Rob, (2/2/2008 1:35:06 AM)

Yes, the article is accurate. Churches often do not teach the word. To much time is spent on repetition and ceremony.
I have had many young people tell me that they do not need church because they don't drink, don't smoke, and are not gay. Those issues have absolutely nothing to do with understanding the Christian walk. It is amazing that people think that is what its all about. The "church" overall has done a poor job of conveying their message.

DebbA, tulsa (2/2/2008 2:16:54 AM)

A lot of it has to do with many finding spirituality on other opaths. The rise of non-christian religions is growing. nature based religions such as paganism, wicca, & others are gaining foothold. Many are dissatisfied with the teachings & sickened by the hypocrisy of the Christian church. Many are finding peace in other ways.

The Oracle, Tulsa (2/2/2008 4:54:36 AM)

We must all worship in spirit and truth.Anything else is just entertainment.The so-called contemporary worship is just entertainment.The Reverends have created their own little kingdoms on earth and beg for money.When the money machine slows down then the Reverends have a convenient "revelation."Each one is preaching his own gospel.

becky, miami (2/2/2008 6:20:32 AM)

I have become dissatisfied with 'church as usual'. It is increasingly difficult to find a church where God's Word is preached in total. Too many cutesy stories are told; ears are 'tickled' by opinion, rather than scripture. I don't need to be entertained in church; I want to study the Bible, led by people who want to study the Bible. I am tired of the so-called leaders of the church who seem to be there for their own benefit and power. I would like to go to a church that truly welcomes ALL people, rich or poor, dirty or clean, lost or saved, without looking down on each other. I'm so tired of the 'churchified' people who put on such a false front while within the walls of the church, but behave like the rest of the world outside the walls.

Sheppard, Greenville (2/2/2008 6:25:15 AM)

This trend is quite varied in its causes- some of the ones that pop to mind are: the dumbing down of many young people. (Have you tried to actually listen to adverage young adult? The vacuous nature of both main line protestantism and the tired, shallow charismatics. Many of today's preachers live for the t.v. It is embarresing to watch their pulpiteering tactics. Most are just bad actors. Lastly, and probably the most important, there has been a long surge in the break down of cherished traditions in this country- not just religion. Read a boof titled "Bowling Alone" that woke me up to this terrifying trend.

a, tulsa (2/2/2008 6:41:15 AM)

Or maybe its the 'smarting up' of young people. I do listen to young people, nearly every day, and I like them. Maybe this generation will be the one that stops the wholesale acceptance of religion, finally.

sls, (2/2/2008 7:24:58 AM)

I quit going to church along time ago. It is boring and the part when they shake everyones hands..it is so fake. No one really wants to welcome someone in the church. All they want to do is to be with their own click. I just don't feel welcome. I am looking for a small size non-denominational church but that is hard to find..all you see is mega churches. I can't imagine what people see in going to a mega size church.

Mark, Tulsa (2/2/2008 8:03:27 AM)

When we water down the message from God's Word and give people "4 points for myself esteem" and go home, you will see these results. I believe this article to be accurate.

Until the church returns to the core doctrine with relevant application I see this downtrend continue. People can go to a gym and get help if they need it, but spiritually, only the Truth taught to the heart can truly heal a person. (forgiveness, there is but one God, sin is real, we really are as bad as we think) Prosperity I think factors in...when there are long periods of no war and prosperity, frankly, it's human nature for people to ask "why do i need God". The economy downturn will remind people life does not consist of how many possessions, but that life is a gift in which you have one shot at pleasing the God of the universe.

R.D., Tulsa (2/2/2008 8:07:53 AM)

Thank God! Hopefully they can start thinking for themselves and not have to be told what the church thinks is good or evil.
Tyranny of the mind is a horrible thing.They have spent seven years of their lives being told this president is a Christian and he sure has killed a lot of people as president and as a governor of Texas. Oh well, he is a christian is must be OK then.

BM, Tulsa, (2/2/2008 8:22:32 AM)

I vote for church of the TW bloggs. FDF, Gail, Debra and Suz can be the leaders. Drinking, cussing and lying is accepted and encouraged. If anyone is interested, please sign up for The Wannabe Lubbers Club.

Hey, where did TW get the picture of that old lady with the thumbs up? Isn't that Gail?

