Already Gone

Already Gone by Ken Ham & Britt Beemer with Todd Hillard

Another name for this book is: Why your kids will quit church and What you can do to stop it

This book uses research done by America's Research Group directed by C. Britt Beemer. What led to this research was that nationwide polls and denominational reports were showing that the next generation is calling it quits on the church. Respected pollster George Barna was first to quantified that six out of ten twenty-somethings who were involved in a church during their teen years are already gone.

Ken Ham of the Answer in Genesis ministry wanted to know how and why this is occurring. So he asked Britt Beemer and his research group to help get insight into this epidemic the church is facing.

One of the first things this book questions is the Sunday School movement and the youth ministry. The authors suggest that parents are delegating their responsibility. Because parents are not teaching, disciplining and training their own children as Scripture exhorts in Deuteronomy 6: 4-10 and Ephesians 6: 1-4 the baton of faith is not passed on to their children. The authors, Ken Ham and Britt Beemer, believe the Sunday School syndrome is a serious contributor to the overall problem of young people exiting the church.

Irrelevance is another reason given by those young adults who left the church. Hypocrisy is often mentioned. They see a great discrepancy between what people are saying and the way that they are living. Interestingly the type of music played in worship services had no effect on church attendance or exit. Surprisingly the exodus begins even before college. Many high school and middle schoolers are exiting the church.

A whole chapter, The Short Road to Irrelevance, points out that authority of the Scriptures is constantly challenged and undermined. The relevance of Scripture is gone in our culture. People no longer have an understanding of basic Christian concepts. Our culture's constant emphasis on evolution through the media and in public schools has undermined the authority of the Book of Genesis and therefore the Bible as a whole. The foundation of the church is crumbling!

If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? - Psalm 11: 3

Over half of this book is dedicated to solutions within our grasp to stop this epidemic. Apologetics is needed. A completely new approach as how to educate is advocated. This approach uses facts to support and confirm God's Word and the Christian faith. Young adults will then realize that the Word of God is the real deal. Ken Ham's web-site http://www.answersingenesis.org/ is dedicated primarily to apologetics. Here is a link that you can hear Ken Ham talk about this book in the video The State of the Nation: http://www.answersingenesis.org/media/video/ondemand/state-of-the-nation/state-of-the-nation

The church in the midst of its many programs has often forgotten the most important thing. What is this most important thing? Data reveals that spending time in the Bible is hands down the highest impact personal spiritual practice. Reflecting on the meaning of Scripture is often called having a quiet time with the Lord. Research has shown that progressive musical worship, dynamic small groups, and seeker-sensitive Sunday sermons are not the answer to church growth. But true spiritual growth and a healthy church all start with a person accepting the Word of God for what it is - the absolute authority - and treating it accordingly.

John 15: 5 says, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. "

Included in this book are suggestions for parents, the Christian educator, the youth pastor, and the pastor. These suggestions include defending and living the Word of God.

The authors are calling for a new reformation. They want to call the church back to the authority of the Word of God.

Even though this book has very little to do with homeschooling I wanted to include this book in the SVHE library to wake us homeschoolers to what is happening in our churches. Yes, we can make a difference today that will affect the statistics of tomorrow.

Back in 1980, when I was studying the Bible for the very first time, the first verse I was asked to memorize and meditate on was Second Timothy 3: 16-17. So I finish my review of Already Gone with the importance of all Scripture.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.