How can we keep young people in the church? Seems to me this is not precisely the right question. The better question is how we can help young people love God and grow into their “true selves.” A happy by-product will be their faithfulness to the church. Here’s a start: Teach kids to engage in productive faith.In his two books Culture …

Last week I gave the example of Caleb, an archetypal teenager who falls in love with cars and the race track — not Jesus — and gradually drifts away from the faith. Could this “leaver” have been kept in the fold somehow? Yes, I think so. No guarantees, of course, but I have a suggestion: What if we brought God …

Imagine a 16-year old named Caleb who grew up in the church but within a couple of years will leave, perhaps permanently. Caleb is fascinated by the world of cars, racing and engines, and wants to go into auto mechanics. At church Caleb experiences worship, community, Bible teaching. All good things. He learns about morality, God’s love, salvation, prayer. He’s …