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Guest post by Erik Tryggestad

If you haven’t been by The Christian Chronicle’s Web site lately, please take a moment to check out our new look. Tamie Ross and Travis Langley (our Web guy, who’s doing a tremendous job in spite of the obvious limitation of being a Tennessee fan) have been busy getting the redesign up and running.

We’ve got some new features. You no longer have to register with the site to participate in polls, leave comments or download complete issues in PDF format.

While you’re there, please take a look at our feature on “What teens want,” the latest installment of our “By the Numbers” series. Throughout the series we’ve been looking at declining membership statistics for Churches of Christ in the U.S. We’ve quoted several people who suggest that most of the decline comes from young people leaving our churches.

After one of our recent installments (“Can generations grow together?”) Bobby pointed out that we’d talked about young people quite a bit, but we hadn’t really talked to them. So he asked me to write a story where we just talk to teens in Churches of Christ.

I’ll be honest — I wasn’t thrilled about the task. My experiences interviewing teens in years past were less than positive. I was concerned that most of the answers to my questions would go something like this:

(No offense to our brothers and sisters in Newnan, Ga.)

But as I received back questionnaires, I was amazed by the honesty, depth and sincerity displayed by these young believers.

We weren’t able to include all of the great comments we got from the teens, so I’m posting a few extended quotes here:

Question: Do you know teens who have left Churches of Christ? If so, where did they go? Did they find new church homes or did they leave faith entirely?

Jeff Scanlon on a mission trip in Honduras (photo submitted)

I do not know many teenagers who have left the Church of Christ while they were still living at home or with their parents. Sadly, I know many who have stopped attending church after they leave for college or begin living on their own. And most of the time, when they leave the church, they do not go looking for a new church. It’s not a rejection of church but a rejection of religion. I do know many teenagers, however, that are upset with the church and, if given the opportunity, would leave. The only reason they don’t is because they live with their parents, who force them to come to church.

— Jeff Scanlon, 17, Manchester, Conn.

Yes. I know some friends who have left. They did not lose faith. They found a new church home. As long as their faith is just as strong — or stronger — than it was before, then I don’t worry as much. I still love them and hang out with them.

— Kelley Claire Holcomb, 17, Madera Ranchos, Calif.

Question: We’ve heard that younger people don’t have the “brand loyalty” to Churches of Christ that previous generations had. Do you agree?

I agree. A lot of kids like going to non-Church of Christ churches for various reasons. First off, it is easier to go to other churches because many tell you that it is OK to do what you want — God will forgive you. Other churches tell them what they want to hear instead of what is reality. … Another reason young people do not have ‘brand loyalty’ to Churches of Christ anymore is because they would rather go to a church that provides entertainment with rock bands and things like that. They need to understand that church is not about entertainment — it is about growing closer to God and learning the truth of his word.

— Brandon Avedikian, 17, Clovis, Calif.

Hannah Shelton on a mission trip in Kenya (photo submitted)

To my generation, it doesn’t really matter what denomination you are, so long as you believe the basics. I believe that I’ll continue to be a member of the Church of Christ because — so far as I have discovered — that’s the denomination that I most concur with. But if I move to a small town that doesn’t have a Church of Christ for three hours in any direction or some extreme situation like that, I wouldn’t feel as though I was betraying my conscience or anything to go to a different denomination.

— Hannah Shelton, 18, Searcy, Ark.

I think the younger generation is trying to get away from ‘brand loyalty’ because we realize that being Christian is much bigger than just the label of ‘the church.’ We are trying to change the ways older generations think about Christianity. It isn’t just about the label of the church, it is about being the church. Being a member of the Church of Christ is very important because it gives me a chance to be with my wonderful church family, who encourage me and make me a better person.

— Kayla Thomas, 17, Aurora, Ill.

Question: Do you feel like you “inherited your faith” from you parents, or did you come to it on your own?

Annalyse Faulk on a mission trip in Panama (photo submitted)

A Bible teacher at school told me once ‘God doesn’t have grandchildren, just children.’ This made me think — yes, my parents have been a huge part of my faith, but I think that I have been able to make it my own.

— Annalyse Faulk, 18, Jackson, Tenn.

(By the way, Annalyse doesn’t suffer from Travis’ unfortunate condition. She roots for Georgia. GO DAWGS!)