I have followed Jesus for over a decade since my college years. My mother significantly influenced my faith in the Lord. Initially compelled by her, my church attendance eventually became a willing choice.
I have previously attended two churches but now prefer my current congregation, where the pastor preaches faithfully from the Bible and the sermons are clear and easily understood. The believers get along well with each other. I have been a member for nine years, and the congregation remains the same crowd, comprising half young and half elderly members.
From my perspective, the youthfulness of a church's congregation is related to the pastor's age and the proportion of young believers. For example, in my church, the pastors are from the 1980s, and the serving staff are all young Christians, which helps to attract new seekers or believers.
Conversely, one of the reasons why young people may not attend church is that pastors are quite old, whose sermons fail to appeal to the young, lacking an understanding of their challenges and preferences. Additionally, if the congregants are generally older, they may have few acquaintances with young people, let alone inviting them to church.
The reasons mentioned above are mainly objective, while the major subjective factors fall to the great pressure the young people face in their daily lives, less desire to participate in church gatherings and the prevalence of otaku culture.
One Christian man of my acquaintances, who used to serve in the choir, stopped joining church gatherings after getting married and becoming a father. With a monthly mortgage of 20,000 yuan to repay, he had no choice but to dedicate most of his time to earning a living.
As the economy continues to decline, numerous young people have lost their jobs and are facing challenging living conditions. Therefore, they are more inclined to spend time keeping their jobs rather than listening to sermons at church.
Fear has captured young people, diminishing their inner peace and driving them toward the online world, where they lose themselves in false pleasures. This pursuit has reduced their limited spare time, making them less inclined to join church gatherings.
Like a snail carrying a heavy shell, those young people find self-satisfaction in the virtual world and barely leave their house in the real world. Their wariness of exploring the outside world hinders their enthusiasm for church gatherings.
I attend services not because my family is well-off or due to my self-discipline. On the contrary, we live quite a frugal life as a family of four supported by my husband’s modest salary. Perhaps this lack drives me to hold on to God’s promises as tightly as possible.
Furthermore, I believe that a person's faithfulness is not determined by age or experience, but by their relationship with God. An elderly who has been a lukewarm believer throughout his or her life may not live a life of faithfulness. In contrast, an innocent child who willingly offers five loaves and two fish to God upon believing Him sets a devout example for us all.
In summary, if the church aims to attract more young people, it should gradually adapt the pastor’s sermons and service groups to a younger style or age. Additionally, the church should pay more attention to the young people’s economic pressure, providing work assistance, care, and prayers for their lives, which makes them desire to seek love and warmth in church. Finally, organizing more group activities can help alleviate the pressures of marriage and relationships for young individuals.
About the author: A 34-year-old full-time mother with two children holds an undergraduate degree in marketing and having experience as a reporter, editor, copywriter, and in new media and publicity.
(Originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission and the author is a Christian in Hainan Province.)
- Edited and Translated by Poppy Chan
从上大学开始，我信主十几年了。信主深受我妈影响，从被她的逼去聚会到自愿去教会。
我换过两家教会，目前所在的教会我很喜欢，牧者按照圣经真理讲道，内容条理清晰，通俗易懂，弟兄姊妹也相处愉快。我在这里九年了，聚会的还是那群人，一半年轻一半年老。
我认为教会信徒群体是否年轻化，跟牧者是否年轻、年轻信徒群体比例多少有关。比如我们教会牧者是八零后，服侍的弟兄姊妹都是青年组，更容易吸引年轻慕道友或者信徒来教会。
反过来讲，年轻人不去教会，原因之一可能是牧者年纪偏大，讲道内容难以吸引年轻人，不能体会年轻人面临的时代困境和喜好。另外则是信徒们整体年龄偏大，认识的年轻人寥寥无几，更别说带上年轻人一起上教会了。
以上是客观原因，主观原因是年轻人生存压力大，去教会聚会的主观意愿不强烈，以及宅男宅女文化盛行等占据大半原因。
我认识的一位弟兄，以前参与诗班服侍，结婚生子就没有去聚会了，因为他每个月有两万的贷款要还，他不得不把时间花在赚钱上。
现行经济越来越萧条，许多年轻人失去了工作，生存状况受到挑战时，他们更倾向于花时间保住工作而不是去教会听讲道。
恐惧将年轻人抓住了，失去了内心的平安。他们就被网络世界吸引，在虚假的快感里放空自己，这导致他们本就为数不多的空闲时间缩水，所以去教会聚会的主观意愿并不强烈。
