Does College Kill Faith?

One of the easiest explanations for why so few young adults remain involved in congregations is that College kills faith. The supposed reasons are many...

• The faculty are too liberal and antagonistic towards faith. 
• Interacting with people from other religious traditions makes students question their own beliefs.
• Colleges don't support student's religious commitments.

The list goes on and on. This sentiment is exacerbated by the work of conservative para Christian organizations on College campuses and provocatively titled books like "How to Stay Christian in College". Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum even made it an issue on the campaign trail last year when he erroneously stated that 62% of young adults lose their faith in College.

Whatever the sources the message is the same...if you want to remain Christian in College you need to be on guard against the secularizing forces that are out to get you.

Now I'm not going to claim that every College is equal in terms of its support for the faith lives of its students. But hearing this rhetoric one would think that all the problems the Church has with engaging young adults can be traced back to the fact that they left the protection of their home congregations and were corrupted by the evil influence of academia.

But is this actually true? According to Douglas Jacobsen and Rhonda Hustedt Jacobsen there is clearly an increase in the number of religiously unaffiliated young adults during the College years.

As might be expected, the religious profile of entering college students is very similar to that of their parents and the nation as a whole: Seventy-five percent are Christians, 8 percent are members of non-Christian religions, and the rest (17 percent) are religiously unaffiliated. During the college years, this profile slowly changes, and about 15 percent of previously religious become religiously unaffiliated.

But before we blame Colleges for this trend it's important to look more closely at the facts. Young adults that do not attend College are actually slightly more likely to abandon their faith.

In some circles, there is an assumption that this decline is due to the pernicious influence of nonreligious faculty. It is true that college and university professors as a group are less religious than the national population, but blaming faculty for the decline makes little sense given that the falloff in religious affiliation among young adults who do not attend college is even greater (20 percent).

Jacobsen, Douglas; Jacobsen, Rhonda Hustedt (2012-07-03). No Longer Invisible:Religion in University Education (p. 78). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition. 

The actual reasons that so many young adults are religiously unaffiliated is far more complex than simply the College environment. I would argue (along with Tim Clydesdale, Robert Wuthnow, and others) that the unsettled and ever changing world of young adults is a much more significant reason for their religious disaffiliation.

Living in limbo is tough. Supporting young adults in this time of their lives is challenging.

But in order to be effective the Church must resist the temptation to grasp at easy answers while ignoring the broader challenges.

 

Programs and Big Events aren't the answer

When Churches think about how to connect with young adults they usually have a programmatic mindset. The typical process goes something like this...

1) Create a new worship service with a hip one word name...something edgy like "Fuel" or "Journey".

2) Hire a hip young Pastor to staff said service. Having an earring and/or tattoo is preferable, but a snappy dresser will do.

3) Create a whole host of programs that cater to young adult needs. Make Jesus seem like a young adult and they'll like him more.

Churches spend a lot of money and time developing strategies like this for reaching young adults. And they almost always fail.

Churches fail because they try too hard. They swing for the fences right away, hoping to hit a home run  with big events and programs. But what if that isn't what young adults are actually yearning for? And what if that's not what much Churches are good at anyway?

In his book about College students Sociologist Tim Clydesdale has this to say about the spiritual needs of young adults...

The need for support from clergy and other religious leaders runs high among these teens during the first year after high school, and it is costly support. Programmatic approaches are of little interest; one-on-one conversations with trusted and religiously respected adults are most desired. 

Clydesdale, Tim (2007-05-15). The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens after High School (Morality and Society Series) (Kindle Locations 4221-4225). University of Chicago Press - A. Kindle Edition.

This is good news for Churches. Relationships and community are two things that the Church can do well, and it turns out that is what young adults most need. Althought Clydesdale is focusing on College students in this statement my experience with recent College graduates is that this remains the most pressing need. And it's a much cheaper way to do ministry than putting an extreme rock climbing wall in your Church.

This kind of one on one relational strategy for ministry may not cost much in terms of dollars, but it costs a lot in terms of time and effort. In order to be effective it also requires more people to be involved than the paid ministry staff. Which is probably why so many Churches opt for the big event type of ministry with young adults. But there's something to be said for focusing on the things you do well.

Guest Post: Samantha Heinen '15

During our Wednesday evening worship services at Wartburg we have a time for student testimonies. It's an opportunity for students to share what God has been up to in their lives, or talk about a particular cause or idea that is important to them. I am constantly amazed by the honesty and insight of the students who share their testimony, and from time to time I will share them on this blog as a window into the faith lives of young adults.

