GroshLink

Below's an excerpt from Derek Melleby's interview with Tim Clydesdale, author of The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens After High School and Professor of Sociology & Principal Investigator, Life and Vocation & Life after College Projects at The College of New Jersey, which focuses on youth walking away from the faith in college -- similar to some of my Rumspringa reflections (see Why Evangelicals are quitting church, Students uniformly negative view of Christianity, liveabove.com). 

Tim: Those who “walked away” from their faith during college made the decision to do so long before their college years – they just waited for the freedom of college to enact that choice. In many cases, these teens reported having important questions regarding faith during early adolescence (12-14 years old) that were ignored by their parents or pastors rather than taken seriously and engaged thoughtfully. It is in early adolescence that faith trajectories (along with other life trajectories) are set, thus early adolescence is the point when preparation must occur. Middle and late adolescence are increasingly similar, as college represents less of a qualitative change and more of a quantitative change. In other words, there are few ideas and freedoms available to college students that are not also available to high school students – college students simply experience ideas and freedoms in greater quantity. Hence, early adolescence are the years when churches must prepare their youth, and must do so fully aware that youth now arbitrate among many claims for their allegiance. Sadly, most youth ministries are long on fun and fluff and short on listening and thoughtful engagement. The former produces a million paper boats; the latter produces a handful of seaworthy ships. Launching a million paper boats is an amazing spectacle on a clear summer day, but only a ship can weather storms and cross oceans. -- http://cpyubookshelf.blogspot.com/2008/09/understanding-american-teens-after-high.html