Growing Up Christian: Why Young People Stay in Church, Leave Church, and (Sometimes) Come Back to Church

Young people who grow up in church seem to offer great potential for the future of Christianity. Yet often that potential goes unfulfilled. Some give up on Christian faith altogether. Many more give up on church. Others persevere with both faith and church. And yet others return after a time away. So what makes the difference?
John Bowen suggests some of the answers to such questions. He has surveyed several hundred young people who "grew up Christian," and retells their stories about how ...