Just this past Sunday a couple visited our church. They still go to our former church (spiritual formation/transformation church). We were once in a small group together, and we really enjoyed time with this couple. They have two children who are getting old enough to go to the youth group. I commend these parents, they are involved with their children and followed them to the youth group. This is where they have discovered enough problems to begin a church search just to see what else is out there. The complaints I have heard are that the message and all the activities don’t always make any sense. Things are disjointed, and the gospel is not clearly being taught through the activities and fluff. There are so many distractions. Apparently, one Sunday, the youth minister was speaking and there was a video playing in the background. It was people falling, crashing into things, and getting hurt. The mother could see no reason for this, and thought it wasn’t funny at all. The parents have also complained that the youth room is often littered with trash because these teens will not use proper manners and clean up after themselves. I recall the youth didn’t go to their church time with bibles and the girls often wore inappropriate clothing. Rarely, were teens ever in “big church” with the adults. We are so happy we are no longer there, it sounds like it is as bad as I thought.
I am so giddy, and I have high hopes. I love to see people leave that environment. I spoke to my pastor when I saw them at church, and let him know our past with this couple. He knows many people have left that church including our family. He’s always seeing people visit from my former church. He commented something like this, “you’d think they’d try to figure out what they are doing is wrong since they are bleeding out.” Yeah, you’d think.
I am a C...I am a CH...I am a CHRISTIAN 
I love the heart of your blog today. I actually was a youth minister at a church that was bleeding out. To a certain extent I had no control over why many left or wouldn’t stick around, but completely understand where these parents are coming from. We as youth pastors sometimes do things that catch peoples attention but forget what we are really there for. There is a fine line in our society with everyone requiring to be entertained all the time on getting people to show up an educating and growing with them.
Some churches just seem to be content and unwilling to change to not bleed out. If you ever find an answer or a way to help those in that situation let me know. I tried for over a year to no avail.
people leave because it is NOT backed by God HIMSELF!!! NONE OF THESE CHURCHES HAVE GODS BACKING!!! Because they do not teach what the Bible REALLY teaches.
You treat Christianity like it’s a shopping mall. “We don’t go to that mall anymore …” You’re a cultural relativist.
And you must not read very well. Stayed as long as I could manage, left when I needed to. Not at all a church shopper, not at all a cultural relativist. But, why tell you that, a troll will troll no matter what I say.