"The Tighter You Hold Them..." Exploring the Youth Exodus w/ Jessie Correa

As time moves forward, our society has changed faster and faster each year. The past century of life on earth has seen some of the most monumental shifts in how humans interact with each other and the world around them. Technology has advanced at lightning speed, and there have been incredible shifts in our traditions, our laws, and even how we communicate with one another. While some of these changes can be scary, humanity has also made incredible advancements in life saving medical practices and wrestled with how to become more humane in how we treat one another. We’ve learned to question the missteps of the people who came before us and, although the process continues to be a messy one, more and more people seem to be struggling toward a future where people look out for each other regardless of our differences.

For generations growing up in this rapidly advancing world, church can feel like an artifact from another time. And in a society where questions and curiosity are held up as important values, there is an increasing tension between the rising generations and anywhere that feels unwilling to grow and change. This is one major reason why young people disconnect from organized religion in their early adult years.

Conversations around the youth exodus often focus on why young people leave church - but what if there’s more to that story? What if young people today are being pushed out of church when that isn’t really what they wanted? What if, in our desire to reject worldliness and sin, we’ve instead rejected people who simply wanted to understand God and the world around them more deeply? What if church has become a place that no longer fosters growing personal relationships with God and our neighbor, and what if that tension is the beginning of the end for curious people?

As a kid, Jessie Correa was heavily involved in his church. He even spent many years dreaming of becoming a pastor. But as he grew older, several personal experiences caused him to question his place in church. What can we learn from stories like Jessie’s?