虚拟世界自我满足，现实世界足不出户，他们如同一个背着笨重壳的蜗牛，对探索这个世界充满了警惕，阻碍了他们去教会聚会的热情。
我去教会的原因，并不是我们家境尚可，也非我自律，相反，靠先生薄薪养活一家四口，日子清贫。也许正是因为缺乏，我才想要极力抓住神的应许。
另外，我认为一个人是否敬虔，不在乎年龄，也不在乎阅历，而在乎他和神的关系。 当了一辈子不温不火的信徒，他的年纪可能很大，但不一定能活出敬虔的生命来。相反，一个单纯的孩子在信主的那一刻，愿意拿出仅有的五饼二鱼奉献给神，给我们做了敬虔的榜样。
总结以上，倘若希望更多年轻人来教会，牧者的讲道和服侍群体应该逐渐年轻化；其次，我们需要更多关注年轻人的经济压力，提供工作援助，关心并为他们的生活祷告。最后，多组织一些年轻人的集体活动，缓解他们的婚恋压力。
（作者简介：34岁，育有两娃，大学本科，市场营销专业，担任过记者编辑、文案新媒体等宣传工作，目前是全职妈妈。）
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系海南一名基督徒。
90后全职宝妈谈“年轻人为何不去教会？”
I have followed Jesus for over a decade since my college years. My mother significantly influenced my faith in the Lord. Initially compelled by her, my church attendance eventually became a willing choice.
I have previously attended two churches but now prefer my current congregation, where the pastor preaches faithfully from the Bible and the sermons are clear and easily understood. The believers get along well with each other. I have been a member for nine years, and the congregation remains the same crowd, comprising half young and half elderly members.
From my perspective, the youthfulness of a church's congregation is related to the pastor's age and the proportion of young believers. For example, in my church, the pastors are from the 1980s, and the serving staff are all young Christians, which helps to attract new seekers or believers.
Conversely, one of the reasons why young people may not attend church is that pastors are quite old, whose sermons fail to appeal to the young, lacking an understanding of their challenges and preferences. Additionally, if the congregants are generally older, they may have few acquaintances with young people, let alone inviting them to church.
The reasons mentioned above are mainly objective, while the major subjective factors fall to the great pressure the young people face in their daily lives, less desire to participate in church gatherings and the prevalence of otaku culture.
One Christian man of my acquaintances, who used to serve in the choir, stopped joining church gatherings after getting married and becoming a father. With a monthly mortgage of 20,000 yuan to repay, he had no choice but to dedicate most of his time to earning a living.
As the economy continues to decline, numerous young people have lost their jobs and are facing challenging living conditions. Therefore, they are more inclined to spend time keeping their jobs rather than listening to sermons at church.
Fear has captured young people, diminishing their inner peace and driving them toward the online world, where they lose themselves in false pleasures. This pursuit has reduced their limited spare time, making them less inclined to join church gatherings.
Like a snail carrying a heavy shell, those young people find self-satisfaction in the virtual world and barely leave their house in the real world. Their wariness of exploring the outside world hinders their enthusiasm for church gatherings.
I attend services not because my family is well-off or due to my self-discipline. On the contrary, we live quite a frugal life as a family of four supported by my husband’s modest salary. Perhaps this lack drives me to hold on to God’s promises as tightly as possible.
Furthermore, I believe that a person's faithfulness is not determined by age or experience, but by their relationship with God. An elderly who has been a lukewarm believer throughout his or her life may not live a life of faithfulness. In contrast, an innocent child who willingly offers five loaves and two fish to God upon believing Him sets a devout example for us all.
In summary, if the church aims to attract more young people, it should gradually adapt the pastor’s sermons and service groups to a younger style or age. Additionally, the church should pay more attention to the young people’s economic pressure, providing work assistance, care, and prayers for their lives, which makes them desire to seek love and warmth in church. Finally, organizing more group activities can help alleviate the pressures of marriage and relationships for young individuals.
About the author: A 34-year-old full-time mother with two children holds an undergraduate degree in marketing and having experience as a reporter, editor, copywriter, and in new media and publicity.
(Originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission and the author is a Christian in Hainan Province.)
- Edited and Translated by Poppy Chan
Why Young People Avoid Church: Insights From Millennial Full-Time Mother