Jason O'Brien, Sapulpa (2/2/2008 8:32:37 AM)

The Oracle (#3) hit the nail on the head about the so-called contemporary worship. People like myself who cherish the old hymns and feel that God inhabits them are labeled as backwards and unwilling to find a deeper relationship with God which can be found only through a constant evolution of worship methods. I am a Protestant who attends a Catholic Mass every now and again so I can actually hear God talk to me! Contemporary worship, while it may be for some people, is for me, sound fury signifying nothing and if anything it repels me from congregations that practice it (and lest ye think that I am an elderly person, I'm 32) which pretty much means I'm increasingly out of luck in the Protestant world. And to those who think that religion is the abode of the uneducated and unintelligent incapable of free thought, you are definitely entitled to your opinion, as haughty and arrogant as it might be.

JR, Tulsa (2/2/2008 8:37:46 AM)

The Bible says what it says. It doesn't change. So why do the churches think they need to change to fit the fickled society they preach to. The Bible is basically a set of rules and you either abide or not. People need to be taught, not make up their minds in ignorance. Judgmental, yes, that's what we measure conduct by. Relevant, you bet. If more people following the Bible's teachings, we'd have no crime problems, no need for gangs, and the family unit would still be the rules instead of the exception. It is our "anti-rule" society that is out of step, not the Book.

JR, Tulsa (2/2/2008 8:37:49 AM)

The Bible says what it says. It doesn't change. So why do the churches think they need to change to fit the fickled society they preach to. The Bible is basically a set of rules and you either abide or not. People need to be taught, not make up their minds in ignorance. Judgmental, yes, that's what we measure conduct by. Relevant, you bet. If more people following the Bible's teachings, we'd have no crime problems, no need for gangs, and the family unit would still be the rules instead of the exception. It is our "anti-rule" society that is out of step, not the Book.

Zeke, (2/2/2008 8:38:03 AM)

I think the younger generation has had it with the contemporary/purpose driven/rock and roll services. We have experimented with all this stuff for the last 25 years, and where has it gotten us? I have two sons who went to these so called "cutting edge contemporary" style churches and got fed up with 5 step sermons and ten ways to bring happiness sermons. 40 days of this and 40 days of that. They were always on a 40 day quest for something new. Most of these 40 days things were simply pushing a best selling book, and then trying to do what the book said. What they found was that most of these churches use the Bible to fit their theology, not the other way around. And most of them use the Bible very little. They now go to highly liturgical churches where there is a sense of reverence in sanctuary and frequent use of scripture. The preachers preach from the Revised Common Lectionary were there is a sense of unity in the message. And by using the RCL, they go through the entire Bible in a three year period. They tell me they now hear expository sermons instead of topical messages.
The young people are looking for something with meaning. What this article doesn't address is that most people any more are "church hoppers". We get our fill for 12-18 months and then move on to get a fix somewhere else. Why would you expect young people to be in church where they see the boomers and the older folks switching churches every 18 months?
I've been in churches that have thousands of dollars of projection and computer stuff. I've been in the churches where there is drama and dancing. I've been in churches where they sway and move in their attempt to prove they are filled with the Holy Spirit. But these places are shallow for me. Wonder if Jesus would approve the massive outlay of funds for all this video, computer, and audio equipment in our churches? We fill our "auditoriums" (can't call them sanctuaries any more), with nothing but the latest toys. All this money would feed a lot of poor folks. Where is the simplicity of the Gospel these days? The younger generation sure isn't seeing it from my generation.

Sc, Tulsa (2/2/2008 9:02:54 AM)

I used to search for religious meaning. I used to question. Then George Bush ascended the throne. I made up my mind. I don't believe that Jesus is the son of God. Religion is used to control the masses. It has been used to justify monstrous crimes, such as genecide against the Native Americans, slavery, war and more war. It is used as a rational to dehumanize gays. All I have been hearing in the past 8 years is a line of intolerance and hypocrisy. I'm confused by people who at the same time support eliminating abortion because they say it is murder and supporting war and guns for everyone. There is no consistancy in the message. Who would Jesus bomb? Didn't Jesus talk more about helping the poor? Wasn't he inclusive? I was attracted to Christianity once, but not any more. 8 years ago I never would have said, "I'm not a Christian." But now I'm sure I am not.

Rob Searcy, Tulsa (2/2/2008 9:03:37 AM)

As God has been eliminated from our culture since the 1960's, succeeding generations have lost context for the answer many of our churches continue to offer. Without an understanding of the failure of the first Adam which broke the relationship with God, the need for the second Adam (Jesus) seems irrelevant. When the Gospel is shared with a foreign culture, we must fully explain Genesis 1-11 as the basis for the gift of Christ. Without it, there is no context for the hearer. Similarly the American church must do likewise.

tuff, (2/2/2008 9:07:43 AM)

I am a sinner. I am not proud of that fact. I have been a member of a church, still am. Been to a big church and a small church. I have tithed religously. Been on committees and in leadership positions. Wore jeans to services and ties and jackets. Liked the pastors and the deacons. And, sometimes did not like some of the pastors and the deacons. Found out sometimes it was important that we get out of church on Sunday early, so as to beat the other church's lunch crowd. Or we would get out early because the NFL/NASCAR was already in session.
So it got to be a strain and I don't go anymore. I still love JESUS. And lastly, business and ceremony got in the way as to why we were there. But I still love JESUS.

