The Burge Report: The Kids Aren’t Alright—And Church Student Ministry Might Actually Help

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Rainer on Leadership

Thom Rainer

100 episodes

3 days ago

Rainer on Leadership is your online home for leadership lessons for the local church. This twice-weekly podcast provides practical training on important issues for church leaders and pastors. For more information, visit ChurchAnswers.com.

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The Burge Report: The Kids Aren’t Alright—And Church Student Ministry Might Actually Help

Rainer on Leadership

31 minutes 14 seconds

1 month ago

The Burge Report: The Kids Aren’t Alright—And Church Student Ministry Might Actually Help

https://youtu.be/4PCi3vmFLzY

From diapers to dating, parenting never stops presenting hard questions. But today’s concern is different: Gen Z teens are experiencing a full-blown collapse in social connection. Dating is down. Friend time is down. Jobs are down. According to Monitoring the Future, the percentage of antisocial high school seniors quintupled from 3.5% in 1995 to nearly 16% in 2022. But here’s the twist: the one group that remained more socially engaged? Teens who attend church monthly. In today’s episode, Ryan, Thom, and Sam unpack the surprising role of religion in keeping kids socially healthy—and what churches can do to help.

* Regular church attendance gives teens built-in opportunities for face-to-face connection.
* Youth groups and church events can fill the relational gaps left by declining extracurriculars and jobs.
* Churchgoing teens are less likely to be socially isolated across multiple categories.
* Don’t over-program—create organic spaces where teens can talk, laugh, and serve together.
* Equip parents with language and tools to balance screen time and real time.
* View your youth ministry as a key contributor to emotional and social development, not just spiritual growth.

Resources:

* Rooted

* Upward Sports

* Upward Sports: Pickleball

* “High School Students Are Growing Incredibly Anti-Social” by Ryan Burge

* Ryan Burge

* “The Anxious Generation Goes to Church” by Thom S. Rainer (affiliate link)

* “The American Religious Landscape” by Ryan Burge (affiliate link)

* Church Answers Platinum Membership

* FREE Research Report! New Surprising Insights

* The Hope Initiative

Episode Sponsors:

* The Rooted experience can help you create a discipleship culture that connects your people and leads to ongoing life change in Jesus. Rooted is...

* A proven plan for helping people connect to God, their church, and their purpose
* A sustainable way to launch groups
* An approach to discipleship that helps people step out of their comfort zones and experience life-changing rhythms of discipleship
* An opportunity to change the culture of your church

* Visit experiencerooted.com/churchanswers for free resources to help you learn more, including the What is Rooted? video and a free download of the Rooted experience framework and Rooted Workbook sample.

The Power of Partnership. Upward Sports is the world's largest Christian youth sports organization, empowering local churches to use sports as a dynamic connection tool to engage their communities.

Start Preparing Now for 2026! Looking ahead to what’s next in your ministry? Create an outreach strategy that includes a warm invite for the whole family – use sports as that invite.