1) Parental discipleship and training in sharing their faith; Deepen —the Church provides strong biblical teaching and preaching (2) Providing intentional guided space and time for young people to claim the Name of Jesus Christ for themselves; Expect —the church has an attitude that communicates to its members that they must be committed to the local congregation (3) Structuring the entire local church’s vision of having “Eternal Life” as a “Family of God” identity and experience; the expectation is for you to be a disciple of Jesus! Multiply —the church has an outward focus, driven to reach people for Christ and starting new churches -- (Rainer and Rainer 2008, 21) (4) Providing tools and training in spiritual warfare as “behind the wall” tactic for infiltration in our culture and being on the offensive for the Kingdom of God. IN SUMMARY

FOR EVERY GRADE

 The kids learn the Lord’s prayer and  explore what it means.  At the end of the lessons, kids recite the prayer by memory.

 During Sunday School students start to learn the basic idea of the gospel.  Families work with their kids to understand this concept over dinner conversations designed by our Children’s Ministry team.

Introduce a milestone that helps train parents and kids about the importance of reading the Word of God.  At the beginning of the year, parents attend a class on the importance of teaching and reading the Bible to their kids and helping their kids start to read their own Bibles.  Then during the following Sunday service, families are brought forward and the parents are given Bibles by the pastors.  The parents then hand the Bible to their own kids and make a promise in front of the church to teach them and read them the Word of God.  Then throughout the school year, kids are encouraged to bring their Bibles to Sunday School so that they can learn how to read and learn from them.

 Parents and kids attend a special class that teaches kids the meaning of communion.  Then at a special ceremony during worship, parents serve their kids communion for the first time.

 Kids learn the meaning of the “law” and what the 10 Commandments are in the context of a Sunday School class.  At the end of the year, they recite the 10 commandments by memory.

 Each family receives Luther’s Small Catechism as kids start to learn the meaning of their faith and what the Apostle’s Creed means with their families.

 Being raised in a Lutheran church, during this time kids start to learn why Martin Luther was important to our faith tradition through special classes on Martin Luther.

 Each student receives a new Bible as they enter Confirmation/Middle School ministry

 After the student has gone through the 2 years of our Confirmation that trains them through scripture and theological discussion, they can be confirmed as members of the congregation.  On the Saturday before Confirmation [Easter?] Sunday, families are invited to celebrate their teen’s faith milestone at a special banquet (Seder?) dinner.  As a part of the banquet dinner, each teen is affirmed by their parent(s) in a public affirmation.  Then on Sunday, the confirmands are confirmed in front of their church community and prayed over by pastors, family, friends, and the community.

 Placing each new high school teen into a discipleship group that would last for the rest of high school.

 Offering a spiritual gifts class that would help teens discern his or her S.H.A.P.E., how their spiritual gifts, heart, natural abilities, personality, and experience work together as God’s calling to serve.  We then work to place each student in roles in our church serving alongside other adults in our community.

 Building two spiritual retreats into the year that encourage students to recharge during their craziest year of high school, as well as  help train them in deeper spiritual disciplines and prepare for their senior year and beyond.

 Creating a monthly class for seniors to help them think through their spiritual life after high school.  At the end of the year, students are asked to invite friends and family to a barbeque celebration honoring all seniors.  During this time, seniors thank friends and family for helping them develop as a Christian, and seniors are invited to share the testimonies of their spiritual journeys.  On the following Sunday, the church community commissions students into the next phase of their spiritual life in a special ceremony.

FOR EVERY GRADE See also "Milestones" by Brian Haynes,

FOR EVERY GRADE 11 Transition Prayers; 2 Milestones of Faith; Teaching 4th graders to Risk; Rite of Passage Rituals (here you go); 3 Anxiety in the In-Between Stages of Our Lives; 4 Sixth and Ninth-Grade Blessing Ceremonies; 5 What You Need to Know About Faith in College; 6 How Do I See Myself After Graduation?; 7 Vision Plans; 8 Grad Gift Bibles with a Twist; 9 The Jacket; 10 Emergency Response Plans; 11 How Can My Struggles Help My Faith Stick?; 12 Sticky Faith Story about Confirmation +this post about Confirmation, + this one with more ideas! 13 What You Need to Know about Life After Youth Group;Transition Prayers2Milestones of FaithTeaching 4th graders to Riskhere you go3Anxiety in the In-Between Stages of Our Lives4Sixth and Ninth-Grade Blessing Ceremonies5What You Need to Know About Faith in College6 How Do I See Myself After Graduation?7Vision Plans8Grad Gift Bibles with a Twist9 The Jacket10Emergency Response Plans11How Can My Struggles Help My Faith Stick?12Sticky Faith Story about Confirmationthis post about Confirmationthis one with more ideas13What You Need to Know about Life After Youth Group 1414 Sticky Faith Deployed; 15 Grad Summer Ideas; +senior retreat +church visit field trips; 16 How Can I Find a New Church?; 17 How Can I Manage My Life After High School? 18 Out of the Nest; 19 College Transition Packages;Sticky Faith Deployed15Grad Summer Ideassenior retreatchurch visit field trips16How Can I Find a New Church?17How Can I Manage My Life After High School?18Out of the Nest19College Transition Packages 2020 Don’t Send Them Off Without Leads!Don’t Send Them Off Without Leads! - See more at: season#sthash.NAZLKFoc.dpuf

DISSUADED FROM DROPOUT? (1) If you had A PROVEN PLAN for your spiritual growth to take place this next year? (2) If the BIBLE was EXPLAINED TO YOU and taught behind the pulpit and in your small group? (3) If the people in your church were all DEEPLY and SERIOUSLY committed to your church body AND TO YOU? (4) If there was a vision matched by well thought out plans for REACHING OUT to the community for the sake of Jesus Christ?

IDEAS TO END ON 1.The ALPHA Course (Intentional Jesus-Hospitality) 2.Tweaked BIBLE QUIZZING Program 3.OHIO CU Missions Trips 4.Expected Discipleship Training Program in every church

IDEAS TO END ON 1.The ALPHA Course (Intentional Jesus-Hospitality) 2.Tweaked BIBLE QUIZZING Program 3.All State Missions Trips 4.Expected Discipleship Training Program in every church 5.Rolling Youth Church Camp 6.All Church Rites of Passage (as seen) 7.Youth Mentor 5:1 Catechism/Bar Barakah/PTP 8.Bible Story: Paint My Kitchen Ministry

THANK YOU! +kentkessler slideshare.net/kkkessler iamkentkessler /in/kentkessler