Why Do 70% of Young People Leave the Church in College?

Fact: 70–88% of youth born in evangelical homes leave the faith after one year in a secular college.

Maybe. Just maybe. We start to focus on more doctrine, more ability to explain what and why they believe, and less performance, less trend, less show, less entertainment.

Now, I’ve basically been saying the same thing for years—decades! There’s been such a focus in American churches on entertaining young people so they’ll want to come to church and very little emphasis on doctrine, theology, apologetics, and the gospel. So many young people grow up with a shallow faith, no answers to the skeptical questions of our day, and a worldview foundation that says man determines truth (the same foundation our culture has).

But what’s ironic is that when I speak to young people, I find they are so hungry for answers! They love the rich and authoritative teaching from God’s Word. They’re tired of the shallow entertainment they’ve been fed—they want “meat”!

Biblical worldview teaching is incredibly important, both in the home and in the church.

Biblical worldview teaching is incredibly important, both in the home and in the church. Remember, fathers, it’s your responsibility to train your children in the admonition of the Lord and not ultimately the church’s responsibility! Don’t neglect it in your home! Remember that money, status, sports achievements, and everything else fades away—but our children have eternal souls that will live forever.

As I was thinking about this, one of our AiG speakers asked me to highlight another like-minded ministry, the Ezra Institute. This Canadian biblical worldview ministry loves AiG and frequently partners with our Canadian and UK branches. One of their primary focuses is young people and equipping them to think biblically on every issue. And that’s why they host summer worldview camps for youth and families each year, including camps in Canada and here in the United States—and one of our speakers, Rob Webb (an aerospace engineer), will be speaking at their upcoming Worldview Youth Academy in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, July 11–17, 2025.

I encourage you to check out their upcoming camps and consider registering—you’ll love the biblical worldview teaching your teenager or family will receive.

Oh, and if you go to the Gatlinburg, TN, Worldview Youth Academy in July, be sure to hop over to Pigeon Forge and check out our stunning new attraction, Truth Traveler, a VR “ride” and planetarium experience. It’s an extremely high-quality attraction that takes you on a journey from Eden to eternity.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AIG’s research team.