Samantha Heinen is a Sophomore at Wartburg who is majoring in Business. She is an All-Conference Golfer and is one of our worship curators (planners). She shared this testimony on Wednesday night at Eucharist and with her permission I'm sharing it with you. Her story testifies to the frustration and joy young adults experience in the Church. I hope you enjoy it.

Hello Everyone!  I hope you all had a fantastic break!  I know mine was especially brightened when I was working at the W one day and Pastor Brian came up asking if I wanted to do the first testimony of this semester.  I responded like I imagine many before me have with a hesitant, “uuuhh-yeaaaaah.”  So, I started thinking what could possibly be interesting enough about my life that you all would be willing to sit here and not fall asleep, and if I’m being honest, there wasn’t a lot.  But after a while I thought maybe I could talk about my experience in Pittsburgh at the Presbyterian Church USA’s 220th General Assembly.

Now, many of you probably just had the same reaction I did when I first heard about it, “Uh, excuse me the general who? And what are the Presbyterians up to now?”  Well the way the General Assembly was explained to me is that every Presbytery chooses participants.  A presbytery is a district of churches, for example I attend church in Cedar Falls but our presbytery ranges from Story City to Mason City.  Each of the 173 presbyteries in the United States choose two pastors and two elders called commissioners and one Young Adult Advisory Delegate or YAAD to go to Pittsburgh for about nine days.

Before you arrive, you are randomly sorted into committees where for two days at the Assembly you review and make changes to proposals that churches have submitted for all sorts of laws, amendments, and other Presbyterian things. After that everyone comes together in a big group called Plenary where the committees make their proposals.  These committees get up close and personal with the issues so when they come to Plenary everyone else can argue the same issues before taking the large group vote.  There is much more that goes into it but that’s sort of a brief overview.  So, I was like yeah sure free trip to Pittsburgh and I get to learn how the church works, awesome!  Let’s just say I had no idea what I got myself into.

What I did know was that there were two big issues said to be dividing the church, one was Civil Union and Marriage Issues and the other was Middle East Peacemaking.  So, for instance, at the assembly I would always introduce myself, “Hi, I’m Samantha from the North Central Iowa Presbytery and I am on the Middle East Peacemaking Committee.”  Which would usually have a response like, “Oooh… Good luck.”

So, after months of people telling me, we are so proud of you, you’re the future of the church, yada yada, I was finally going to Pittsburgh.  I got there, met some friends, walked around this huge city, and let me tell you it was incredible!  And the food, I swear they put French fries on everything there; sandwiches, salads, you name it!  So, I thought, “yeah, this isn’t going to be so bad.”  However the next day we had YAAD training…  The leaders start off saying things like plenary, Robert’s Rules of Order, John Calvin, call the question, make an amendment to the amendment’s amendment.  I’m just sitting there, blank face, “What?” while everyone else is going, oh yes, tell us more about the rule of crystallization.  Don’t worry I wasn’t completely hopeless, the guy next to me was sleeping the whole time, so I was probably alright.

After about a day of that, one thing I did gather was that we had to elect a moderator who ran along with a vice moderator, sort of like the president and vice president of the General Assembly.  Eventually the commissioners voted in majority for Neal Presa and Tara Spuhler McCabe.  However, the next day, for the first time in 220 assemblies our vice moderator resigned.  Prior to the vote Neal had mentioned that Tara had signed a marriage certificate for a lesbian couple even though the PCUSA constitution defines marriage as between a man and a woman.  Because of this, certain commissioners took part in online bullying and threatened to walk out on the assembly.

This is where I had to stop.  I couldn’t believe it.  These were adults, role models, acting with such juvenile behavior.  So quick to judge and throw a fit just because they didn’t get their way.  But this made me think, this is the same perception that many people have of Christians.  My own friends have told me that when they think about going to church all they see are the preachy people who can only fathom their own beliefs and push them on other people.

This was one of many unexpected events at the general assembly which ended up giving my pastor cause to say, “I am so sorry you had to be chosen for this GA.”  She said that and all I could think was I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.  Through the General Assembly I felt the worst disappointment I have ever gone through in my life, but I was also filled with the most joy.  I got to see a completely different world, experience amazing worship, and meet the most wonderful people.  But what truly made this General Assembly the most meaningful for me was that even after seeing first hand all the awful things that were happening, the division in the church, and the politics of it all, there was still hope.  You could feel it when all of the formality stopped and 1000 people came together to pray.  In those moments it didn’t matter who you were, just that we were all there for one purpose, for God.

Through the process, people were hurt and felt the sting of disappointment, and even though it appeared like it was the worst GA ever,  I believe it showed that every one of those people were passionate.  They all cared so much that they were willing to take a week out of their busy lives to come to Pittsburgh and work all day even into the early morning to improve their church.  Hope.  That is what I found at the General Assembly.  Throughout the week we heard about how the church is dying, however that’s not what I saw, I saw the life of the church in every one of the 170 Young Adult Advisory Delegates and I see it in everyone here today.

