Reaching Those Who Have Fallen Away

William Bush
Springfield, TN
Chief Marketing Officer

 

Not my youth group, I thought. Not my friends. We are different.

Growing up as the son of a youth minister, I heard this statistic all the time: approximately 50% of young people would leave the church after graduating high school. It was a staggering number back then. But even worse, new research suggests two out of every three souls who grow up in the church will leave soon after graduating high school.

Not my youth group, I thought. Not my friends.

Many of us who grew up together in the youth group also attended church services both on Sundays and Wednesdays. We regularly participated in devotionals and other youth activities, attended church camp, assisted in church-wide service projects, taught Bible classes, lead in worship. Some even chose to attend a Christian university and among those some even majored in Bible or ministry. Many chose to continue as great servants and leaders for our Lord after graduation. Yet, when I go back home to visit or as Facebook memories pop up with pictures from the past, I am also reminded of those friends who chose to leave their relationship with Christ.

Whether these precious souls are your grandchildren, children, cousins, best friends or just simply a former brother or sister in Christ – it hurts when Christians choose to leave Christ and His church. What if I had just said this? What if I had just done that more often? What if they had chosen a different school or a different major? Was it my fault? What could I have done to change things?

We all know the parable of the sower andthat some hearts are rocky and some are full of weeds. We also know one of Jesus’ own disciples chose to deny Him. But these realities don’t stop the pain when someone we love chooses to set aside their relationship with Christ to pursue the things of this world. Like God, we do not want any to perish, but all to reach repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

We at World Bible School hurt with you. We too have grandchildren, children, brothers, sisters, friends and other family members who have chosen to leave Christ. We have heard your cries, share in your heartache AND it has compelled us to do something about it.

Right now, we are developing a new Mathetis Original video course and “Reaching Series” Bible class curriculum booklet to equip Christians with tools to reach those who have fallen away. The Mathetis Original course will be a tool designed for you to invite your loved ones into a Bible study, while the Bible class curriculum will be designed to help us as Christians learn how to lovingly guide those who have fallen away back into a healthy relationship with Christ.

Will you help us produce the next Mathetis Original course?

We are seeking to raise $250,000, which will enable us to:

• Write the videos, questions, Digging Deeper articles and Bible class curriculum
• Produce the high-quality Mathetis videos and publish them on Mathetis
• Print the new “Reaching Series” Bible class curriculum booklets

To give, visit worldbibleschool.net/give, call 512-345-8190 or mail a check to P.O. Box 2169 Cedar Park, TX 78630