Where Have All the Young People Gone?

Since arriving in North-East Scotland over two months ago, I have been chatting with a lot
of people. One issue regarding the churches comes up over and over: where have all the
young people gone? Boys and girls who attended Sunday School as children seem to disap-
pear from church once they turn twelve years of age. They found other things to do on Sun-
day mornings. Church does not have a place in their young lives. They might come to church
with their families on Christmas and Easter, but they disappear once they are employed or go
to the university. Adults who remember the large Sunday Schools in years past express sad-
ness and even grief when they observe that the young people no longer come to church. I
hear those feelings expressed here in the North-East; I have heard them in Canada; and I have

been hearing them for several decades in the USA. Where have all the young people gone? 

When I was a wee lad I remember a large Sunday School in my home church and classes for 

each grade level. It seemed that the church was filled to the brim with kids. But when I at-

tended my home church the past year when I was in the US, we were fortunate to have three
children show up for the Children's Talk before being dismissed to Sunday School. Many Sun-
days children were not present. Wherever I have been in Britain, Canada, and the US, the
question of where have all the young people gone is on their minds. Even for churches that
have Sunday School programs for children, the question is what happened to the children
once they turned twelve. They seem to disappear from church once they enter into their
teen years. Where have they gone?

In a few weeks time the Sunday School at St Fergus Parish Church will start up for another
year. Three mothers of young children and a young secondary student will provide crafts,
fun, and a Bible lesson to seven to nine children. They do an amazing work. They carry on
with the ministry of two elders who worked with children and young people for over twenty
years until three years ago. But the question I keep hearing over and over when I talk to peo-
ple is this: where have all the young people gone? They certainly are not in church.

I have wrestled with this issue for decades; and I expect that it will continue to capture my
attention for decades to come. I don't really know what to do; but that does not mean that
I am without hope. I put my trust in the Lord Jesus, stand upon Scripture, and act faith-
fully where the Lord has planted me. As always, I ask for your prayers.

Blessings to you and yours,