You know, they say we are the future of the church, but that’s not the whole story, we are the church and right now we have the power to make a difference and the ability to share the love and respect that this world so desperately needs.

In conclusion I would like to thank all of you.  Thank you for coming to Eucharist and thank you for being my hope.

Mental Health on College Campuses

There was an interesting story on NPR yesterday about the increasing need for mental health services among College students. We have a very good counseling Center on campus with two full time professionals and both my colleague Pastor Ramona and I provide support for students with mental health concerns.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart because it was in College that I first began receiving treatment for depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. It's been a long journey that included a three day hospital stay in 2000, but I'm immensely grateful for the help I've received.

Whether or not the rate of depression, anxiety and other mental health disorders among College students is increasing is hard to say. It's quite possible that the increase in students seeking professional help is a result of a greater openness to treatment, but I don't think anyone would dispute that those receive treatment are just the tip of the iceberg.

Faith can be an incredibly helpful resource in dealing with mental illness but oftentimes people of faith are the least likely to seek help. There is a destructive belief that seeking help for a mental illness is a sign that one's faith isn't strong enough. (If you believe that rubbish, read through the Psalms sometime)

On the contrary I would argue that dealing with the pain of depression brought me closer to God. This makes sense when we realize that God is most clearly revealed in the places we least expect. On the cross in suffering and weakness. This is a God who does not run away from our pain but instead meets us there, and brings us out on the other side.

So my advice to College students that are struggling with mental health issues is to get help. Ironically admitting weakness and powerlessness is the most honest thing that any human being can do. Depression and other mental health challenges simply bring the reality of our dependance on God into clearer focus.

You are not alone in facing these challenges, and there is hope. Step forward into the darkness and discover that you're not alone, and it isn't as scary as you might think.

How can congregations help?

Anxiousness among graduating seniors on College campuses reaches a crescendo during second semester. Many students are getting a crash course in the daily realities of their respective fields as they do internships. Others are fretting about what happens next, while still more are masking their anxiety under a veneer of disinterest.

The pressure that students feel to "figure out" the rest of their lives comes from parents, the media, and themselves. This makes sense because according to sociologist Tim Clydesdale most High School graduates see College more as a necessary step in securing their futures than an opportunity for intellectual growth. He calls such students "practical credentialists" because they think of their degree instrumentally, as a means to an end. 

In my experience the pragmatic nature of students extends beyond their first year of College. Some will discover a passion for the life of the mind and become the next generation of intellectuals, but according to Clydesdale this is a much smaller group than most of us in higher education would guess. So it's no wonder that the anxiety among College students is high as they prepare to graduate. They've spent thousands of dollars on their degree and now are about to see if it was worth it.

In recent years this anxiety has been compounded by a weak economy and increased competition from older workers who have lost their own jobs. According to recent reports the job outlook for the class of 2013 has improved considerably but even if that is true it will take some time before public perception catches up with reality.

In the midst of this anxiety Congregations have an opportunity to provide a sense of hope and community to those transitioning into the "real world". But graduates probably aren't going to beating down the doors of local congregations looking for such support. 

If I were in a congregation wanting to provides such support to young adults I would start by looking at the young adults that are already present. How can you support them in this time of transition? What do they hear from their friends? How might  God be at work in this time in their lives? If faith becomes a resource for the young adults who are already present they will probably talk about it with their friends.

Regardless of whether you have young adults in your congregation I do have the following advice for those who want to support young adults as they transition to the "real world" and beyond.

First of all find a safe place like a coffee shop, bar, restaurant, etc. for meetings. Most young adults are not going to come to you and will probably be leery of your motives. So no matter how much you may want them to come to worship and serve on the property committee...don't go there. 

Instead enter into the relationship with pure intentions, not expecting anything but rather seeking to offer support in a time of transition. If this isn't your goal. If you want young adults to save a dying Church or simply make your congregation look more hip, then this kind of outreach isn't for you. Most young adults will be in a state of transition for years to come so more than likely you will just be planting seeds not reaping a harvest of new volunteers or lifetime members.

And finally, trust yourself. Older adults have much to offer those who are younger. You are an expert on the real world whether you want to be or not. Your wisdom and support can be a great blessing!

Searching for an anchor

The latest edition of the Journal of Lutheran Ethics contains an excellent article entitled "Let Me Google That: A Millenial Reflects On Her Generation" about young adults. The author, Annalise Eeman, is a recent College graduate and a student at Luther Seminary.

It's a very well written and honest piece about the uncertainties and possibilities that come with being a young adult today. I highly recommend it.