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When the Kids Don’t – or Won’t – Go to Church

When the Kids Don’t – or Won’t – Go to Church. Adult Faith Enrichment Church of St. Joan of Arc, Marlton NJ Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Pedata Hall. Why are you here tonight?. What does it feel like?. On Your Notecard:. A. Why are young people not coming to church ?

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When the Kids Don’t – or Won’t – Go to Church

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  1. When the Kids Don’t – or Won’t – Go to Church Adult Faith Enrichment Church of St. Joan of Arc, Marlton NJ Tuesday, November 19, 2013 Pedata Hall

  2. Why are you here tonight?

  3. What does it feel like?

  4. On Your Notecard: • A. Why are young people not coming to church? • B. One thing the Church can do to bring young people back?

  5. Rise of the “Nones” • 1 in 5 Americans: without religious affiliation

  6. Typical “None”: • (Non-Hispanic) White • Male • Not Poor • College Education • Northeast • Single

  7. “Catholics who leave, leave early.” • Of Catholics who leave the Church, 79% left by age 23

  8. Catholics who leave and become Protestant: • 71% “My spiritual needs were not being met.” • 70% “I found a religion I liked more.” • 21% “Sexual abuse scandal.” • 3% “Separation of divorce.”

  9. Catholics who leave and are now unaffiliated • 71% “Just gradually drifted away.” • 65% “Stopped believing in the religion’s teachings.” • 27% “Sexual abuse scandal.” • 3% “Separation or divorce.”

  10. Catholics who leave and are now unaffiliated • 42% Don’t believe in God/most religious teachings • 33% Have not found the right religion

  11. Catholic Marriages: • 1972: • 415,487 Catholics got married • 2010: • 168,400 Catholics got married

  12. Mass Attendance by Age: • Builders 65+ 45% • Boomers 47-64 20% • Gen X 26-46 13% • Millennials18-25 10%

  13. History of Catholicism in the United States: • They’ve come; build it! • Build it and they will come! • They’re not coming!

  14. Random Observations • Mine: • 1. We live in another “Age of Abraham” • 2. Mother’s Day isn’t working • 3. Faith is “a good idea” • 4. All religions are the same

  15. 5. Want to do good things   • 6. No connection between “believing in God” and “worshipping God” • 7. Why church?

  16. From Others: • 1. Find the church judgmental/exclusive • 2. Bothered by perceived hypocrisy • 3. Too focused on rules • 4. Thumbs up on Pope Francis • 5. They are service oriented … short term

  17. 6. Do not want us to condescend to them • 7. When talking morals, do not preach “from on high” • 8. Don’t treat them like aliens: They are human beings   • 9. They want a safe place to question life and God and faith • 10. Want the church to be “relatable”

  18. 11. Sunday experience has been “boring,” disconnected with life • 12. Want a succinct message about Jesus Christ, his life, and how it can help people live in today’s world • 13. Do not want to hear politics in the pulpit • 14. More difficult to “believe” in a rational, technological, scientific age

  19. 15. “Spiritual, but not religious”

  20. Tried and Tired

  21. What can we conclude? • Cultural Catholicism is dead or dying. • Cannot assume they will “coming back” • “Old way” of “finding/making/keeping” Catholic Christians is over. • Normal isn’t normal anymore

  22. What can we do?

  23. A. Pray… … like St. Monica … with persistence

  24. … like Pope Francis: “ I respect the conscience of each one of you.”

  25. B. Live the Faith • More Joy/Gratitude • Leave the Judging to God • Welcoming: especially at Mass • Intentional Discipleship

  26. C. Learn the Faith • Why are you Christian? Why are you Catholic? • What is your image of God – does it match Jesus’? • Why do you go to Mass? Confession? • Why do you do good? • Do you know “the great story of Jesus Christ”?

  27. D. Share the Faith • “There is no evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the Kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, are not proclaimed.” (Paul VI)

  28. Can you say “Jesus” ?

  29. R U ATPOLWOWBE? • Able • To • Pray • Out • Loud • Without • Being • Embarrassed?

  30. E. Use Communicable Moments (CM) • Find the right moment • Ask questions to learn, not to interrogate • Listen to them (like Pope Francis) • Weddings • Receiving Communion • Godparent/Sponsor Issues • Other Moments?

  31. F. Create a New Normal • Historically: 3 Types of Catholics: • Needy Consumers • Compliant Consumers • Demanding Consumers • Let’s Move From Membership to Discipleship • 12 Catholic Normals

  32. G. Do Parish Differently • Now: • The “12 Normals” • Christmas • Separated/Divorced • Confirmation • How to Plan a Catholic Funeral • How to Get Married in the Catholic Church • Parish Lenten Mission

  33. Coming Up: • Evaluation/Examination of All Sacraments • How Do We Do Sunday?

  34. Primary Sources: • Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life • Forming Intentional Disciples: The Path to Knowing and Following Jesus, Sherry Weddell • Rebuilt: Awakening the Faithful, Reaching the Lost, Making Church Matter, Michael White and Tom Corcoran

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