The Biggest Reason Why Kids Don't Attend Church

Let me get straight to the point. Why are so many kids not attending church?

The biggest reason is this - their parents are not attending church.

Kids don't drive themselves to church. Their parents bring them and so when parents don't attend church, neither do their children.

Millennials are the young parents in your community. And Millennials are walking away from the church. For them, not attending church is not big deal.

According to research data from George Barna, church attendance is the lowest in recent history, and most drastic among Millennials (22-to-35-year-olds).

Only 2 in 10 Americans under 30 believe attending a church is important or worthwhile (an all-time low).

59 percent of Millennials raised in a church have dropped out.

35 percent of Millennials have an anti-church stance, believing the church does more harm than good.

Millennials are the least likely age group of anyone to attend church (by far).

So how can we turn this around? How can we reach Millennial parents? How can we help Millennials see the importance of taking their children to a local church?

Give them a voice. Millennials want to be part of shaping the future of the church. Give them opportunities to lead and serve.

Show them the money. Millennials have been told to give 10% of their income to the church. But the Millennial generation doesn't trust institutions. They have seen the financial corruption that sometimes gets into the church. They want to see where their tithe goes and the impact it is making.

Mentor them. Relationships are a big deal to Millennials. They want someone who will walk through the tough parts of life with them instead of just "preaching" at them.

Let them lead. Millennials want to make a difference. They want to be part of a movement that will change the world. Give them these opportunities. Make your church a place where kids love to be. You want to get to the point where kids are dragging their parents to church instead of the opposite. If we don't reach the next generation of parents and their children, our churches will eventually have to close their doors for good. Look at churches across the country and you will only see a handful of young parents scattered in most churches. The biggest majority of adults who attend church have grey hair.

Now don't get me wrong. A healthy church will have all generations represented. But if the generations who are the future of the church are scare, then our churches are in a perilous situation. Why will 8-year-old Ryan not be at church this weekend? Because his parents thought being at the lake is a better option. Why will Brad and Jessica not be participating in the parent & child dedication service with their new baby? Because they haven't been at church and don't even know about the opportunity. Why will Luke not go to camp this summer? Because his parents have him on a traveling baseball team and they will be out of town that weekend. Why will Zach and Teresa not bring their baby to church this weekend? Because it's a lot easier to just stay at home and watch it online. Why will Todd and Janet be at church this weekend? Because it is Easter weekend and it's the thing they do once a year. The slide is happening rapidly with the Millennial generation. Here is what I mean...

• Millennial parents don't make church a priority. They attend somewhat consistently. Maybe once or twice a month.

• Their children (Gen Z) only attend Christmas and Easter services.

• The children of Gen Z do not attend church at all.

If you want to reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha children with the Gospel, then you must also focus on reaching their Millennial parents.

It's as simple as this - no young parents = no children = no future.