P.S. Here are some other things that made me not go back to church: award ceremonies, music first, television cameras, hollier than thou attitudes, "oh, you missed last Sunday! why?", "oh, you missed last wednesday! why?", and "now folks we need money to send our youth skiing", etc., but, I still love JESUS.

Things that I talk to my JESUS about is personal with me. He don't remind me every meeting that I am a sinner or that I missed a meeting or that I am sitting in the wrong pew. He don't give me a fake "good morning" or a "I'm better than you, look". My JESUS is kind, sincere, unselfish, forgiving, personal, strong, loving and so much more. Like I said, "church got to be a strain, so I don't go anymore. But I still love JESUS and he loves me,

ThomThe Rev. Alex Himaya, pastor of the Church at Battlecreek, s, Tulsa (2/2/2008 9:16:05 AM)

Many of these posts make the exact point of why church attendance is dropping. Church is a creation of man, with the rules, regulations, rituals, etc. Faith is from god. The modern fundamentalist church has become more of a political institution than anything else. The bible is so simple, and most churches today completely disregard many of Jesus' teachings because they mold their institution to fit their own political objectives.

The article says that :
The Rev. Alex Himaya, pastor of the Church at Battlecreek, said young Americans increasingly view church as judgmental, irrelevant and homophobic.

But, to be honest, most churches are! Gays are the new target of the religious right, and their dwindling attendance shows how misdirected their goals are.

Thom, Tulsa (2/2/2008 9:17:15 AM)

note: the above name line on my previous post was messed up as I pasted the text from the article into my post

Eric, (2/2/2008 9:39:59 AM)

20 somethings are just being kids longer. They are busy going to school, starting their careers, surfing the net, etc. 30 years ago, people this same age were already starting families.

I just turned 30, so I know what its like. I am finally starting a family and just recently slowed down enough to realize how much my family will need the blessings that God provides.

I suspect most people will start a new Church family, once they have their own.

Kenny, Tulsa (2/2/2008 9:42:12 AM)

Church on the Move and/or Guts church is where you will find teaching from the bible and non judgemental congregations. If you like a traditional chior then elsewhere will suit you. Guts has lead singer Ben Kilgore (Very Good) who was lead in a popular mainstream band and Church on the move has ?????? who was in a mainstream christian band (Very good). I have tried most everywhere in Tulsa (15 Different Churches ovr 10 years) and think these two are worth the try for others not wanting the things describe in this article.

Zeke, (2/2/2008 9:46:34 AM)

I agree with the judgmental, irrelevant, and homophobic part. I am a pastor, so I'm not going to reveal where I pastor. I have people in my Sunday School class who get their shorts in a bind about gays and what the Bible says about it. Funny that Jesus never addressed the issue. But yet, try to get them to help out the local food bank. Forget it.
And we have church potlucks that everyone can all of a sudden show up to to feed their faces and fatten themselves up, but try getting them to a study in God's Word. All of a sudden they have soccer practice or something at school or they are too busy. You can get a crowd for a southern gospel concert and fill your church up, but don't try asking people to volunteer for an hour at a rescue mission.
Now can you understand why the younger generation is turned off with church? They are watching us.

Anthony Bhal, tulsa (2/2/2008 9:55:47 AM)

It their fear is well founded. The new generation known as the Millennial generation were raised very differently than that of the boomer and Gen-X. They can see liars and hypocrites very easy. They are looking for leadership that guide them and show them by leading by example. Now this was taken from a book about the millennial generation entering the workforce. Place that on religion and you see with most of today’s churches teachings and the leaders of these churches daily being cuffed and stuffed, they would have a very negative outlook on them. The millennial generation for the most part grew up in a single parent home, going to school and playing games that had no loser’s, just winners. They grew up around diversity and see nothing wrong with diversity. They are very technology savvy. They have no patience for people who they think will fail them.

Zeke, (2/2/2008 10:02:39 AM)

Anthony, don't you think the younger crowd is seeking people who model "authenticity"? All the young people I know can spot a fake a mile away.

PTL, Tulsa (2/2/2008 10:05:28 AM)

You want to find God? Don't waste your time in church.....too many man-made denominations have filtered out what is the ONLY important thing; God's word. Try picking up a Bible at home.....church is where you make it. HE is the only one you answer to.